Albert H. Small in the stairwell of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, 2004

Albert H. Small, namesake of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, died on Sunday, October 3 at the age of 95. Small was a WWII veteran who graduated from UVA in 1946 with a degree in chemical engineering. He had a long and successful career as a real estate developer in the Washington, DC area. He also had a lifelong interest in American history and was passionate about preserving and celebrating that history. He was a devoted philanthropist and his support of causes and institutions that celebrated American history, culture, and the arts was profound.

At the University of Virginia, Small, a former Board of Visitors member, left a legacy of support, most notably for the Engineering School and the Library. At the Library, he was instrumental in the conception and creation of the special collections library named for him and his wife, and his dedication to its mission continued throughout his life. In addition to his support of the construction, he donated the Albert H. Small Declaration of Independence Collection to UVA. The collection is the most comprehensive of its kind in the world and now one of the major highlights of UVA’s holdings. Generations of students and scholars will benefit from Small’s generosity.

The Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library

You can learn more about Albert H. Small and his extraordinary contributions to the Library, the University, and beyond in two remembrances, one in the Special Collections blog and the second in UVA Today.

In Memoriam: Albert H. Small (Notes from Under Grounds: The blog of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, Oct. 6, 2021)

In Memoriam: Albert H. Small, Influential Donor to UVA Library and Engineering (UVA Today, Oct. 6, 2021)