Old, Virginia (1877-1953) | Sargeant Memorial Collection

Virginia Old was born in Norfolk, Virginia on May 24, 1877. Her parents, Kedar Hollowell Old and Mary Elizabeth Nimmo, were both natives of Princess Anne County, Virginia.

Virginia attended the Norfolk College for Young Ladies from 1888 to 1894. She served as secretary for her senior class and graduated in June 1895 with certifications in distinction for English, mathematics, Latin, science, and history. After receiving her education, Virginia became a teacher for Norfolk public schools like her younger sister, Mary Elizabeth Old. After her time as a second-grade instructor at Holt Street Public School, Virginia taught English at Maury High School from the school’s opening in 1910 to her retirement in 1946. In the late 1920s, she was appointed head of Maury’s English department, a position she held until retirement. During her career, Virginia served as president of the Norfolk Teachers Association and state president of Delta Kappa Gamma, a national honorary fraternity. She was also a charter member of Epworth Methodist Church, having transferred from Granby Street Church in 1893.

Virginia died on March 7, 1953. She is buried alongside her parents in a family plot in Elmwood Cemetery in Norfolk, Virginia. Her grave stone reads, “SHE TAUGHT THE GOOD AND THE RIGHT.”