From left: Albert Small, Dean James Aylor

Washington, D.C., native Albert H. Small is living proof of the idea that U.Va. Engineers can do anything.

A graduate of the Engineering School’s Department of Chemical Engineering in February 1946, George Washington University Law School in 1948 and the American University Graduate School of Business in 1952, Mr. Small is a pioneer in construction of colonial and contemporary housing. At age 82, he continues to serve as president of the Washington-based Southern Engineering Corp., a leading developer of multi-family housing and commercial office space in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, which he co-founded in 1950. He also is actively involved as a leader in many organizations.

He and his wife, Shirley, are generous supporters of the University and the Engineering School. His generosity towards the Engineering School includes a gift in the mid-1980s to benefit the Center for Computer Aided Engineering and renovation of the Albert Small Building. His donations to the University of Virginia include a leadership gift that made possible the creation of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. Subsequently, he donated his unparalleled collection of rare materials relating to the Declaration of Independence, which are on permanent exhibit at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. Included in this collection is the first printing of the Declaration of Independence (the Dunlap printing), one of only 25 known copies in the world.

Dean James H. Aylor recently spoke with Mr. Small about his U.Va. experiences and his views on engineering education. What follows are highlights of that conversation:

Let’s begin with the idea that U.Va. Engineers can do anything. What do you think it is about studying engineering at Mr. Jefferson’s University that makes this concept true?

Mr. Small: Thomas Jefferson was a versatile person with many interests. He was an inventor, an architect and a gardener, as well an impressive public figure. He made it a practice to observe, to do research and to incorporate what he learned into his own world. Anyone who studies here benefits from this. It rubs off on you and changes you as a person, leaving you with a broader view of the world no matter what you study while you are here.

You have said that your whole outlook on life changed when you came to U.Va. How so?

Mr. Small: When I grew up in Washington, D.C., in the 1920s and 1930s there were not as many museums as there are now. Travel was limited so I hadn’t been to very many places when I arrived at the University. One of the first things I did was to visit the Engineering School Library. I was so impressed; I felt like that library held all the knowledge of mankind, and my lifelong interest in books was born. I spent a lot of time in that library. Nothing in my life caught my imagination in quite that way before I got here. Through my reading and coursework, I learned that there was a world far beyond what I had known. I like to think I became a wiser person for it.

Albert Small in his home in Palm Beach, Fla.

You were very busy with V-12 Naval Officer Training and served in student leadership positions when you were at U.Va. What undergraduate experience had the greatest impact on you when you were a student here?

Mr. Small: As a member of the V-12 Naval Officers Training program I was required to attend school 12 months a year. I also served as vice president of the U.Va. Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and I was president of the Chi Chapter of Zeta Beta Tau. But I’d say the experience that had the greatest impact on me in that first year was sitting in a classroom and hearing Professor Joe Vaughan invite us to look to our right and our left, saying, “They won’t be here in your third year.” That got my attention and kept me motivated. And the study skills and work ethic I adopted during those years have stayed with me my whole life.

You graduated in 1946. What, in your view, are the ways engineering education has changed over the course of your life?

Mr. Small: When I went to school 60 years ago, we had to work very hard on engineering courses. We didn’t have much time to take classes in other disciplines and most of the students were from Virginia and from small towns. Now the University of Virginia has become so much larger and so has the Engineering School. The opportunities for engineering students to experience the broader University and to study the humanities are much greater. This is essential because the world is not limited to engineering and our students must graduate with a broad worldview in order to understand the issues they will be called on to solve.

What, in your view, are the most pressing issues facing the world today?

Mr. Small: Well, there are the obvious things such as energy, conservation and medicine. And there is the broader issue of the difficulty in getting good ideas pushed forward in various areas due to politics and red tape. Engineers must be educated to understand those political concerns. They must be skilled enough and wise enough to suggest solutions that will work in society and they must be able to work with people in a variety of fields because that is the way engineering is today.

You have been very generous in your lifetime. What would you like to say to those who might be considering a gift to the Engineering School today?

Mr. Small: One of my early gifts to the University is a letter written by Thomas Jefferson more than 200 years ago. In the letter, Mr. Jefferson discusses his fiscal concerns for the University. Not much has changed in this regard over the years. I would say to those who were touched by their experience at the Engineering School, that quality education is expensive and it will not be achieved without the help of others. Think about how going to this School changed you and give accordingly. It is a worthwhile investment in the future.