VCU news

By Mike Porter

Virginia Commonwealth University on Friday dedicated the building currently housing the School of Business in honor of former Provost Grace E. Harris, Ph.D.

Harris is a distinguished professor in the Center for Public Policy at VCU and currently leads the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, which was established at her retirement to honor her longstanding leadership, service and contributions. 

“We’re here for a spectacular occasion, honoring a spectacular individual in the naming of this hall as Grace E. Harris Hall,” said VCU president Eugene P.Trani. The honor “clearly is well-deserved in a life well-spent at this university.”

During her 40-year career at VCU, Harris rose from the ranks as a social work professor to become dean of the School of Social Work, then vice provost for continuing studies and public service. When she retired in 1999 as the provost and vice president for academic affairs, she had twice served as acting president of the university. 

“I am proud and pleased to be associated with this university and to have a building named after me,” Harris said. “I cannot say with enough words what a growth experience my time at VCU has been for me.”

Harris has received many awards and honors for her professional and community contributions, including VCU’s Presidential Medallion Award. She was cited for her leadership in establishing the first-ever, long-range strategic plan for VCU. The university also awarded her with the Presidential Award for Community Multicultural Enrichment and the Riese-Mellon Award. 

Harris has received honorary doctorates from the University of Richmond and Virginia Union University and was recognized as Educator of the Year by the Richmond Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.

Harris is a native of Halifax County and earned her doctorate and master’s degrees in sociology from the University of Virginia. She also received a master’s degree in Social Work from the former Richmond Professional Institute, now VCU and studied at the School of Social Work at Boston University. She received her undergraduate degree from Hampton Institute, which is now Hampton University.

Harris and her husband, James W. “Dick” Harris, have two adult children and one grandson. 

The VCU School of Business is relocating to a new building east of Belvidere as part of a $228 million Monroe Park Campus Addition. The new 130,000 square-foot School of Business includes a trading room, tiered case-study classrooms, team building rooms, an auditorium, a career center, a corporate education center, faculty offices and a café. It is co-housed with the second phase of the VCU School of Engineering.