Oral History Interview with Essex E. Finney, Jr.

One of the "Magnificent Eight," the First Black Students at Virginia Tech

Name:

Essex E. Finney, Jr.

Virginia Tech class of:

1959

Date of Interview:

Friday, March 26, 1999

Location of Interview:

Special Collections Department, University Libraries, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia

Interviewer:

Tamara Kennelly

Transcriber:

Cherisse Marshall

Internet design:

Scott Spyrison, Cherisse Marshall, Tamara Kennelly

Interview Excerpt:

Kennelly: Did that bother you that you couldn't [participate in all of the activities]?

Finney: It didn't bother me. I came here to get an education, and I was getting it. I had very good interaction with the students and the faculty. I guess that's the thing that I appreciated most about the experience at VPI. I thought the students accepted me as a student and the faculty was extremely receptive and helpful, and I thought it was a great experience.

• Part 1
  
• Part 2
  
• Part 3

Page design:
Tamara Kennelly, Justin Iovenitti, Mohamed Amin, and Oladunni Akinpelu