1920

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According to the Fourteenth Census, taken as of January 1, 1920, the population of Charlottesville was 10,688, which represents an increase of 3,923, or 58 percent since 1910. During the same period the population of Albemarle County decreased by 13 percent, while the population of Virginia increased by 12 percent since 1910.

National events

• January 17 – The Volstead Act take effect, making the United States, officially at least, a dry nation as provided by the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution - thirteen years after Charlottesville went "dry" (1907).

• February 12 – The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia voted against the 19th Amendment allowing women the right to vote.

• August 26 – The 19th Amendment is formally adopted into the U.S. Constitution by proclamation of Secretary of State. Tens of thousands of women across the U.S. registered and voted that fall credited to special legislation the assembly had passed in January.

• September 17 – Women enrolled in the professional and graduate schools at the University of Virginia for the first time in history. During the registration for the University’s 96th session, two women enrolled in the law school, three in the medical school, and six in the graduate school.

• November 2 – Warren G. Harding (R) defeated James M. Cox (D) in the U.S. presidential election. More than 8 million women across the U.S. voted in elections for the first time.

• December 6 – A Chamber of Commerce Forum was held at the Courthouse this evening, two hundred men and women were in attendance to hear of voting on the change in form of government. According to the Daily Progress: "the average citizen found himself entirely ignorant of the merits of the question and even of the details of the proposed plan of Commission form of Government." President E. A. Alderman and Mr. S. D. Timberlake, former City Attorney of City of Staunton (1904-1908), were among the speakers. (*Staunton is credited with creating the city manager form of government, which was formally adopted in 1908. According to the International City Management Association (ICMA), Staunton’s city manager style led to the council-manager form of government that is still used by thousands of American cities.)

• December 7 – A election was held in the city of Charlottesville by which qualified voters of the city adopted the form of government provided by the 1919 Code of Virginia, known as the Modified Commission Form. The validity of this election was later called into question. (On March 24, 1922, the General Assembly approved a new charter for the City of Charlottesville. The 1922 Charter would remain until it was replaced by the 1946 Charter).

Deaths

• July 20 – Mr. W. C. Payne, Confederate veteran, retired merchant and "one on the most beloved residents of Charlottesville", died at 12:10 o’clock this afternoon at his home, 100 East Market Street. William Collins Payne was one of the pioneer merchants of Charlottesville, having been engaged in business here for nearly sixty years.