Pioneer urban professional institute (1917–1968) that merged to form Virginia Commonwealth University.
Richmond Professional Institute was established in October 1917 as the Richmond School of Social Economy to address urban social and health concerns. It opened with 30 female students (7 in social work, 23 in public health nursing) and became coeducational in 1920. From 1925 to 1960, RPI operated as the Richmond Division of the College of William & Mary, gaining independence as a state university in 1962. The institution pioneered a professional education model centered on occupational and professional training rather than traditional liberal arts, earning a reputation as a unique institution in conservative Virginia.
RPI developed distinctive academic programs focused on professional preparation. In 1928, Theresa Pollak founded the School of Art, which became the forerunner to VCU's School of the Arts. The art program grew dramatically, attracting notable faculty including Abstract Expressionist Clyfford Still (1943–1945). By 1968, when RPI merged with the Medical College of Virginia to form VCU, the School of the Arts had become the largest professional art school in the country, enrolling 1,200 full-time undergraduates and 75 graduate students.
RPI's campus initially consisted of renovated historic houses, including the first home at 1112 Capitol Street in Capitol Square and later 827 West Franklin Street (Founder's Hall). The first new building constructed with state funds was Franklin Street Gym in 1951. During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration played a crucial role in renovating and maintaining campus facilities when state support was minimal.
On July 1, 1968, Richmond Professional Institute merged with the Medical College of Virginia to establish Virginia Commonwealth University, the first truly urban university in Virginia. The new institution immediately became the largest in the state with 13,374 students (12,059 from RPI, 1,675 from MCV). VCU's founding principles emphasized serving the urban community through responsive education, health care, and research addressing urban problems.