About > Annual Reports > 2000 > Introduction

On the threshold of a new century . . . it is appropriate to pause and reflect about who we are. The VHS is more than a building. We believe the images, words, voices, and artifacts of times past should be preserved. . . . But the VHS is much more than a repository for the letters and possessions of Virginians who have gone before us. It is the Center for Virginia History, not only because of the things it stores but also because it teaches and interprets those things to benefit the commonwealth.

If history is to speak to us, we must not merely collect the evidence of the past. We must interpret it. It can tell us who we are, where we came from, how we got here. History is vision. It can help us see where we are going, although it will not tell us precisely how we will get there. History is tapestry. The lives and experiences of those who preceded us weave visible threads in the fabrics of our society and in the patterns of our lives. History is experience. It permits us to look at those who lived before us; people who struggled, loved, suffered, triumphed, and reflected on their condition.

Gerald L. Baliles
President, Board of Trustees (2000-2001)

THE dawn of the year 2000 caused many of us to reflect, to step back, and seeing the world from a broader view, to set a new course. In a sense, we live this experience every day at the Virginia Historical Society as we "collect, preserve, and interpret the commonwealth's past for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations." Our mission speaks to the vision so eloquently set forth by our president, Governor Gerald Baliles. As stewards of the past, we are constantly looking ahead to what we will leave for our children -- and our children's children. Yet, as an institution, we, too, paused to revisit our direction at the "threshold of a new century."

It is apropos that January 2000 marked the groundbreaking ceremony to move, reorient, and remodel the VHS headquarters building's principal entrance. The renovation created a welcome center, a more open space that is now fully accessible to all our guests -- one that invites visitors to discover us. Much like the beginning of a new construction project, in many ways the year represented breaking new ground, changing the perspective from which we've been viewed, and building on our past successes to achieve even greater accomplishments as we move forward. We entered the year with a renewed commitment to core goals, most notably the need to enhance the Society's collections development funds and to continue reaching out to diverse audiences.

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