{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/34024"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/34024","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"A Fighter To The End: The Remarkable Life and Career Of Laura Jane Harper","abstract":"This study is an investigation of Dr. Laura Jane Harper's tenure, achievements, and contributions to Virginia Tech from 1949-1980. Throughout Virginia Tech's history, examples of leadership, scholarship, and service have been recorded about students, faculty, and administrators; however, female administrators are overlooked in these collections. Using archival and interview data collection techniques and historical biographical methods, we will examine Harper's influences to the profession, significant contributions in the areas of scholarship, administration, and as a mentor for minorities and women. Harper was born on August 18, 1914 in Jackson, Mississippi. She attended and graduated from Belhaven College in 1934 with a bachelor degree, a master of science degree in 1948 from the University of Tennessee, and a doctorate in 1956 from Michigan State University. From 1960 until 1964, she served as dean of the School of Home Economics for both Radford College (now known as Radford University) and VPI (now know as Virginia Tech). After 1964, Harper continued to serve as the Dean of the Home Economics College at VPI with additional responsibilities until her retirement in 1980. During Harper's tenure she touched the lives of many and made several contributions to the institution in which she was employed. Harper worked at Virginia Tech as a professor, researcher, department head, and dean for over 31 years in the home economics discipline; however, the legacy she left continues.","abstract_html":"This study is an investigation of Dr. Laura Jane Harper's tenure, achievements, and contributions to Virginia Tech from 1949-1980. Throughout Virginia Tech's history, examples of leadership, scholarship, and service have been recorded about students, faculty, and administrators; however, female administrators are overlooked in these collections. Using archival and interview data collection techniques and historical biographical methods, we will examine Harper's influences to the profession, significant contributions in the areas of scholarship, administration, and as a mentor for minorities and women. Harper was born on August 18, 1914 in Jackson, Mississippi. She attended and graduated from Belhaven College in 1934 with a bachelor degree, a master of science degree in 1948 from the University of Tennessee, and a doctorate in 1956 from Michigan State University. From 1960 until 1964, she served as dean of the School of Home Economics for both Radford College (now known as Radford University) and VPI (now know as Virginia Tech). After 1964, Harper continued to serve as the Dean of the Home Economics College at VPI with additional responsibilities until her retirement in 1980. During Harper's tenure she touched the lives of many and made several contributions to the institution in which she was employed. Harper worked at Virginia Tech as a professor, researcher, department head, and dean for over 31 years in the home economics discipline; however, the legacy she left continues.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Miles, Saranette Denise"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership and Policy Studies","degree_department":"Educational Leadership and Policy Studies","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Creamer, Donald G."],"committee_members":["Turrentine, Cathryn G.","Johnson, Janet M.","Wallenstein, Peter R."],"year":1999,"date_issued":"1999-06-23","date_published":"1999-06-23","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:44Z","subjects":["home economics","historical educational biography","educators","pioneering women","female deans","Harper","women leaders at Virginia Tech"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-071599-181856"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-071599-181856","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34024","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Creamer, Donald G."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Turrentine, Cathryn G.","Johnson, Janet M.","Wallenstein, Peter R."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Miles, Saranette Denise"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T20:41:31Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T20:41:31Z","2000-07-17"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1999-06-23"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["home economics","historical educational biography","educators","pioneering women","female deans","Harper","women leaders at Virginia Tech"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-071599-181856"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34024"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study is an investigation of Dr. Laura Jane Harper's tenure, achievements, and contributions to Virginia Tech from 1949-1980. Throughout Virginia Tech's history, examples of leadership, scholarship, and service have been recorded about students, faculty, and administrators; however, female administrators are overlooked in these collections. Using archival and interview data collection techniques and historical biographical methods, we will examine Harper's influences to the profession, significant contributions in the areas of scholarship, administration, and as a mentor for minorities and women. Harper was born on August 18, 1914 in Jackson, Mississippi. She attended and graduated from Belhaven College in 1934 with a bachelor degree, a master of science degree in 1948 from the University of Tennessee, and a doctorate in 1956 from Michigan State University. From 1960 until 1964, she served as dean of the School of Home Economics for both Radford College (now known as Radford University) and VPI (now know as Virginia Tech). After 1964, Harper continued to serve as the Dean of the Home Economics College at VPI with additional responsibilities until her retirement in 1980. During Harper's tenure she touched the lives of many and made several contributions to the institution in which she was employed. Harper worked at Virginia Tech as a professor, researcher, department head, and dean for over 31 years in the home economics discipline; however, the legacy she left continues."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Arts"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Fighter To The End: The Remarkable Life and Career Of Laura Jane Harper"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Creamer, Donald G."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Turrentine, Cathryn G.","Johnson, Janet M.","Wallenstein, Peter R."],"dc:contributor.department":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"],"dc:creator":["Miles, Saranette Denise"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T20:41:31Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T20:41:31Z","2000-07-17"],"dc:date.issued":["1999-06-23"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study is an investigation of Dr. Laura Jane Harper's tenure, achievements, and contributions to Virginia Tech from 1949-1980. Throughout Virginia Tech's history, examples of leadership, scholarship, and service have been recorded about students, faculty, and administrators; however, female administrators are overlooked in these collections. Using archival and interview data collection techniques and historical biographical methods, we will examine Harper's influences to the profession, significant contributions in the areas of scholarship, administration, and as a mentor for minorities and women. Harper was born on August 18, 1914 in Jackson, Mississippi. She attended and graduated from Belhaven College in 1934 with a bachelor degree, a master of science degree in 1948 from the University of Tennessee, and a doctorate in 1956 from Michigan State University. From 1960 until 1964, she served as dean of the School of Home Economics for both Radford College (now known as Radford University) and VPI (now know as Virginia Tech). After 1964, Harper continued to serve as the Dean of the Home Economics College at VPI with additional responsibilities until her retirement in 1980. During Harper's tenure she touched the lives of many and made several contributions to the institution in which she was employed. Harper worked at Virginia Tech as a professor, researcher, department head, and dean for over 31 years in the home economics discipline; however, the legacy she left continues."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Arts"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-071599-181856"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34024"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["home economics","historical educational biography","educators","pioneering women","female deans","Harper","women leaders at Virginia Tech"],"dc:title":["A Fighter To The End: The Remarkable Life and Career Of Laura Jane Harper"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:44Z"}