Blake Ragsdale Van Leer (August 16, 1893 – January 23, 1956) was an American academic administrator, engineer, and U.S. Army officer who served as the fifth president of the

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public university, public research university and Institute of technology (United States), institute of technology in Atlanta, ...

from 1944 until his death in 1956. Orphaned at a young age, Van Leer overcame early adversity to become a transformative leader in higher education. During his tenure at Georgia Tech, he played a crucial role in modernizing the institution, expanding its national reputation, and steering it through a period of significant social and academic change. Under his leadership, women were admitted to Georgia Tech for the first time, and foundational steps were taken toward racial integration.

Early life and education

Van Leer was born in Mangum, Oklahoma to Maurice Langhorne Van Leer and Mary McKee Tarleton. After his father's death in 1897 he grew up in an all-girls Masonic orphanage in Fort Worth,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

from the age of 4. At an early age he decided he wanted to be an engineer. He graduated with honors from

Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...

in 1915 with a degree in electrical engineering and later an M.S. in mechanical engineering while working at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

in 1920. Van Leer also studied at the University of Caen in France and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He was awarded two doctorates, one from

Washington & Jefferson College Washington & Jefferson College (W&J College or W&J) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. The college traces its origin to three Presbyterian m ...

and the other from Purdue. In 1924 he married Ella Lillian Wall in

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...

Dean and officer

Van Leer was an U.S. Army officer and began his career as an engineer. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he led engineering teams who built bridges in front of the main infantry to cross rivers and fought in 5 different battles. On one occasion his unit held an island for two days against enemy forces and several members of his unit were killed in action. From 1932 to 1937, Van Leer was a dean at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

alongside educator and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune, he lobbied for federal funding for Florida institutions. In 1937 he became the dean of the School of Engineering at

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...

. During his tenure at both universities, numerous departments were established, and the first graduate engineering programs were created. While at NC State he advocated for women and encouraged many to pursue engineering degrees. The first 5 women would enroll in NC State's engineering programs and become the first to graduate in 1941. One of his students was Katharine Stinson, co-founder of Society of Women Engineers and the FAA's first female engineer. While here, he was also initiated as an honorary of the NCSU chapter of Theta Tau Professional Engineering Fraternity. Around 1940, with the permission of Dean Harrelson, Van Leer gave half his time to the North Carolina Office for Defense orders. He resigned his post as dean in 1942 to take military leave. During the war, he served as a U.S. Army officer (attaining the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

), after which he returned to lead the school. In 1945 Blake was appointed to the Board of the United States Naval Academy by President Harry S. Truman and helped expand its curriculum.

Georgia Tech

After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Van Leer returned to become the president of Georgia Tech. During his tenure the school admitted women for the first time. McMath, p.282 He began allowing women to enroll in night school, and after a failed vote to allow women into Georgia Tech, he tried again and succeeded by split decision. Faculty member Robert B. Wallace was quoted "as saying Van Leer was a fighter who battled to the bitter end for what he believed," a trait he would show very clearly in late 1955. The first step towards integration was made during support for the 1956 Sugar Bowl game. During his time in office Georgia Tech also became the largest engineering school in the South and the third largest in the US and Canada. Van Leer also had a focus on making Atlanta the " MIT of the South." Throughout his career he lobbied major companies like

Lockheed Corporation The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer. Lockheed was founded in 1926 and merged in 1995 with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin. Its founder, Allan Lockheed, had earlier founded the similarly named but otherwise-u ...

to expand to Atlanta. In 1946 Van Leer was appointed as a member to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization who had a focus to work against racism through influential statements on race. Van Leer Building entrance

Van Leer might be best known for events centered around the 1956 Sugar Bowl. Known for giving frequent commencement speeches at the all-Black Morris Brown College, he stood up to Georgia governor Marvin Griffin's demand to bar Bobby Grier from participating in the 1956 Sugar Bowl game between Georgia Tech and Grier's

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

. Leading up to the game, Griffin sent numerous telegrams to Tech's Board of Regents and the press saying Georgia should not engage in racially integrated events which had Blacks either as participants or in the stands. The governor also called on the "Tech boys" to be punished. Coach Bobby Dodd and students left the whole affair up to Van Leer to battle Griffin and the Board of Regents. Van Leer was summoned by the Regents who commended Griffin for his stand on segregation. Van Leer was publicly quoted: Van Leer stuck to his statement, even receiving a standing ovation in the faculty senate, and the game went on as planned. Four years after his death in January 1956, an overwhelming majority of the 2,741 students present voted to endorse the integration of qualified applicants, regardless of race. Van Leer advocated women get into engineering later in his career as well. Today the building that houses Tech's school of Electrical and Computer Engineering bears his name. Van Leer also founded

Southern Polytechnic State University Southern Polytechnic State University (also called Southern Poly; abbreviated SPSU) was a public university, public, co-educational, state university in Marietta, Georgia, United States approximately northwest of downtown Atlanta. Until 2015, ...

while president of Georgia Tech. The university merged into Kennesaw State University in 2015. Van Leer died of a heart attack on January 24, 1956, at the Atlanta Veterans Hospital.

Personal life

Van Leer was a descendant of the Van Leer Family. His direct ancestor Samuel Van Leer was an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

officer. Another ancestor is a Founding Father General Anthony Wayne who is the namesake for Bruce Wayne. All of Van Leer's children would graduate as engineers. Van Leer's daughter Maryly V. Peck also became a college president and women's rights advocate after earning her master's degree and Doctorate in engineering. After earning a master's degree and multiple engineering degrees, his son Blake Wayne Van Leer also became a high-ranked military officer for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. His youngest son Samuel Van Leer graduated from Georgia Tech with two engineering degrees, later a masters and led several private schools. Sam was quoted stating his dad "could imagine a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech being anyone, he did not concern himself with race or gender, he was always progressive."

Legacy

Van Leer is widely credited with laying the groundwork for Georgia Tech's evolution into a major research university and for championing policies of inclusion during a pivotal time in the American South. The building that houses Georgia Tech's school of Electrical and Computer Engineering bears his name. In 1964, the Blake R. Van Leer Scholarship was named after him, it's for out of state students attending Georgia Tech. The Van Leer society at NC State University is named after him. Artist Julian Hoke Harris sculpted a plaque to honor his stance against Governor Griffin. In 2022 a film was announced about the 1956 Sugar Bowl and it featuring him as a main character.

References

Works cited

* * * Lewis Ferry Moody; Fifty Years' Progress in Hydraulics. *

External links

Van Leer family archives
* * *
Georgia Tech celebrates 50 years of women

Official Army Register – 1956
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Leer, Blake Ragsdale 1893 births 1956 deaths 20th-century American engineers American civil rights activists American women's rights activists American Episcopalians California city council members American male feminists American feminists North Carolina State University faculty Educators from Atlanta People from Eastland County, Texas People from Mangum, Oklahoma Presidents of Georgia Tech Purdue University alumni Purdue University College of Engineering alumni United States Army colonels United States Army personnel of World War I University and college founders University of Florida faculty Van Leer family