Could you please subscribe to the American National Biography database? It is a comprehensive database of all of the most important Americans, and includes important works written on each subject. I am very surprised to find it is not already subscribed to, as you have subscriptions to lesser biographical databases such as the African American Biographical database and Biographies of Women Mathematicians. The ANB covers it all and is an extremely important reference tool for students and faculty alike.
From: Arthur, graduate student
Kevin Farley, Collection Librarian for the Humanities, replies....
Thank you for your suggestion regarding the addition of the American National Biography database to the electronic resources available at VCU Libraries. Budgetary limitations place restrictions upon the addition of electronic resources, but we will take this suggestion under review. Please let us know if you have other suggestions, you may also use the online form Purchase Suggestion for Collection Management.
As an addition to Kevin's reply--Cabell Library does have the print edition (1999) of the American National Biography in the Reference Collection (CT213.A68 1999 and supp. 1) on the first floor. Although the database is updated regularly, the print edition may still answer many biographical information needs.