Colonel George P. Tayloe
On the 18th of April, 1897, this splendid citizen of Roanoke, Virginia, this strong and invaluable friend of Hollins Institute, passed away, in the ninety-third year of his age. He was the first-named Trustee on the Board of the Valley Union Seminary, in 1842. That position he held until the school took the name of Hollins Institute. In 1857 he became President of the Board of Trustees, and as long as he lived, he held this office with distinction. In 1896 some members thought it expedient to elect another President, owing to Colonel Tayloe's frequent, enforced absence on account of sickness. Mr. Cocke objected, however, and the grand old man was re-elected. Before the next annual meeting he was no more.
Mr. William A. Miller has this to say of his comrade: "Colonel Tayloe was a gentleman in every sense of the word, and was often consulted by Mr. Cocke. He seemed to feel himself a part of Hollins and was almost like the right arm of the President."
Mr. Cocke himself, in giving a brief history of the Institution, in 1896, said, "I cannot close this sketch without a tribute to one who well deserves to be mentioned on this occasion. The Hon. George P. Tayloe, of this County, a gentleman of wealth and exalted social station, was the administrator of the estate which held possession of the property at the time the purchase was made for educational purposes. He not only heartily approved of the establishment of the school and gave liberally to its funds, but he gave his personal influence and more than all, he indulged the Trustees in the payments due the estate, to the utmost limits of the law, refusing to accept offers made by others, until he finally secured the property to its present owners, thus enabling the school to continue its high mission. For nearly the entire period of fifty years, he has held the Presidency of the Board of Trustees, and seldom has he been absent. When at any time during the history of the school, money had to be raised for any emergency, he was the first to subscribe and prompt to pay. His influence has contributed largely to its successful career."
The Institution never had a more loyal friend, or a more generous and intelligent Trustee. Hollins and its community ought to wipe the opprobrious name of "Tinker" off the beautiful mountain, and replace it with the honorable and cherished name of "Tayloe."
Mr. and Mrs. John Hollins
Mr. and Mrs. Hollins lived at Lynchburg, Virginia, prosperous, highly respected and influential. Mr. Hollins was a man of superior worth and always responsive to the generous impulses of his intelligent wife. Her ancestors, the Halseys, came from England in 1623. One of these kinsmen was a member of the English Parliament, and another went to the United States Congress from New Jersey. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Lynchburg, but her husband, on account of self-distrust, never joined. Mr. Hollins' gift of $5,000 in 1855 was by her inspiration. Her own later gifts, amounting to $12,500, assured the life of the Institution. But for the Civil War, which destroyed most of her wealth, she would have given much more. They had no children. Mr. Hollins was born February 11th, 1786, and died April 7th, 1859. Mrs. Hollins was born in 1792 and died July 3rd, 1864. Both were buried in Spring Hill cemetery, at Lynchburg.