Virginius Cornick Hall ’54

    Nick died Sept. 24, 2022.

He prepared at Groton School, where he was active in crew, squash, and publications. A history major, he wrote his senior thesis on “Wesleyan Reform in Eighteenth-Century England.” He joined Campus Club and participated in the Canterbury Club and the Acolytes’ Guild. He was a member of the Colophon Club and winner of the Book Collecting Prize, and his passion for collecting books, prints, and items of ephemeral interest continued throughout his lifetime. He was also interested in painting and photography.

Nick served in the Army for two years and then earned a master of library science degree from the University of Michigan. In 1958, he began 34 years on the staff at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond, where he served variously as curator of rare books, associate director, and acting director. He was the author of Portraits in the Collection of the Virginia Historical Society and General William Lytle as well as numerous publications relating to history, family, and personal collections.

Nick married Maria Ragsdale Jackson in 1961. Upon his retirement in 1991, he returned to his native Cincinnati, where he lived an active life traveling, painting, and writing.

Nick was predeceased by Maria. He is survived by daughters Maria Allison Hall Rooney and Susannah Hall Appleton; grandchildren Nathan, Sayre, Lucy, and Annabel; and a sister, Penelope Hall Moodey.