Stuart M. Beville

Stuart McGuire Beville

1913-1990

Our school's name was chosen to commemorate Stuart McGuire Beville, a former educator and Superintendent of Schools for Prince William County from 1954-1972.

Mr. Beville was a native of Blackstone, Virginia, and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Duke University. He taught, coached, and served as an elementary and secondary school principal in public schools in Halifax County, Danville, Crewe, and Farmville, before becoming Superintendent of Schools for Prince William County.

Under Mr. Beville's administration, Prince William County began operating schools year-round to provide for the needs of a growing school population, which increased from 3,543 in 1950-51, to 32,581 in 1970-71. Thirty new schools were opened under his administration.

In October, 1972, Mr. Beville became director of Off-Campus Activities for the College of Education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He retired from that position in 1978, but continued to teach in the college on a part-time basis for a few years. He was asked to serve six months as Acting Superintendent for the Montgomery County, Virginia School Board during the search for a new Superintendent in the 1987-88 school year.

Mr. Beville died April 5, 1990, in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Read an Interview with Mr. Beville from October 11, 1989

This interview is courtesy of the Virginia Polytechnic and State University Archives, "Oral History of the Public School Principalship"