Charles P. Cardwell, Jr. collection

Charles P. Cardwell Jr. was born 5 June, 1903 in Hanover County, Virginia. He attended Randolph-Macon College and Virginia Polytechnic Institute where he excelled in Engineering. By 1935 he was a licensed civil engineer in Kentucky. He became director of the buildings and grounds department at the Medical College of Virginia in 1940. In 1945 he also served as assistant director of the hospital division.

Cardwell became director of the hospital division in 1947. For the next 22 years he served as director of the teaching hospitals until his retirement in 1969. He was awarded MCV's first honorary doctorate (hospital administration) in 1962, and established the curriculum for the school of health administration. He served as president of the Virginia Hospital Association, Virginia Blue Cross, and the Richmond Hospital Council in addition to memberships in many other local civic organizations.

Cardwell received the American Hospital Association's Distinguished Service Award in 1970. Cardwell was granted emeritus professor status after his retirement in 1969. He was also awarded the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical School's first distinguished service to medicine award in 1975.

After his retirement Cardwell was active in the MCV alumni society, he served on several administrative councils, and still found time to teach a class once a week. Cardwell died 19 July, 1977 at the age of 74.