Virginia Drake
Believing that the efforts we make toward a more competent world will be taken over and carried forward by our children in their maturity, Virginia Drake established her preeminence in the field of quality education for the children in Henderson County.
Arriving in Henderson County in 1954 with four children, she decided the best way to discover what type of education was offered was to become involved. Virginia became a volunteer at Etowah Elementary and has been devoted to and active in education ever since. Upon becoming president of that P.T.A., she was immediately met with the challenge of fund-raising for the new cafeteria. When West Henderson High opened, she helped organize its first P.T.A.
As president of the Henderson County P.T.A. Council, she helped the fifteen local P.T.A. groups with organization and planning of countrywide programs on important issues and concerns. She later became district vice director of the eleven western counties, working under the state P.T.A. Congress with organizational and instructional programs. This was followed by becoming district director.
In 1970 she was a candidate in the first election held to select the Henderson County Board of Education. More than thirty people entered the campaign and Virginia, being one of the four top vote recipients, was the only woman elected. For eighteen years she remained the only woman on the county school board. She served as chairperson of the Insurance Committee, liaison for legislative matters, a member of the Policy and Calendar Committees, member of the Curriculum Council and vice chairman of the board for many years. Receiving the board’s appointment to serve as trustee of Blue Ridge Community College, Virginia was again the only female board member for twelve years. She later became director of the Blue Ridge Community College Foundation. Continuing her interest in education, she was instrumental in founding the Henderson County Education Foundation in 1987.
A friend to education for thirty-seven years, Virginia’s efforts have been rewarded by the North Carolina Board of Education, the North Carolina Congress of P.T.A.s, and local education organizations. But her greatest reward has been “to see a child’s smile and realize that he has been broadened and enriched to make him understanding and generous to his hopes and helped to a wise personal happiness.”
Virginia received the Henderson County Council of Women’s award as an Outstanding Woman in 1992.
(Source – Her Story – A biographical directory of Henderson County women 1945 – 1995 prepared for the Henderson County Council for Woman 1995)
