Lucy Lee Lancaster was born in Eggleston, VA, June 28, 1905 and moved to Blacksburg with her family as a child. Lucy Lee lived in the Lancaster House (403 Washington St SW, Blacksburg,) built in 1913 by her parents William and Lucy Lee Sibold Lancaster until her death in 1989. She left the house to the YMCA at Virginia Tech in memory of her parents and her sister Martha.
Lucy Lee was one of the first five women admitted to Virginia Tech—then Virginia Agricultural College and Polytechnic Institute—in 1925. She majored in biology and worked in the library which was housed at that time in what had been the campus chapel. Her work in the library led to her decision to become a librarian, and she attended Columbia University Library School where she received her Masters of Library Science degree. She returned to Blacksburg and worked in the university library until her retirement in 1970.
After her retirement, Lucy Lee became a member of the YMCA board of directors and was a member in a regular or honorary capacity, serving for a time as Secretary, until her death. Lucy Lee made Y students welcome in her home and delighted in having them hold meetings here where they could be sure of being served lemonade and homemade cookies. Lucy loved to travel. She was an avid family genealogist and a lovely lady, in the old Southern meaning of the word “lady”.
