State Technical Services

Virginia Tech began operating state technical services in 1966 under the federal State Technical Services Act of 1965. The emphasis of these services, for the most part, centered around assistance to manufacturing industries, particularly in chemicals, textiles, electrical machinery, paper, and furniture. When the Extension Division was created in 1966, State Technical Services became part of the division. Each extension district included a leader for technical services. As budgets tightened, various technical services were merged with other programs, such as Community Resource Development and the energy audit program in the College of Engineering, for example.