Residence Ettrick, VA Name Edgar Toppin | Role Professor Spouse Antionette Toppin | |
 | ||
Born January 22, 1928 ( 1928-01-22 ) Harlem, New York, USA Occupation Professor, Author, Historian Employer Virginia State University
Dean of the Graduate School (1979–1993)
Professor of History (1964–2003)
Virginia Commonwealth University Visiting Professor of History (1993–2003) Known for A distinguished scholar, numerous publications in intellectual, business, American and African-American history Religion Christian – Episcopalian Children Edgar Allan Toppin, Jr. (1954–1971)
Avis Bent
Louise Toppin Died December 8, 2004, Ettrick, Virginia, United States Books Loyal Sons and Daughters: Virginia State University 1882 to 1992 Education Northwestern University, Howard University Board member of Williamsburg Historic District | ||
Edgar Allan Toppin, Sr. (January 22, 1928 – December 8, 2004) was an African-American professor of history, and an author who specialized in Civil War, Reconstruction and African-American history. He spent the majority of his 40+ year teaching career at Virginia State University, and wrote ten books on the subjects of American and African-American history. He served on several historical boards including the National Park Service, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, the later serving as President. As President, he was instrumental in turning Black History Week into Black History Month in 1976.
Contents
Early years
He was born in Harlem, New York to immigrants Maude Catherine Joel (Bermuda) and Vivien Leopold Toppin (Grenada). He was the second of six children; Lucille, George, Mary, Sammy, Eleanor (in birth order). Named after writer Edgar Allan Poe, he had a passion for reading and learning. He would often escape to the roof of his apartment building on 114th Street and read in order to nurture his yearning for knowledge. His family was poor, and growing up during the Great Depression was especially hard. His wardrobe of white shirts and navy blue pants was a symbol of poverty so recognizable that "when you walked into a place, people could spot you a mile away," he recalls.
At age 16, he attended New York City College and after one semester, enrolled at Howard University on scholarship. He received his B.A. 1949 and M.A. 1950 in History before deciding to matriculate to Northwestern University. He earned his Ph.D. in History in 1955 and was named a William Randolph Hearst Fellow and a John Hay Whitney Opportunity Fellow. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Beta Chapter (Spring 1948).
Teaching career
In 1964, Toppin began his teaching career at Virginia State University (VSU). In the mid-1960s, he created Americans from Africa, an educational 30 lesson television course, that aired on Richmond's public TV station and was later aired across the country.
In 1966, Toppin was the first African-American member admitted to the Virginia Historical Society and in 1989, would become the first African-American member of the board of trustees.
Toppin served as President of the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History from 1974 to 1976 and played an integral role in turning Black History Week into Black History Month in 1976. In 1975, he was the first African American appointed to the National Park Service's Advisory Board on National Parks, Historic Sites, Buildings, and Monuments.
In 1979, he was appointed Dean of the Graduate School at Virginia State University. He also served as provost and vice president of academic affairs of the University from 1987 to 1989.
In 1992, Toppin was honored in the Dominion series Strong Men & Women - Excellence in Leadership that honors African-American "positive role models and demonstrate leadership in their chosen field" and "someone whose achievements have made an imprint upon some facet of national or local life". The series has honored such individuals as Colin Powell, Mae Jemison, Michael Jordan, Thurgood Marshall, Reginald Lewis, Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey.
In December 1999, the Surry County, Virginia, Historical Society and Museums called Dr. Toppin, "one of the greatest living authorities on African-American history. [who] spoke on the Civil War and the little understood post-war period of Reconstruction".
On December 8, 2004, Toppin died of heart failure at the age of 76. He is buried at Blandford Cemetery in Petersburg, Virginia, beside his son, Edgar Toppin, Jr. Toppin once said, "I hope people would remember me for my humaneness, for being kindly to both colleagues, staff and students; for seeing the worth and potential in each person, no matter who it is or their background." Known as he was for his warm and outgoing personality, his grave reads: "He Never Met a Stranger"
He was survived by his wife Antoinette Toppin, his two daughters Avis Bent and Louise Toppin.
In 2005, VSU established the Edgar A. Toppin Endowment Fund.