A passion that started on a 9-by-5-foot tabletop between a father and son is now changing the game for table tennis players across Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus.
Jim Mossberg '73 discovered a love for the game of table tennis early in life while playing with his dad in their garage. He championed the sport as a founding member of the Virginia Tech Table Tennis Club. Today, he has funded the Table Tennis Zone within the recently renovated War Memorial Hall that is changing the game of table tennis at Virginia Tech.
Mossberg’s contribution extends far beyond the $1.7 million he and his wife, Elizabeth, pledged to the facility. They also gave $60,000 toward scholarships to help attract accomplished table tennis players with the intention of growing the scholarship funding to $240,000 over the next four years. And, primed by his years of expertise, he ensured every detail of the new facility was molded to the benefit of the players.
From court dimensions to strategically selected lighting, the facility is carefully crafted for the optimal table tennis experience. Table Tennis Club President Anthony Mazza appreciates the impact Mossberg’s gift has on the club. In February, the Mid-Atlantic Regionals for intercollegiate table tennis took place at Virginia Tech for the first time.
“Before the new facility, we’d rent a small room every Saturday for a few hours,” Mazza said. “There was only enough space to cram in four tables. With the new facility, we’ve been able to promote a more serious, competitive side with a focus on actual training.”
After completing his Virginia Tech bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering, Mossberg began his career with the National Security Agency.
For decades, that career carried him across the globe, implementing and installing highly confidential technologies supporting national security. Table tennis frequently allowed him to connect with people abroad.
“You meet people from all over the world. It’s a great way to meet different people from different cultures,” Mossberg said.
From graduation through today, Mossberg’s passion for table tennis has remained steadfast. “In 1977, I went to England to watch the table tennis world championship for 10 days because I figured it would never come closer to the United States,” he said. “Forty-five years later in 2022, it was finally held in the U.S.”
He is far more than a fan, however. He is an accomplished player who only recently started to slow down.
“There’s a tournament in Maryland I played in for 25 straight years,” Mossberg said. “I decided 2023 was my last time.”
Elizabeth Mossberg doesn’t play table tennis, but appreciates how it has enriched her husband’s life. Like her husband, she is happy the new facility has enriched both competitive and recreational options for today’s students.
“Most people you talk to, some of their best memories are from their years in college, and what they mention is not sitting in the classroom,” Elizabeth Mossberg said. “It’s some of their social and recreational pursuits. That we can contribute to something like that, I think, is great.
The new facility made its debut with the reopening of War Memorial Hall in August 2024. Nearly 24,000 different students participated in recreational sport and fitness during the fall semester with over 300,000 visits.
The table tennis rooms have been extremely popular with all students regardless of their experience level with table tennis, said Ali Cross, Virginia Tech’s director of recreational sports. The 6,800-square-foot James E. ’73 and Elizabeth Mossberg Table Tennis Zone, which spans two floors, is the only one of its type in the U.S. that is fully dedicated to table tennis and is free to play, she said.
“It provides wonderful options for a variety of play,” Cross said, “including open recreation where students can walk up play, competitive league play with other Hokies in the intramural sports program, and extramural competition with the Sport Club competitive table tennis team.”
Vice President for Student Affairs Frances Keene said the facility is a highlight of the rejuvenated War Memorial Hall.
“We are tremendously grateful for the generosity of the Mossbergs and the opportunities their gift provides for our community,” Keene said. “Jim’s experience shows us how recreation can have lifelong benefits. We want all Hokies to take that to heart. This unique and special facility sends that message in a powerful way.”