In November, 1947, the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center began its operations in buildings near Fishersville, Virginia, which had been constructed as the Woodrow Wilson General Hospital during World War II but which has been abandoned by the federal government and donated to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Center had merely a skeleton staff and one student. Such vocational training as it was able to provide was furnished by the Augusta County Technical School which is located on a portion of the original Woodrow Wilson General Hospital tract of 229 acres.

From this meager beginning the Center ·has developed until it now has a capacity of over 400 students and has reached a point in its development where it can aid more than 1,000 persons a year. All of this has been accomplished without any direct appropriation from the State or the federal government although, during the period from 1952 to 1962 about $193,000 was allocated to the Center for capital outlay purposes, principally replacement of worn out equipment and repairs to the rapidly deteriorating buildings.

During the study of the overall State program for capital outlay expenditures for the period 1962-1968 the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center filed with the Commission on State Capital Outlays and Means of Financing a request for approximately $550,000 for capital outlays looking toward meeting short-term needs of the institution. Subsequently it filed a substitute request which envisioned a long-range program involving more than $7,000,000 to be derived partly from private sources, partly from Hill-Burton Funds, and partly from State appropriations. Concerning this request the Commission had this to say in its report: "This approach was based on the belief that the old structures were deteriorating at such a rate as in time to make repair and maintenance costs excessive. The Commission was inclined to agree in principal but was not convinced of the existence of an emergency, and reached the conclusion that the proposal had not been sufficiently developed for present decision. Therefore no action was taken on either the original or the substitute request."

The 1962 Session of the General Assembly nevertheless made an appropriation to the Center of $275,000 for a student dormitory and equipment. The Assembly felt, however, that more information as to the Center should be available and adopted Senate Joint Resolution 4 calling for a study of the Center.

Pursuant to this resolution the President of the Senate appointed from the membership of that body J. D. Hagood of Clover and J. Hubert Wheeler of Ewing; the Speaker of the House of Delegates appointed the following members of the House of Delegates: Harold H. Dervishian, Richmond, Charles D. Price, Stanley, W. C. Thompson, Chatham, and Nelson R. Thurman, Vinton. The Governor appointed Edward P. Berlin, Jr., of Waynesboro, Mrs. Curry Carter of Fishersville and W. Harry Schwarzschild, Jr. of Richmond as members of the Commission.

The Commission. organized by electing Mrs. Carter as Chairman and Dr. Hagood as Vice-Chairman. John B. Boatwright, Jr. and G. M. Lapsley served as Secretary and Recording Secretary, respectively, to the Commission.

The Commission made inspections of and developed architectural and engineering information concerning the physical plant of the Center. It observed the day-to-day operations of the Center and saw at first hand the kind of services which it is able to render handicapped people looking toward their taking their places as productive members of society. It consulted with those having special knowledge of the problems involved in the field of rehabilitation and the results which the Center has been able to attain. Based upon all of the information which it has been able to develop, the Commission now submits its report.