In 1932, Lewis Warrington Webb joined the faculty as an instructor of engineering; he would later be called "the Father of Old Dominion". After serving ten years as an instructor at the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary, Webb was appointed assistant director in 1942. Webb also served as director of the Defense and War Training Program at the college from 1940 to 1944. Through its defense and training classes, the Norfolk Division contributed to the war effort. The program also allowed the school to remain open during a period when most young men were serving their country. The program attracted many women, who learned aircraft repair, drafting, and other war-related subjects. In 1946, Webb was appointed Director of the Norfolk Division. Webb's dream was to see the Norfolk Division become an independent institution.