Richmond Professional Institute
RPI Logo
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| Active | 1917–1968 |
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| Location |
 Richmond, Virginia, US
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The Richmond Professional Institute (RPI) was an educational institution established in 1917 which merged with the Medical College of Virginia to form Virginia Commonwealth University. RPI was located on what is now known as the Monroe Park Campus of VCU. The entire history of RPI can be found in "A History of the Richmond Professional Institute" written by Dr. Henry H. Hibbs, Jr.
In 1917, a group of community leaders organized the Richmond School of Social Economy to address urban social and health concerns and to be "the first of its kind in the south." The school opened on October 11, 1917 with 30 students, all of whom were women. Of the 30 students, 7 were involved in social work and 23 in public health nursing.
In 1920, RPI opened its doors to both men and women, but the first man did not enroll until 1927.
Reverend Scherer secured the first home for the Richmond School of Social Work on the third floor of an old brick residence in Capitol Square across from the Governor's mansion at 1112 Capitol Street. At the time nothing suggested a professional school, college, or university in the area and on the building the sign read "Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court."
In 1925, the school became the Richmond Division of the College of William and Mary because of $10,000 dollars in support given to RPI each year. In the transition to becoming a public institution from 1925 to 1940, the school was one of the few "state-supported colleges" in the country operating almost entirely without state support. The lack of funding was due mainly to a popular belief that Virginia already had too many public universities and that leaders in Virginia believed the only proper location for a college or university was in a small town and not in an urban environment. With the support from The College of William and Mary, it acquired 827 West Franklin Street (now known as Founder's Hall). The building was purchased for $73,000 and $23,000 was needed for repairs. In 1928, the Richmond Division becomes the Richmond Professional Institute of The College of William and Mary.
When the Great Depression hit and RPI continued to receive no state support, the federal government stepped in to fill the gap. With the help of the Works Progress Administration, many of the buildings were renovated during the depression. In fact, Dr. Hibbs was quoted as saying,
...if it had not been for the WPA, the Richmond Professional Institute would not have amounted to much. In the days before the legislature made appropriations to RPI the WPA enabled us to survive and even grow a little.
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Wikipedia