Paul Brandon Barringer
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Paul Brandon Barringer (February 13, 1857 – January 9, 1941) was an American physician and college administrator, the sixth president of
Virginia Tech The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
, serving from September 1, 1907 through July 1, 1913. He was also chairman of the faculty at the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...
(then equivalent to president) from 1895 through 1903. He made major changes to the medical curriculum at U.Va, adding requirements for clinical training, as was common in Europe. Barringer gained national attention in 1900, when a talk he gave to a southern medical association was printed and distributed to other regional medical groups. It was entitled ''The American Negro: His Past and Future'', and he explored what he described as "the Negro problem" in the South. At the time, prior to the Great Migration, African Americans made up the majority of population in numerous counties, and he advocated a practice of racial
eugenics Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...
. In this period, southern states were passing laws to disenfranchise African Americans and exclude them from the political system, while passing
Jim Crow laws The Jim Crow laws were U.S. state, state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, "Jim Crow (character), Ji ...
and the
one drop rule The one-drop rule was a legal principle of racial classification that was prominent in the 20th-century United States. It asserted that any person with even one ancestor of African ancestry ("one drop" of "black blood")Davis, F. James. Frontl ...
, which penalized persons of any known African ancestry. During Barringer's tenure as chairman of the faculty, U.Va., perceived by many Southerners as the region's flagship university, became a hotbed of eugenics teaching that continued under its first president Edwin Alderman who took over when the Jeffersonian system of faculty rule ended in 1904. Since its founding in 1819, U.Va traditionally was an academy for Virginia's
planter class The planter class was a Racial hierarchy, racial and socioeconomic class which emerged in the Americas during European colonization of the Americas, European colonization in the early modern period. Members of the class, most of whom were settle ...
aristocracy whose interest in family lineage went hand in hand with the science of improving the human stock. After resigning the VPI presidency, Barringer returned to Charlottesville and practiced medicine. He served the United States government for a few years 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 ...
by supervising public health in some mining towns. After the war he returned to his farm and medical practice.


Early life and education

Barringer was the son of
Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Rufus Clay Barringer and Eugenia (née Morrison) Barringer. He was named after his paternal grandfather, General Paul Barringer (1776-1835), a veteran of the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
. His father was an attorney who became an officer in the Confederate Army during the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. On the maternal side, Barringer was descended from Joseph Graham, one of the Revolutionary heroes of North Carolina. His maternal grandfather,
Robert Hall Morrison Robert Hall Morrison was the first president of Davidson College. Morrison, originally from Cabarrus County, North Carolina, enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, eventually graduating second in the class, behind future Pr ...
, was a
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
preacher and the first president of
Davidson College Davidson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina, United States. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after American Revolutiona ...
. Barringer was a nephew of Confederate Generals
Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general and military officer who served during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the eastern the ...
and
Daniel Harvey Hill Daniel Harvey Hill (July 12, 1821 – September 24, 1889), commonly known as D. H. Hill, was a Confederate general who commanded infantry in the eastern and western theaters of the American Civil War. Hill was known as an aggressive leader, b ...
who married his mother's sisters. He spent some of his childhood in
Concord, North Carolina Concord ( ) is the most populous city in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 105,240 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Concord is the second-most populous city in the Cha ...
, near where his father had grown up. As an eight-year-old, the young Barringer beat Confederate States of America President
Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...
in a game of chess in 1865. Davis had stopped with his family after fleeing
Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
following the surrender of
Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...
. Barringer attended the Bingham School near
Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad River, French Broad and Swannanoa River, Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populou ...
, and the Kenmore University School in Amherst Courthouse, Virginia. He received his
M.D. A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of physician. This ge ...
degree from the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...
in 1877 and an M.D. from the
University of the City of New York New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a non-denominational all-male institutio ...
in 1878. Barringer later received an
LL.D. A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...
from
Davidson College Davidson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina, United States. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after American Revolutiona ...
in 1900 and an LL. D. from the
University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...
in 1904.


Career

Barringer practiced medicine in
Dallas, North Carolina Dallas is a town in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States, and a suburb of Charlotte, located north of Gastonia. The population was 4,488 at the 2010 census. It was named for George M. Dallas, Vice President of the United States under ...
for three years before going to Europe to study under medical specialists there. From 1881 to 1884 he studied in clinics in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, and
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
. On his return from Europe, he settled on a farm near
Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
. He both practiced medicine and supervised the Piedmont farm. From 1884 to 1889, he also established and headed a medical preparatory school at
Davidson College Davidson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina, United States. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after American Revolutiona ...
. In 1889 Barringer accepted a position as chair of
Physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...
and chair of Surgery at
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...
. He served as chairman of the faculty at UVA (a position then equivalent to president) from 1895 to 1903. As chairman of the faculty, Barringer oversaw a major revision of the medical curriculum. Clinical years of education were added to strengthen training, as was common in Europe. He also was the main driving force behind the construction and staffing of the first University of Virginia Hospital. Barringer continued his own research and published a variety of scientific papers dealing with
cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...
,
syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms depend on the stage it presents: primary, secondary, latent syphilis, latent or tertiary. The prim ...
, and
typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...
. He was a recognized authority on venomous reptiles and wrote extensively on the subject. He wrote a series of studies of the American
Negro In the English language, the term ''negro'' (or sometimes ''negress'' for a female) is a term historically used to refer to people of Black people, Black African heritage. The term ''negro'' means the color black in Spanish and Portuguese (from ...
between 1896 and 1901. Barringer rose to national prominence in 1900 after his presentation to the Tri-State Medical Association in
Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...
, titled ''The American Negro: His Past and Future.'' Barringer addressed what he repeatedly called the "negro problem" facing the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
. He advocated
eugenics Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...
, a concept that was considered progressive at the time and desirable among some European-American elites. Barringer suggested in his talk that American Negroes had been better off as slaves. The Association voted unanimously to print Barringer's lecture and send copies to all of the medical societies in the South. (This was the period when southern states were disfranchising blacks, imposing
Jim Crow The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced racial segregation, " Jim Crow" being a pejorative term for an African American. The last of the ...
laws, and passing
one-drop rule The one-drop rule was a legal principle of racial classification that was prominent in the 20th-century United States. It asserted that any person with even one ancestor of African ancestry ("one drop" of "black blood")Davis, F. James. Front ...
that increased discrimination against persons of any African ancestry.) Barringer had likely learned, long before this time, that as a young man his father had sired two mixed-race sons with an enslaved black woman, Thomas Clay and
Warren Clay Coleman Warren Clay Coleman (May 25, 1849 – May 24, 1904) was an African-American businessman in south-central North Carolina known as a founder of the Coleman Manufacturing Company, which built one of the first black-owned and operated textile mills i ...
(b. 1849), before his parents' marriage and before he was born. His half-brother Warren Clay Coleman was ambitious and had established several businesses in Concord, North Carolina, likely with some financial assistance by his father. By 1900 Coleman is thought to have been the wealthiest man of color in North Carolina, and possibly in the country. He was a founder of the first textile mill to be owned and operated by African Americans. Barringer was professor of
therapeutics A therapy or medical treatment is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis. Both words, ''treatment'' and ''therapy'', are often abbreviated tx, Tx, or Tx. As a rule, each therapy has indications an ...
and
pharmacology Pharmacology is the science of drugs and medications, including a substance's origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic use, and toxicology. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur betwee ...
at UVA from 1903 to 1907, when he accepted the presidency at Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute (V.P.I., now
Virginia Tech The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
) at age 50. During Barringer's administration at V.P.I., entrance requirements were increased; a Farmer's Winter Course was established; summer school was expanded; and Agricultural Hall (now known as Price Hall) was completed. Barringer's tenure as president was marred by disagreements with faculty and alumni as well as the
Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The Governor (United States), governor is head of the Government_of_Virginia#Executive_branch, executive branch ...
over the direction of V.P.I. Barringer, a
gentleman farmer In the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, a gentleman farmer is a landowner who has a farm (gentleman's farm) as part of his estate and who farms as a hobby rather than for profit or sustenance. The Collins English Dictionary defin ...
, was determined to develop the agricultural facet of the college until it achieved parity with the engineering component, which angered some faculty members and alumni who believed the institution needed to emphasize training for the emerging industrial society. In 1909, the Chairman of the Alumni Association Welfare Committee, Lawrence Priddy, tried unsuccessfully to have Barringer ousted by the Board of Visitors. The Board ordered an investigation. A public hearing was held 25 March 1910, during which Priddy's charges were dismissed as "unwarranted" and "inaccurate." However, this was not the end of Barringer's troubles at V.P.I. In the fall of 1911, the Board called for another investigation when a former Commandant of the Corps of Cadets accused Barringer of "countenancing immorality" on campus. An investigation concluded that the charges were "without foundation." Having survived those troubles, Barringer ran afoul of the Governor,
William Hodges Mann William Hodges Mann (July 30, 1843 – December 12, 1927) was an American lawyer, Confederate soldier and Democratic politician who became the first judge of Nottoway County, Virginia and the last Confederate veteran to serve as the Governor ...
, who wanted V.P.I to become involved in
agricultural extension Agricultural extension is the application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education. The field of 'extension' now encompasses a wider range of communication and learning activities organized for r ...
work, to be sponsored by the federal government, which was trying to encourage modern agricultural practices. Barringer disagreed, so Mann said he would appoint a Board of Visitors that was opposed to Barringer if the president did not resign. On 10 June 1912, Barringer tendered his resignation; the Board asked him to continue in office for another year until a new president could be selected. A year after Barringer's departure from V.P.I., the Smith–Lever Act of 1914 established a system of cooperative extension services, connected to the
land-grant universities A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, Morrill Acts of 1862 and ...
authorized by Congress. After leaving V.P.I., Barringer returned to Charlottesville and practiced medicine. He had a few years of government service 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 ...
, when he supervised public health measures in American
coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...
areas. Efforts to increase production as part of the war effort resulted in related interest in improving public health at those sites. Barringer died in Charlottesville on January 9, 1941, at age 83. He is buried in the University of Virginia Cemetery.


Personal life

Barringer married Nannie Hannah in 1882, and the couple had 10 children.


Written works

Barringer's history of the University of Virginia: ''University of Virginia : its history, influence, equipment and characteristics, with biographical sketches and portraits of founders, benefactors, officers and alumni'' (1904) is considered one of the standard texts on the subject.


Legacy and honors

By the turn of the 21st century eugenic ideas were no longer considered
politically correct "Political correctness" (adjectivally "politically correct"; commonly abbreviated to P.C.) is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society. ...
and were being widely rejected as
pseudoscience Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...
. This has significantly harmed the reputation of Barringer and other 20th century eugenicists whose ideas were once considered scientific and progressive. *The Barringer Wing at the UVA Medical Center West Complex of the
University of Virginia Health System The University of Virginia ( UVA) Health System is an academic health care center associated with the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. The health system includes a medical center (with main hospital, children's hospital, and clinic ne ...
, a hospital he was instrumental in founding, was named in honor of Dr. Barringer. In 2019, it was renamed the Collins Wing, following an outcry over Barringer's support of eugenics. *Barringer Hall, a residence hall on the Virginia Tech campus that houses 220 male students was named for Barringer for more than half a century. In 2020 the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors voted to rename the building due to Barringer's early 20th century speeches and writings that expressed
white supremacist White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White supremacy has roots in the now-discredited doctrine ...
views. *His home in
Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the county seat, seat of government of Albemarle County, Virginia, Albemarle County, which surrounds the ...
, the
Barringer Mansion Barringer Mansion is a historic home located at 1404 Jefferson Park Avenue in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was built in 1894, and is a two-story, Queen Anne style brick dwelling. It features an elaborate turret with garland frieze adorning th ...
, was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1982.


References


External links


Barringer GenealogyRecords of the Office of the President, Paul B. Barringer, RG 2/6
a
Virginia Tech Special Collections and University ArchivesPapers of Paul B. Barringer, Accession #MS-34
at th
Historical Collections, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of VirginiaBarringer Family Papers, Accession #2588, -a, -b, -c, -d, -e, -g
at th
Special Collections, University of Virginia Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barringer, Paul Brandon Presidents of Virginia Tech University of Virginia School of Medicine alumni Paul Brandon 1857 births 1941 deaths People from Concord, North Carolina New York University Grossman School of Medicine alumni Burials at the University of Virginia Cemetery University of Virginia School of Medicine faculty American white supremacists