A. Rufus Tonelson

A. Rufus Tonelson was a student, teacher, administrator, and benefactor of Old Dominion University (ODU). Tonelson was among the first three students to register for courses at the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary in the fall of 1930. A start athlete in baseball and basketball, Tonelson was a member of the class of 1933.

Service to Old Dominion and the Community

After graduating from the Norfolk Division, Tonelson began teaching classes for Norfolk Public Schools and eventually became principal of Maury High School. In 1966, Tonelson returned to Old Dominion to teach education courses in the Darden School of Education and served as Assistant to the President for School and Community Relations before retiring in 1976. The A. Rufus Tonelson Faculty Award, given annually to faculty for outstanding achievement in teaching, research, and service is named in his honor.

Resources

1. Old Dominion University Photographic and Multimedia Collection, Special Collections and University Archives, Perry Library, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, 23529.
2. ODU Photographic Collection, Old Dominion University Libraries Digital Collections, Old Dominion University Libraries.
3. A. Rufus Tonelson Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Perry Library, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, 23529.

References

1. Bookman, Steven and Jessica Ritchie. Old Dominion University: A Campus History Series.  Arcadia Publishing. Charleston, South Carolina, 2017.