Born in Phoenix, Arizona on February 13th, 1941, Virginia Oglesby grew up in Palo Alto before enrolling at Reed. After graduating with a BA in chemistry from Reed in 1962 and an MA from Harvard in 1963, Hancock stayed on at Reed as a Teaching Associate in Chemistry 1963-64; 1967-68; 1971-72; 1979-80. She was also Assistant Director of Admission in 1964-65 and participated in the early Renaissance Fayre and other early music activities. She married Professor John Hancock of the Reed chemistry department in 1962. She received a Doctorate of Musical Arts in music history from the University of Oregon in 1977, and taught elsewhere following a divorce from Professor Hancock, returning to Reed once again in 1991 as a professor of music. During her tenure at Reed, Hancock taught first-year music theory and various music history courses. A scholar of Brahms, Hancock published articles on the composer, as well as a 1983 book, Brahms’s Choral Compositions and his Library of Early Music.

With husband and fellow Reed chemistry professor John Hancock [1955-1989], Hancock founded Reed’s Collegium Musicum. She directed both the Collegium and the Reed Chorus, led the Boar’s Head Ensemble at the annual alumni holiday party, and directed Gilbert and Sullivan performances at reunion events.

Hancock sat on many committees, including the 2001 Presidential Search Committee and various fellowships and awards committees. In 2011, she received the distinguished service award for her involvement and contributions to the college.

Hancock retired from Reed in 2016 as a professor emerita.

[Information largely from Hancock’s faculty bio, oral history, and Katie Pelletier’s Reed Magazine article, “The Hancock Variations.”]