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“Almost every regular medical professional I’ve seen—primary care physicians, dentists, pharmacists—have been former students,” said Van Daniel III, who was a chemistry professor at UVA Wise for 41 years. After his retirement in 2011, Daniel stayed in Wise. As he explained, “My roots have developed here.”
Daniel was recruited to teach at UVA Wise—then Clinch Valley College—as the college was preparing to offer four-year degrees for the first time. He had just earned his doctorate in chemistry from Emory University and realized he was more interested in teaching than in working in industry. “I was looking for a smaller school,” he said, “and I grew up in a rural environment, so I was used to places not being like Atlanta.”
THE TWINLEAF CLOCK: The elegant clock at the center of the UVA Wise campus was a project of the Twinleaf Society. The group represents all retired employees of the college, and Van Daniel III is an active member. The Twinleaf Society has also created an endowed scholarship fund and an emergency fund for students, and in 2020 was honored as UVA Wise’s Volunteer of the Year.
don’t know that I had real intentions of staying here,” he remembered. “But at that time, faculty members were able to play a fairly large role in defining and developing the college.” He has taught countless students chemistry and worn other hats as well. He coached the tennis team and taught the college’s first course in introductory computer programming. He served on the UVA Wise Foundation Board, both as a faculty representative and again after his retirement, and is a member of the Twinleaf Society, an organization that connects all retired UVA Wise faculty with the college and one another.Daniel has given more than just his time to the college. He describes UVA Wise as a place with humility, and in that same manner has quietly made over $1 million in gifts to support academics and athletics. He has given to FINS, the UVA Wise Fellowship in Natural Sciences, which supports summer research opportunities for undergraduates, and has created a Daniel-Lamb Bicentennial Scholarship.
He also has established charitable gift annuities that pay him a regular income now and will ultimately support athletics, classical instrumental performances, chemistry faculty and student research, the greatest needs for the Department of Natural Sciences, and national science scholarships. Daniel’s scholarships and student support of FINS are open to all natural science students, with a preference for those majoring in chemistry.
Left: The science building was renovated and renamed in 2012 for Leonard W. Sandridge, the University of Virginia’s former executive vice president and chief operating officer and a champion of UVA Wise.
Right: Van Daniel advised on the design and construction of a new wing of the college’s science building. The new wing was occupied in January 2003 and was the first building project in the history of the University of Virginia to achieve a LEED Platinum certification.
Clearly, Daniel has been a dedicated faculty member and steadfast supporter. In recognition of his influence on UVA Wise, an anonymous donor created the Van W. Daniel III Endowed Professorship in Chemistry.
As Daniel put down his roots in Wise, he has seen how UVA Wise has benefited the region. “The college has had such a tremendous impact on the area,” he said. “My medical experiences are an example of that. But there have also been a number of public school teachers, lawyers, and other professionals that have come through the college.” He hopes UVA Wise remains the small college he’s known, with close interaction between faculty and students. Daniel added, “And I would like to see the college still involved in the community. A place that local people look to so much.”
