Virginia State University Virginia State University is a historically black , land - grant university located north of the Appomattox River in Ettrick , Chesterfield County , near Petersburg , Virginia . Founded on , Virginia State developed as the United States ' s first fully state - supported four - year institution of higher learning for black Americans . The university is a member - school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund . History . Following the American Civil War , William Mahone ( 1826 – 1895 ) of Petersburg , Virginia was the driving force in 1870 to combine the Norfolk and Petersburg , South Side and the Virginia & Tennessee railroads to form the Atlantic , Mississippi & Ohio Railroad ( AM & O ) . The new line extended from Norfolk to Bristol . After the AM & O struggled to operate for several years under receiverships , the railroad was sold at auction in 1881 and became part of the Norfolk and Western Railway . Mahone , a former Confederate general , led Virginia ' s Readjuster Party . He was a major proponent of public schools for the education of freedmen and free blacks . Elected by the state legislature as a United States Senator from Virginia , he arranged for the proceeds of the AM & O sale to help found a normal school for black teachers near Petersburg . Alfred W . Harris , a black attorney who was a state delegate , introduced the bill that established the institute . In 1882 , the " Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute " at Ettrick was established . Virginia State ' s first president was John Mercer Langston , former dean of Howard University ' s law school , and later elected to Congress as the first African - American Representative from Virginia ( and the last until 1972 ) . The board of trustees was composed of prominent African - American men , with one seat for a white man . Until the mid - 1960s , following federal civil rights legislation that ended racial segregation , the faculty of the collegiate program and the normal school was exclusively African American . In response to the 1890 Amendments to the federal Morrill Act , Virginia designated the normal school as one of its land grant colleges . The United States Congress required that states either open their land - grant colleges ( supported by all taxpayers ) to all races or else establish additional land - grant educational facilities for blacks . Following the Reconstruction era , white Democrats had regained power in the Virginia state legislature ( and across the former Confederacy ) ; they had established Jim Crow racial segregation in public facilities , including schools and colleges . In 1902 , the legislature revised the school ' s charter and renamed it the " Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute " . With expansion of programs and a four - year curriculum , in 1923 the college was renamed " Virginia State College for Negroes " , shortened to " Virginia State College " in 1946 . In 1979 , the institution ' s addition of more departments and graduate programs was recognized in a change of name to Virginia State University . Meanwhile , the school ' s two - year branch in Norfolk , founded in 1935 , was expanded to a four - year curriculum and renamed Norfolk State College . Following additional expansion of programs , it is now Norfolk State University . In 2003 , the university accepted its first students in its first Ph . D . program . On July 1 , 2010 , President Keith T . Miller was named as the 13th president of Virginia State University . He previously served as President of Lock Haven University . Miller earned his bachelor , master and doctoral degrees from the University of Arizona . Main Campus . The university has a main campus and a agricultural research facility . The main campus includes more than 50 buildings , including 15 dormitories and 16 classroom buildings . The main campus sits atop a rolling landscape overlooking the Appomattox River in Ettrick , Virginia near Petersburg . Residence Halls . Branch Hall . Branch Hall is a freshmen female residence hall at Virginia State University and was erected during the 1949 - 1950 academic year . This four story , five - wing residence hall is named for the late Mary E . Branch , the first graduate of the institution to become president of a college . In 1930 she became the first Black woman to be appointed the president of Tillotson Teachers ' College in Austin Texas . Each wing in Branch Hall is equipped with one community bathroom . Byrd Hall . Byrd Hall , a freshmen female residence hall was named in honor of The Honorable Harry Flood Byrd , Former Governor of Virginia . This five story , nine wing residence hall was erected during the 1929 - 1930 school year from funds derived from the Noell Act and from appropriations made by the General Education Board . Byrd Hall is equipped with three large air - conditioned lobbies , individual air conditioning units in each room , recreational areas , a quiet study room , laundry facilities and a computer lab that has high speed internet connectivity . Each wing of Byrd Hall shares a community bathroom . Howard Hall . Howard Hall , a female freshmen residence hall , was named in honor of Otelia Sheild Howard an English teacher and an adviser to the Virginia Statesman newspaper . Howard Hall features central air - conditioning throughout the building and two community bathrooms per floor . It also has laundry facilities and a computer lab with Internet and word processing capabilities . Eggleston Hall . Eggleston Hall , an all female residence hall for freshmen students , is named in honor of Dr . Joseph D . Eggleston . Eggleston was a former member of the Board of Visitors at Virginia State College . This three - story brick residence hall was completed in the 1927 - 1928 academic school year . This residence hall features an air - conditioned lobby area where students can relax , laundry facilities and a computer lab with Internet and word processing capabilities . Puryear Hall . Puryear Hall , a four - story , freshmen male residence hall was erected in 1959 and is named in honor of Rev . Thomas Puryear , a former Dean of Men , football and baseball coach at Virginia State University . Puryear Hall features an air - conditioned lobby and recreation room where students can relax along with two community bathrooms on each floor . It also has laundry facilities and a computer lab with internet and word processing capabilities . Quad Hall . Quad Hall is a co - educational residence hall completed in the 2010 - 2011 academic year . The Quad consist of two L - shaped residence halls connected by a singular lobby . The two buildings ( Quad A and B ) house 458 national exchange , and upper - class students . Quad Hall includes one and two - bedroom units with both handicap and hearing impaired units . All double rooms are equipped with a private bathroom and all single rooms are suite style ( two singles share one bathroom ) . Amenities include study lounges on each floor , computer laboratories , laundry facilities , smart classrooms , multipurpose rooms and a kitchen in each building . Shared spaces between the two buildings will include a central main entrance and lobby , a main commons area , a wellness center , a game room and a beauty / barber salon . Seward Hall . Seward Hall , a three - story brick co - educational residence hall , was erected in 1926 - 1927 . This three - story residence hall was named for Hatcher S . Seward , a member of the Board of Visitors from Petersburg . Seward is equipped with air conditioners in each room for the resident ’ s convenience and features laundry facilities , mail service and a computer lab that has internet access . Each floor of Seward Hall is equipped with two community bathrooms . Williams Hall . Williams Hall , a freshmen male residence hall , was named in honor of Professor Daniel Barclay Williams who taught at the college for many years . This three story , 6 wing building was begun in 1934 and completed in 1935 . Williams Hall is equipped with an air - conditioned lobby where students can relax , a recreational area , laundry facilities and a computer lab that has internet access and word processing capabilities . It is also equipped with one community bathroom per wing . Langston Hall . Langston Hall , a freshmen co - educational honors hall was built in the 1928 - 1929 school year and named for Mr . John Mercer Langston , the first president of the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute . Langston Hall has been completely renovated and features a lobby where students can relax on the first floor , as well as , lounges on each floor . Although it is a co - educational residence hall , each floor or wing is designated as male or female only . The residence hall has laundry facilities , mail services and a computer lab that has internet access and word processing capabilities . This residence hall contains single rooms , single suites , double rooms and double suites . Moore Hall . Moore Hall , a co - educational suite style residence hall was completed in August 2008 . It is named in honor of Eddie N . Moore , Jr . the universities 12th president and his wife Elisia . Students are able to choose from the following floor plans : Suite A ( 4 - party single ) , Suite B ( 4 - party double ) , Suite C ( 2 - party single ) , Suite E ( single suite ) . Each suite in Moore Hall is equipped with a refrigerator and microwave along with personal room controls for heat and air conditioning . The hall boasts of smart classrooms , a computer lab , laundry facilities , a game room , wellness center and salon . Quad Hall A & B . Quad Hall is a co - educational residence hall completed in 2010 . The Quad consist of two L - shaped residence halls connected by a singular lobby . The two buildings ( Quad A and B ) house 458 national exchange , and upper - class students . Quad Hall includes one and two - bedroom units with both handicap and hearing impaired units . All double rooms are equipped with a private bathroom and all single rooms are suite style ( two singles share one bathroom ) . Amenities include study lounges on each floor , computer laboratories , laundry facilities , smart classrooms , multipurpose rooms and a kitchen in each building . Shared spaces between the two buildings will include a central main entrance and lobby , a main commons area , a wellness center , a game room and a beauty / barber salon . The Student Village Complex . Demolished May 2012 Located across from Rogers Stadium , the Student Village Complex or more commonly referred to as " The Vill , " provides housing for returning Virginia State University students . The Student Village includes , Taylor - Williams , a female residence hall ; Barrett - Jackson and Nicholas Hall ; both Co - ed residence halls and Powell Pavilion . Due to its distance from main campus , students often refer to the Student Village Complex as the " The Suburbs " and main campus as " The City . " Taylor - Williams Hall . Taylor - Williams Hall ( Buildings A & B ) is a residence hall for upper - class females and named in honor of two world renowned alumni of Virginia State University . Dr . Billy Taylor , a jazz musician , and Dr . Camilla Ella Williams an opera artist . This three story , six - wing residence hall was built in 1980 as part of the village complex . Each wing is equipped with two community bathrooms . This residence hall features an air - conditioned lobby on each floor along with a computer lab on the first floor . Barrett - Jackson Hall . Barrett - Jackson Hall ( Student Village Buildings C & D ) is a co - ed residence hall named in honor of Miss Julia Louise Barrett the Director of Admissions and Registrar from 1926 to 1965 and Mr . Henry Colson Jackson who served as Dean of Men . This three story , six - wing residence hall was built in 1980 as part of the village complex . Each wing is equipped with two community bathrooms . This residence hall features an air - conditioned lobby on each floor along with a computer lab on the first floor . Nicholas Hall . Nicholas Hall ( Building E ) , a co - educational upper - class Residence Hall , was named in honor of James F . Nicholas who in 1944 was invited to join the faculty of Virginia State College where he became an instructor in education and principal of the high school . This three story residence hall was built in 1980 as part of the village complex . Each wing is equipped with two community bathrooms . This residence hall features an air - conditioned lobby on each floor along with a computer lab on the first floor . Academics . This is a list of the departments within each School : The university also has the Office for International Education and the Institute for Study of Race Relations . Demographics . The 2009 - 2010 student body is 62 . 2 % female and 37 . 5 % male . It consists of 69 . 7 % in - state and 30 . 3 % out - of - state students . 97 . 2 % of students live on campus and 2 . 8 % off - campus . 91 . 1 % of students self - identify as Black / African American , while 4 . 0 % are White , and 4 . 0 % are racially unreported . Student activities . Marching band . Directed by , Dr . Mark W Phillips , the VSU Trojan Explosion has approximately 170 members including the Essence of Troy Dancers , The Satin Divas Flag Corps , The Troy Elegance Majorette Squad in addition to the instrumentalists . Cheerleading . Originally led by head coach Dr . Paulette Johnson for 35 years the Woo Woo ' s are a nationally recognized cheerleading squad known for original , up - tempo and high energy performances . The 30 member squad is composed of young women from all over the country . The squad focuses on community service as well as promoting school spirit . Tryouts are held annually during the spring semester for VSU full - time students . Instructional camps and workshops are offered throughout the state . In 2001 , the University granted the Woo Woo Alumni chapter its initial charter . The organization has a rapidly growing membership that is actively involved in the promotion of the squad and its individual members . Shandra Claiborne , a former woo woo , is now in charge of cheerleading for all Virginia State University athletic teams . Notable alumni . This list includes graduates , non - graduate former students and current students of Virginia State University .