This week, we learned the sad news that Class of 1965 alumna Virginia Artrip Snyder passed away at the age of 96. Virginia was a member of FAU’s inaugural class in 1964 and one of the university’s first graduates. She had a successful career as an investigative reporter before becoming the first woman in Florida to own a private investigation agency. A champion of justice, Virginia helped exonerate a number people who were wrongly imprisoned for crimes they did not commit, including six men on Death Row. She also was the inspiration for the award-winning TV show “Murder, She Wrote.”
 
I had the pleasure of meeting Virginia in 2015, when she was inducted into the Majestic Owls Society, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of each graduating class from FAU. In 2016, she was featured in the book “Legacymakers: 100 Women of Distinction at Florida Atlantic University.”
 
In 2012, FAU had the great fortune of inheriting Virginia’s compilation of papers from her years of work as a news reporter, private investigator, poet and community activist. The Virginia Snyder Collection, which is housed in the Wimberly Library, is a wonderful reminder of the impact one person can have on the lives of others. We are proud that this pioneering Owl’s path to success began here at FAU, and that we’re able to share her legacy through the Virginia Snyder Collection.