Author: paula.mcgrew@gmail.com

Katherine Johnson: Inspiring to Remember

Photo by Sandi Phillips Miller, Class of 1976

This week, we learned that Katherine Johnson had died at age 101. The photo above appeared on Facebook — launching me into an exploration. Although I knew the basics behind this statue, and the woman it honors, there was more to discover!

I won’t go into depth here about her life, as it has been well documented in many places, especially this week. A few great examples can be found here.

Johnson’s death occurred at an interesting point on the calendar. Right between Black History Month and Womens’ History Month. She is the ultimate example of the reason that we need to know more about both.

Katherine Johnson

Although Katherine Johnson did not attend West Virginia Wesleyan, there is a statue of her on our campus. She stands between Christoper Hall of Science and the David E. Reemsnyder Research Center as a daily reminder of the possibilities within all of us.

Her Alma Mater, West Virginia State University, also has a statue of her on their campus. Both were  inspired by the movie, Hidden Figures. Katherine graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1937, at the age of 18 years old with majors in both Mathematics and French.

The Power of the Pen (and Art)

If not for author Margo Lee Shetterly, all of the power of Katherine Johnson’s story would likely still be unkown. Her 2016 book, Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race, inspired the movie of the same name. Margo has also started a project called The Human Computer Project to find all of the Human Computers from those early days of NASA and to remember their contributions. She wrote about four, but there were hundreds.

If not for the movie, Ellen Mueller would not have been inspired to commission this statue to be created by Andy Thorne. Ellen, who taught in the WVWC Art Department from 2012-17, wanted to celebrate a West Virginian who had overcome challenges to reach excellence. When she saw Hidden Figures, she knew she had found the perfect person! And also that this story needed to be shared. Ellen noted that:

Since 2011, WVWC has had at least 14% of the student population from a minority. This sculpture is a way to help minorities on campus know that they are welcomed and honored here.

Andy Thorne, a native West Virginian and a sculptor, worked as a Visiting Artist with Ellen and her 3-D Design Class to show them how a commissioned sculpture progressed from idea through the steps of making it a reality. This weekend I had the chance to talk with Andy, who has since moved to Florida, and he is so happy to have had the opportunity to work with Ellen and her students — especially on this project which highlights such an amazing West Virginian.

If not for the statue, the photograph at the top of this page would not have been taken by Sandi Phillips Miller (class of 1976) and shared on Facebook this week upon the death of Katherine Johnson.

If not for the photograph, I might not have written this particular blog.

It is my hope that someone reading this blog might be inspired by Katherine Johnson all over again. She is still teaching us that it is possible, no matter who you are, where you were born, or the odds that are seemingly stacked up against you, the potential in every person is something to be recognized, mentored, celebrated, and advocated.

Frank B. Trotter – Summa Cum Laude

“There were giants in the earth in those days.”

Thomas W. Haught, in his book, West Virginia Wesleyan College: First 50 Years, 1890-1940, had that to say about those who were in leadership positions on the very first day (September 3, 1890). Quoting Genesis 6:4 seems very appropriate.

Today, I am focusing on one of these Giants — Frank B. Trotter. He was a major factor in the early success of the college.

 Murmurmontis 1904

Frank Trotter, born February 27, 1863, was only 27 years old on that opening day.  He thought back to that time in an article, entitled Our First Years, which he wrote for the 1904 Murmurmontis. You can read the entire article here.

These were trying times compared with the present. Our equipment consisted of the main building, furnished with one piano, one organ, and about three hundred chairs. No window blinds, no office furniture, no carpet for rostrum or office, no library, no apparatus of any kind in the class rooms, no accomoations for the literary societies except the bare halls, and above all no money. But happily the teachers were ambitious to make the new work succeed; the students were patient and industrious, and the town people expecially kind and helpful. With perserverance the work was carried on, and before many months things assumed a better shape.

p.s. Frank B. Trotter is also the one who is credited with suggesting that the yearbook be called Murmurmontis, which means Voice of the Mountain in Latin.

Growth Years in Buckhannon

From 1890 to 1907, Frank B. Trotter continued to lead and to grow. Highlights of these years include:

  • He continued his education with masters studies at Harvard University
  • 1894 he became Vice President of the West Virginia Conference Seminary
  • 1895 he married Lillian Steele. Lillian’s father, Rev. Samuel Steele had played an active role on the Conference committees leading up to the founding of the Seminary. The service was conducted by President Bennett Hutchinson.
  • 1896 – Sister, Jessie Trotter, graduated from the Seminary. She then taught at the school from 1896-1911. She was so well-respected that she became the first woman to have a class named in her honor (1907).
  • 1898 – Frank B. Trotter served as the Interim President of the College before President Simon Boyles arrived.
  • 1905 – He was in charge on the day that the Seminary Building burned down as President Wier was in Charleston for some meetings. Frank Trotter wrote an article about it for the Pharos in the days following the fire. Through his account, we know much of what we know about that event. The article was titled Our Calamity. You can read the article here.

The alarm was at once given and classes were dismissed in a very orderly manner, there being about two hundred students at work at the time in the building. Everybody did all that was possible, but very little could be done on account of the impossibility of reaching the seat of the flames. The town fire company respondedd immediately and fought bravely, but to other hindrances was added that of frozen hose as the weather was intensely cold.

And much credit was given to students, fire company, citizens of Buckhannon.

Al the students in school deserve credit for their orderly conduct and good behavior, and our thanks are due to them, and to the fire company and to all the citizes who so kindly ame to our aid; also to all the pastors who so generously offered the use of their churches and their own services as teacheers if needed.

Frank Trotter served on the committee to rebuild, and thus had input on the building that we now know as the Lynch-Raine Administration Building. The work progressed quickly, as that building opened in 1906.

1907 and Beyond

In 1907, Frank B. Trotter resigned from Wesleyan to accept a position as the first professor of Latin at West Virginia University.

  • In 1908, Frank’s brother, John Russell Trotter, joined the faculty as well, and taught in the School of Law.
  • In 1910, Frank and John Russell were charter members of the WVU Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
  • In 1911, Frank B. Trotter was named Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.
  • In 1914, he was named Interim President of West Virginia University. He was called upon to lead West Virginia University through the difficult days of World War I.
  • Also in 1914, West Virginia Wesleyan College honored Frank B. Trotter with a Doctor of Laws degree.

1916

Monticola (WVU Yearbook) 1916

1916 is the year that Frank Butler Trotter became President of West Virginia University, a position that he held until his retirement in 1928. That year, he retired from the presidency, but continued to teach Latin.

Dr. Trotter is a native of Ohio, but came to Preston County, this state, early in youth. As a young man he taught in the country and town schools. He is a graduate of Roanoke College, and later took his other degrees at Harvard University. He was Professor of Latin at West Virginia Wesleyan College before coming to the University as Professor of Latin in 1907. In 1911, he was made Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and became Acting President of the University in 1914. Dr. Trotter is an energetic administrator of the University affairs, and has a broad view of the scope of its activities.” (Monticola 1917)

His administration had a great impact on many things that have shaped the WVU that we see even today. For example:

  • 1916  Harry Stansbury (WVWC class of 1916) was appointed Athletic Director at West Virginia University. He continued to serve in that position until 1937.
  • 1925  The Old Mountaineer Field was completed. The first game played on that field was between WVU and WVWC with WVU coming out victorious 21-6.
  • 1925   Frank Trotter moved to settle a dispute between the ROTC Band (started in 1901) and the Rebel Band (11 non-ROTC musicians). He had the Rebel Band to become an official university organization, and two years later the University Band that we know so well today was born by combining the two grous. (History–WVU Bands)
  • 1926   West Virginia University joined the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities. President Trotter was adamant about academic standards of excellence.
  • 1927   Clay Crouse was designated as a Mountaineer. It was not until the mid 1930s that this became an organized tradition at the university.

Strong Connections Remained

On the occasion of the West Virginia Wesleyan College’s 50 Year Celebration, Frank Trotter was invited to give the opening address at Founders Day on Setember 22, 1939.

West Virginia Wesleyan College Bulletin Sept. 1939

He died six months after this talk, on March 7, 1940.

His wife, Lillian, died only two days later on March 9, 1940. A double funeral was held for them. Funeral services were conducted by Rev. W. Sproule Boyd (WVWC 1922), their pastor. The address was given by Rev. Joseph C. Hoffman (WVWC 1921) who was pastor of Christ Methodist Church in Charleston, WV. 

Assisting in the funeral was Dr. Bennett W. Hutchinson, who had married them almost a half century before. The same Dr. Hutchinson who had brought Frank B. Trotter to Buckhannon in 1890.

Well done, Frank B. Trotter (Summa Cum Laude.)

 

 

Helen Keller is Still Speaking

During the past week, I have encountered Helen Keller out of the blue several times. First, in a podcast done by a former student, then in a new project which has digitized her speeches and writings, and third the re-emergence of some articles I had read a few years ago.  Therefore, I have decided to write this week about her visit to West Virginia Wesleyan in May 1916.

Visit to Buckhannon

A capacity crowd welcomed Helen Keller and her teacher to Atkinson Auditorium at 2:45 on Tuesday, May 30, 1916. She had been scheduled to be here the week before, but was prevented by illness. Special trains had been scheduled to bring over three hundred area residents to hear her, and tickets had to be sold. Somehow all of this was able to be worked out and a capacity crowd of about 1,500 were present to hear her.

In the publicity for the originally planned time, one local paper mentioned that:

Helen Keller for twenty years has been the most talked of woman in America and when she lectures at the College chapel on Saturday night of this week she will be greeted by the largest crowd that has ever heard a speaker of whatever prominence in Buckhannon.

The article went on to say that “For Buckhannon to secure the great Helen Kellar is a distinct recognition of the intellectual standards of the town.” (Although they missspelled her name!)  The only places she was scheduled to speak in West Virginia were Buckhannon and Huntington.

The Record reported that on May 30th:

According to schedule, Helen Keller, the most wonderful woman of the age, appeared at the College Auditorium on the afternoon of May 30; and not-withstanding the former disappointment, a very large and eager crowd greeted her. The seating capacity of the auditorium was taxed, and the balcony was well filled for this was indeed a rare occasion, and one that was highly appreciated by all who were permitted to be present.

A Bit About Helen Keller

When we think of Helen Keller, we tend only to focus on the part of her life where she was deaf, blind, and dumb. We have somewhat of an image in our mind from “The Miracle Worker” – either the Broadway version or from the 1962 film version with Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke.  We tend not to think of her as an academic, a political activist, and one who fought for the rights of various groups in society. I wonder what the gathered crowds thought they might hear when she spoke on campus that day.

The truth is that during her visit to Buckhannon, Helen was 36 years old and the college itself was only 26 years old. She had already been educated at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA and the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf in New York City. She had done college prepatory work at the Cambridge School for Young Ladies, which was the first time she had been in school with sighted and hearing classmates. Finally, her dream of going to college became a reality, and in 1904 she graduated from Radcliffe College (now part of Harvard University). She graduated Cum Laude, was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and was the first deaf-blind person ever to earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree.

Introductions and Getting Started

Anne Sullivan Macy, Helen’s teacher, was introduced by Dr. Wallace B. Fleming (who was only nine months into his presidency).  Mrs. Macy explained about Helen’s early life, and about the experiences that followed, before leading her out onto the stage.

 Miss Keller then recited Longfellow’s familiar Psalm of Life, so as to accustom her hearers to her enunciation, which is still far from being distinct. Then she spoke of the great possibilities of life; of this good world, and her happiness in it; and of how “much better it will still be when all have tried to make it so, as she wants to do.”

This poem had been a favorite of hers for many years. The messages of optimism and possibility were major themes of her life.

She never hesitated to use her voice to advocate for the causes she believed in. I’ll just include a few, but she had many.

NAACP

Although her father had been a commanding officer in the Confederate Army, and she was born in Alabama in 1880, she was a strong advocate for racial  equality. For example, on February 13, 1916 she wrote a letter to Mr. Oswald Garrison Villard, Vice President of the NAACP who lived in Clarksburg, WV.  You can read the full letter here.

I include some excerpts, but the entire eight pages are worth reading:

I am indeed whole-heartedly with you and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. I warmly endorse your efforts to bring before the country the facts about the unfair treatment of the colored people in some parts of the United States.

It should bring the blush of shame to the face of every true American to know that ten miillions of his countrymen are denied the equal protection of the laws.

Nay, let me say it, this great republic of ours is a mockery when citizens in any section are denied the rights which the Constitution guarantees them, when they are openly evicted, terrorized and lynched by prejudiced mobs, and their persecutors and murderers are allowed to walk abroad unpunished. The United States stands ashamed before the world whilst ten millions of its people remain victims of a most blind, stupid, inhuman prejudice.

Suffrage

Helen Keller was a strong advocate for the Suffrage Movement. For example, On June 11, 1916, only twelve days after she spoke in Buckhannon, she addressed the new Woman’s Party in Chicago to endorse the movement. Again, I include an excerpt as well as the link to her full speech. 

We have prayed, we have coaxed, we have begged, for the vote, with the hope that men, out of chivalry, would bestow equal rights upon women and take them into partnership in the affiars of the state. We hoped that their common sense would triumph over prejudices and stupidity. We thought their boasted sense of justice would overcome the errors that so often fetter the human spirit; but we have always gone away empty handed.

We shall beg no more. The the ballow (ball now?) in our hands, we demand suffrage for all women.

Labor

Helen Keller believed that many cases of blindness were caused by injuries in the workplace. She advocated for labor laws and regulations, especially those concerning Child Labor.  In September 1916, about three months after her visit to Buckhannon, the Child Labor Act of 1916 was passed in the U.S. Congress. I would suspect that she may have talked about it during that afternoon in Atkinson.

1909 Library of Congress

The very same day that she spoke here, she received a letter from Lucy Mason, who worked with Factory Girls in Richmond, VA through a Y.W.C.A. program. She was writing to tell of the impact of Helen Keller on these girls. The full letter is here. An excerpt:

I quoted passages from your letters and addresses and it was good to see how such high, true thoughts find a welcome in lives that have been cramped and deadened by too much work and too little play and education. It made me realize the potential lovliness of all human life under the best conditions. If packing cigarettes nine or ten hours a day in the roar of machinery, and going home to squalid homes packed close on dusty streets leaves a girl’s soul with so much appreciation of beauty in it still, what might she be if her sense of beauty and goodness were developed by environment and training.

Questions From The Crowd

As was her custom, Miss Keller took questions from the audience. The Record reports:

Then she spoke of the great possibilities of life; of this good world, and her happiness in it; and of how “much better it will still be when all have tried to make it so, as she wants to do.” (In answer to) several interesting questions asked her by auditors, such as what she thought of President Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and her views on Equal Suffrage, she answered with a promptness and intelligence that could hardly have been surpassed. She wholly approved of the Wilson administration; and shook her head and frowned concerning T.R. as president, and added “If he were in the saddle there is no telling where he would drive to.” She said she was in favor of equal suffrage because she felt that it took both men and women to run the affairs of the world. In answer to the question as to how she kept in touch with the outside world, her teacher showed how the current events of the day were spelled into her hand at the rate of eighty-five words the minute, and she has many books in raised letters as well as a few leading magazines. 

Message for All

Helen Keller had many prominent friends. She had, for example, been close friends with Alexander Graham Bell since 1886 and Mark Twain since 1895. Throughout her life, she met many well-known people and shared her messages with them.  She dedicated her 1903 autobiography The Story of My Life to Alexander Graham Bell.  You can read many of her books online here.

Those in attendance that afternoon in May 1916 in Buckannon were living in a time of great social upheaval. Many would be sent to fight in World War I. Many would become public officials, educators, and church leaders. Many would have been from farms, mines, and factories in the area. Many would have been women who needed to hear these words of support, and to remember them when the ratification of the suffrage amendment did not pass in WV that November.

No wonder Helen Keller came to my attention so many times just this week, nearly 104 years after her visit to Buckhannon. She has inspired, and is still inspiring, many people to do their best and to be their best. Her themes sound a bit familiar to us all these years later.

How amazing that a woman who was blind,  deaf, and dumb could see and hear so clearly – and is still speaking to us today.

Remembering Mort

This week we were saddened to hear of the death of Mort Gamble.

He was a truly remarkable man, and a prime example of the way that relationships are formed at West Virginia Wesleyan that enrich people throughout their lives. He was a teacher, mentor, friend, and colleague to many among the WVWC family.

Mort Gamble

He came to WVWC in 1975 and taught English, Humanities, and Communication. During this time he was also the advisor for the Pharos.

After teaching from 1975-83, Mort was named Assistant to the Vice President for Development at West Virginia Wesleyan. During the year that he held this position, he did all of the research and writing of the application to have Agnes Howard Hall included on the National Register of Historic Places.  You can read this eleven page document here.

In February of 1984, he became the Director of College Relations. The Summer 1984 issue of the Sundial, of which he was the editor, listed this notice:

Mort Gamble became Director of College Relations in February. A former assistant to the vice president for development and special projects coordinator for the admissions office, Gamble distributes public information for the College. He is also a publications contributor to the admissions office. A teacher at Wesleyan for eight years, Gamble joined the development staff in 1982. He is a graduate of West Virginia University.

Teacher, Mentor, Friend

Mort kept in touch with many of the people from WVWC throughout his life, both students and colleagues. I would like to highlight just a few here, but there are many who could tell similar stories.

  • Scott Miller, ’81 (now President of Virginia Wesleyan University) first met Mort as a freshman at WVWC. Both as Mort’s student and as a writer (and later editor) of  the school paper, The Pharos, Scott was taught, mentored, and encouraged by Mort. As the years progressed, Mort and Scott worked closely together at more than one institution of higher education of which Scott was president.
  • Dr. William Mallory remembers Mort’s collegiality in the English department, and having a good working relationship in the early days of the Humanities program. It was also Dr. Mallory who remembered Mort’s work on the Agnes Howard application. As Mort transitioned to the development office, Dr. Mallory remembers and appreciates Mort’s continuted willingness to collaborate on literary projects.
  • Bob Skinner, ’75 (now Vice President for Advancement at West Virginia Wesleyan), was the Sports Information Director when Mort first came to Wesleyan, and by the time Mort moved into his administrative position Bob was the Director of the Campus Center. Having moved on into roles held by Mort and doing similar jobs in Advancement, they have certainly worked together and kept in touch throughout the years.
  • Will Armistead, ’81 (recently retired Associate Vice President for Alumni & Advancement at West Virginia Wesleyan College) graduated the same year as Scott Miller. In the Summer 1984 issue of the Sundial, the very next paragraph following the notice of Mort’s appointment mentioned that William B. Armistead (1981) had been named Associate Director of Admissions. His duties would have had him crossing paths with Mort Gamble at that time. In addition, he followed in Mort’s footsteps at the Fairmont State Foundation from 2012-15.
  • Sarah Lowther Hensley, ’84 (former colleague at Fairmont State University and now serving as the Marketing and Communications Director for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at West Virginia University, was Mort’s Colleague at Fairmont State, and remembers him as a thoughtful person who cared about standards and who was supportive of his colleagues. She says that he was someone you could go to to talk about things and get a calm perspective – the very definition of a teacher, a mentor, and a friend.

Each of these knew Mort Gamble as a friend, a mentor, and a colleague. Each remembers his positive encouragement, his honest advice, his joy in supporting them and in helping to present other people (and the institutions where he worked) in the best light.

Eulogy

Dr. Scott Miller gave the eulogy for his long-time friend at a service at Virginia Wesleyan University last week. He has graciously shared that eulogy with DreamersAndGiants, and has given permission to post it here.

Wesleyan memories abound in this eulogy as Scott shares memories of Mort as a professor and as an advisor on the Pharos.  The eulogy actually begins with a summary of Mort’s life which was written by Mort himself last fall. How very fitting that he would provide this wonderful gift.

Beyond Higher Education

One aspect of Mort’s life which may not be as familiar to those who didn’t spend time with him was his passion for the history of the Circus. Scott Miller writes:

Mort had a lifelong passion for the circus, and even worked for two seasons as a crew member with “Circus Kirk,” a three-ring traveling big top show which appeared in the Eastern U.S. in the 1970s. He was a regular presenter on circus history, culture, and media exposure at national conferences, and is the author of book reviews, articles, essays, and features on circuses for regional and national publications. He contributed three chapters to the 2007 book “The Many Worlds of Circus,” edited by Robert Sugarman. And at the time of his passing, he was at work with Maureen Brunsdale of the Milner Library at Illinois State University on a book-length biography of trapeze artist and show manager Arthur M. Concello.

Mort’s Chapters in The Many Worlds of Circus included:

  • Chapter Nine   Circus Kirk: A Mud Show Back to the Future (What the Circus did for Us)
  • Chapter Eleven   Circus Noir: Peering into the Dark Corners of the Big Top
  • Chapter Fifteen   Circus in a Box: The Big Top on TV

Remembering Mort

Mort Gamble touched many lives with his teaching, his sense of humor, his enthusiasm and his encouragement. It has been thirty-three years since he was at WVWC on a daily basis. Many generations of students, faculty, and administrators have come and gone during that time.  Today we celebrate the impact he had on those who had the good fortune of being here when Mort Gamble was among us.

Thanks to those who shared their memories with me in order to write this blog post. One person’s memories are good — the memories of many help to paint a more complete picture.

Those 60 Acres More Or Less

Those “sixty acres, more or less”

So said Dr. Kenneth Plummer in his book, A History of West Virginia Wesleyan College 1890-1965.   The founders of the college had some questions to answer and one of those was where to locate the school.  So, what did Dr. Plummer mean by “sixty acres”? And what was the land like before the college was built?

It starts with one of the pioneer families of Buckhannon, the Carpers. 

The Family

Abraham Carper (Kerber), born in Reading, PA in 1763, was the son of a German immigrant. Arriving in the area about 1800, he built the earliest known dwelling within what is now the city limits of Buckhannon, well before the town was surveyed and platted in 1815. He settled on the very land behind where the L. L. Loar and Family Memorial Music Building and the Paul G. Benedum Halls are located, building a log house for his growing family.  The property was described as a thick forest and he would have to clear the woods to build on it.

Much of what is known about this family comes from The History of Upshur County, West Virginia; This book was written by W. B. Cutright in 1907, but the photo on the title page is actually the Honorable William Currence Carper, Daniel’s older brother, who was a lawyer, state senator, and judge. This is an indication of the great esteem in which the family was held.

Church Ties

The family was very religious, and built an early Methodist meeting place on the corner of College Avenue and Kanawha Street.  An illustration survives for us today. It was called the Carper Church since the family constructed and maintained it. In 1834, Abraham Carper sold this property to the Methodists, signing over the deed to the trustees of what is now First United Methodist Church (George Carper, John Dean, Isaac Dix, Henry Reger, Philip Reger, Benjamin Rohrbough, and John W. Westfall).

The Land

Passed down from Abraham to his son, a portion of the land was eventually sold by Daniel and his wife to another influential man in the region, Levi Leonard, and his wife Elizabeth.  Below is part of the deed signed over to them by Daniel and Sarah in 1865.

Methodists Seek A Location For A School

As early as 1874, the Methodists in West Virginia were feeling the necessity of building a school in West Virginia. At their meeting in 1874, the report of the Committee on Education indicated that there were many reasons for this. They did what many groups do, they formed a committee to “receive, consider, and if the way be entirely clear, act on a proposition or propositions such as above suggested, and report to this Conference at its next session”. You can read their full report here. There was much discussion, progress, frustration, and there were many meetings and reports for well over a decade. You can follow along with some of this by reading the reports from 1875, 1877, 1878, 1879, and 1880. The meeting in 1886 was held in Morgantown, and the report stated that:

Your committee deem it imperative on them to place prominently before you the subject of a Conference Seminary. For Years the Committee on Education has kept this enterprise in view, but all action hitherto has been tentative. The time has come when this Conference ought to take definitive steps toward this work.

By 1887, the committee had become a Board of Trustees, and work began in earnest. First of all, a site for the school must be chosen. Although many other locations were considered, Buckhannon was the choice for locating the school. The trustees took out an option to purchase 60 acres from Daniel Carper and his son, Wilbur Fisk, on July 15, 1887. After much discussion, the trustees decided not to purchase this land after all, and let the option expire on August 1, 1887 because they would have had to build a bridge across the Buckhannon River. This added too much expense.

Instead, they accepted an offer from Levi Leonard to purchase 43 acres for the price of $5,551.86. The required $300 down payment was assumed by trustee J.W. Reger, and there was a resolution included “to pay to Wilbur F. Carper any moneys he has heretofore paid out in having his option of land surveyed and platted.”

Thus the Seminary was born.  But the twist: Daniel Carper had sold this property as part of three parcels of land to Levi and Elizabeth Leonard.  So ultimately, the Carpers saw their land used after all as the place where the college grew and became “our home among the hills.”

But What About The Carpers?

The Carper family did not all stay in the area. They began moving out to other towns in other states and many did not see the school grow from a small Seminary to a full accredited college called West Virginia Wesleyan.  One notable exception to this is Daniel’s granddaughter, Grace Tamblyn.

A 1913 graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan, Grace was active in many organizations. Her obituary in the Sundial News (March 1980) tells much about her story – before, during, and after her days at the college – as well as the connection between the family, the church, the community, and the college.

“Memorial services were held Feb. 5, 1980 in First United Methodist Church in Buckhannon for Mrs. Grace Tamblyn Cox, 90, who died January 28, 1980 in The Hermitage, Alexandria, VA where she had been a resident for several years. The Rev. Mr. Harry P. Light (1952) officiated. The widow of Dr. Oliver C. Cox, a Washington, D.C. surgeon who preceded her in death in 1968, Mrs. Cox was a member of a pioneer Upshur County family. Her father, the Rev. Mr. Silas D. Tamblyn was a Methodist minister in Buckhannon, and her family has long been associated with the local church, Wesleyan College, and the Buckhannon community. She graduated with a bachelor of literature degree in music magna cum laude. She is survived by a niece, Mrs. June Tamblyn Leskuski (1943) of St. Petersburg, Fla., a nephew, and two grand nephews”.

It is a shame that there is no plaque or monument to any of the Carpers.  They had helped found the town of Buckhannon, and their property ended up being the beautiful campus that we love. 

The history of the town, and the people who founded it, is tied into the history of Wesleyan.  Buckhannon’s townspeople have been active participants in helping to make the dreams of a quality education for the young people of the area (such as Grace Tamblyn) to come true. Likewise, the college is active in civic life and provides enriching opportunities to all who live in the town, and maintains a strong relationship with the people.  

The Carpers could be thanked for offering to sell us this land, as the Leonards could be, but they are not around.  The graves of some of them are in the Heavener Cemetery east of town, having been moved there from the simple family cemetery that exists on South Florida Street. Yet, the fenced in area is still there, and ironically it is owned and maintained by the college.  Perhaps that is our final thank you to the family that played a role in our being located on this land.

Still, some memory of them lingers on. Maybe the next time you are walking near the L. L. Loar and Family Music Hall or Paul G. Benedum Hall, you might give them a nod. 

Written by Guest Blogger Jim Watson (1979)

Edited by Paula McGrew (1978)

Special thanks to Amy Tenney and the Upshur County Historical Society.  Their help was crucial in finding the details and in helping Jim satisfy his insatiable curiosity through many hours of searching through records at the Upshur County Courthouse.

Remembering Stanley Martin

This week marks the 35th anniversary of the death of one of West Virginia Wesleyan College’s biggest Giants (January 30, 1985). [Note this was written in January 2020]

Stanley Hubert Martin is our longest-serving president to date. He served from 1957-72. Throughout the tumultuous decade of the 1960s he provided strong leadership which went far beyond maintaining the status quo. In fact, our campus looks as it does today because of his insistence on the style of architecture we have come to take for granted.

The Stanley H. Martin era was one of incredible change and growth. New buildings included:

  • 1958 McCuskey Hall
  • 1959 Jenkins Hall
  • 1962 Doney Hall
  • 1963 Benedum Campus Community Center
  • 1963 Holloway Hall
  • 1964 Paul G. Benedum Hall
  • 1967 Christopher Hall of Science
  • 1967 Wesley Chapel and Martin Religious Center
  • 1972 Middleton Hall
  • 1972/1973 Wraparound addition to the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library

Remembering Stanley Martin

The Summer 1985 issue of the Sundial included a wonderful tribute to Stanley H. Martin. Many other Wesleyan Giants were quoted in this article.  Sam Ross was the Managing Editor, but the editorial staff also included such people as Mort Gamble, Jerry Beasley, Patton Nickell, and Herbert L. Sharp. I don’t know which of these people wrote the actual article, but we owe them a debt of gratitude.  The photography for this issue was done by Howard Hiner.

The article gives great detail about the life and accomplishments of Stanley Martin. I encourage you to read it here.

On April 25, 1985, a great celebration of the life of Stanley Martin was held in the chapel that he had envisioned. There, other Wesleyan Giants gave tribute.

Bishop William Boyd Grove

Those who came here to have their minds transformed…across the coming of them all falls the shadow of Stanley Martin.

Dr. Sidney Davis, Dean of the Chapel (and member of the class of 1936)

While many could not see the enormous measure of his dreams for the college, we are surrounded by the breadth of his vision.

President Hugh A. Latimer

Stanley Martin believed wholeheartedly that Wesleyan is a community…one in purpose and identity.

Dean Kenneth Welliver recalled Martin’s concern for a balance between liberal arts and career training. To understand more, one can read Stanley Martin’s own  thoughts on this in the April 1966 issue of the West Virginia Wesleyan College Bulletin in his article entitled “Critical Issues in Christian Liberal Arts Education.”

Dr. Sidney Davis, as he closed the service, summed up the message of the day.

Thank you for coming. The College thanks you — the College of the past…the College yet unknown.

The writer of the article concludes that, although he was speaking to the crowd that had gathered that day, these words could have been directed at Stanley Martin as well, and states that “his monument, when you return to Wesleyan, is all around you.”

Martin, Stanley Hubert (Hiner Photo)
Stanley Hubert Martin
Photo by Howard Hiner
Campus after the expansions during the presidency of Stanley Martin.

Lenna’s Legacy

From the very beginning, the founders of the West Virginia Conference Seminary made sure to include female students. They recognized that there were very intelligent, dedicated, and creative young ladies in the rural areas of West Virginia and they wanted to be sure that they had opportunities for education. Maybe they were thinking of Lenna Lowe Yost.

Lenna Lowe Yost
Trustee 1927-42

On Friday, January 25, 1878 (142 years ago this week) Lenna Lowe was born.

Coming from a very small community, she rose to great prominence in political circles all over the country and served as a trustee of West Virginia Wesleyan College from 1927-43.

Lenna’s father died when she was only 8 years old.  Her mother operated a hat shop.  As many of these rural communities were, the community of Amos was very close-knit.

Lenna the Student

The only year that Lenna attended the West Virginia Conference Seminary was during the academic year 1896-97. She was listed in the Literary, Art, and Music programs. Of the 343 students listed that year, there were five from Amos, a community in Marion County which was in the Fairview area. Joining her at the Seminary were:

  • Sue Lillian Yost – (Literary and Elocution) – who was the sister of Lenna’s future husband, Ellis A. Yost.
  • Ora Louise Potter – (Literary and Music)
  • Claude S. Jarvis – (Literary and Elocution)
  • Frank J. Yost (Literary and Elocution) – possibly also related to Ellis Yost. He became a druggist and owned his own store in Fairview.

In only the seventh year, the West Virginia Conference Seminary did not yet offer college level degrees. The first full college class graduated in 1905. The coursework, however, was vigorous and challenging. Lenna and the others from Amos were all enrolled in the Literary Program, and each also chose other areas of study such as Art, Elocution, and Music. Here is the first year curriculum for the Literary Program:

Her science courses would have been taught by a very young Thomas W. Haught.

None of these students from Amos appeared in the catalog for the next year. Some may have gone on to Ohio Wesleyan or other out-of-state schools for their college work.

Lenna in the Early 1900s

In 1899, Lenna Lowe married Ellis A. Yost (6 years her elder, and also from Amos, WV).  Ellis received his law degree from West Virginia University in 1908 and became the mayor of Fairview. In 1910 he was elected to the West Virginia Legislature. In 1913, it was the Yost Law that strengthened the Prohibition Laws and led to the Department of Prohibition in the state.

Lenna worked closely with Ellis, and was quite a powerhouse in her own right. She served as the President of the West Virginia Women’s Temperance Union from 1908-18. In 1916 she was also the President of the West Virginia State Suffrage Association. During this time, she gained national recognition for her efforts to ratify the 19th Amendment.

1920s

Library of Congress

At long last, the 19th Amendment was ratified in West Virginia on March 10, 1920.

In Wheeling, at the 1920 State Republican Convention, Lenna became the first woman in state history to preside over the convention.

1920 brought another first for Lenna as she became the first woman to serve as a teller in a National Republican Convention in Chicago.

In 1921, Lenna was appointed by President Warren G. Harding to represent the United States at the International Congress Against Alcoholism which was held in Lausanne, Switzerland. In 1923, he appointed her to that gathering again, but this time in Copenhagen.

1921 was also the year that she was appointed to the West Virginia Board of Education — the first ever to be appointed. She served for twelve years, always championing issues for women. For example, she was quite adamant that the standards in state colleges and universities be high enough so that female students could qualify for membership in the AAUW (Association of American University Women). Is it a coincidence that the Buckhannon Chapter of AAUW was organized in 1928?  Click here to read more about the history of that group.

From 1923-32 Lenna Lowe Yost served as a member of the Republican National Committee. Her great work caused her to become a member of the Executive Committee, and to work for women’s issues throughout the country.

1924, at the West Virginia Republican Convention, Lenna was the first woman to be Chair of the Committee on Platform and Politics.

In 1927, Lenna was elected to a position on the West Virginia Wesleyan College Board of Trustees. She served in that role until 1942, and was the third woman to serve on the board. (The first two were Virginia Haymond (1912-17) and Lettie List (1912-19).

The Federal Prison for Women was located in Alderson, WV was located in Alderson, WV largely due to the influence of Lenna Lowe Yost. It opened in 1928.

On June 5, 1929, Lenna Lowe Yost received an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from West Virginia Wesleyan, the first woman to be so honored. Interestingly, Thomas W. Haught also received an Honorary Doctor of Science degree the same day.

1930s and Beyond

In 1930, Lenna Lowe Yost was appointed by the Republican National Committee to direct women’s activities throughout the nation. Before being named Director of the Women’s Division for the RNC, she had been working for the committee for no salary. In 1930 she received a salary comparable to the men. She held this post until 1935.

The 1933 Murmurmontis was dedicated to her. I find it a bit interesting that the drawing is of male students, but that may just be an indication that it was all students who appreciated her efforts.

Yes, the founders must have had just such a person in mind. 

Be watching for more celebrations of Lenna and her achievements in the coming days! For example, an event on the campus of WVWC on March 10 — the 100th anniversary of her successful work to ratify the 19th Amendment in West Virginia.

Meanwhile, you can check out her page on DreamersAndGiants.

Snapshot In Time

Some photographs have a way of coming up again and again.

Each time we see it, we see different things. For example, this photograph of the entire campus community in 1928 first came to my attention in the WVWC archives a decade or so ago. It was rolled up and placed in a box.  We unrolled it, flattened it out, and took it to an architectural firm who had a special scanner which could handle the size and format of this picture.

Faculty and Student Body in 1928
WVWC Faculty and Student Body in 1928

I found myself wondering who these people were. What did their experience at WVWC look like? What happened to them later?

These questions persisted, and the idea for DreamersAndGiants began to take hold. The photo surfaced again and a section of it is part of the graphic on the front page of the website.

It came up yet again in a Blog Post in June of 2018 (Cloud of Witnesses) when I was writing about the faculty through the years.  At that time, I was looking mainly at faculty, but I also continued to wonder about those students.

A Fresh Look in Context

The photograph was taken in March 1928. This was a full year and a half before the stock market would crash…..bringing on the Great Depression.

It was roughly a decade after World War I and a decade before World War II.

It was three years before the board accepted the resignation of President Homer Wark, and elected President Roy McCuskey.

It was eight years after Ladies Hall had been renamed Agnes Howard Hall.

Haymond Hall of Science was fourteen years old.

It would be twelve years before Thomas W. Haught (seated next to President Homer Wark in the center of this photograph) would write the first history of the college. West Virginia Wesleyan College : First Fifty Years 1890-1940. In fact, the school was not quite 40 years old at that moment.

Thomas W. Haught in the light colored suit, and President Homer Wark.

Because I have read this book and the two that followed (A History of West Virginia Wesleyan College 1890-1965 by KennethPlummer and Our Home Among the Hills: West Virginia Wesleyan College’s First 125 Years, by Brett T. Miller), and thanks to the digitization of college publications such as catalogs, yearbooks, Pharos, and alumni publications, I can now identifity people in this picture. Some are very familiar now, and I find that I can spot them right away.

Because of these resources, I now even know the stories of some of them, and have been able to share them on the DreamersAndGiants website and in the weekly Blog posts.

It turns out that there are definitely some Giants in this iconic photograph. And some who are yet unknown.

Who Was There? (Faculty)

Cecelia Alexander (WVWC’s first librarian. She died in an automobile accident five months after this picture was taken.)

Arthur Aylesworth (Bookkeeper and Treasurer 1922-44)

Jacob Bos (Professor of Languages 1923-52)

Ralph C. Brown (Class of 1915; Taught Bible and Religion 1922-61)

Lewis Chrisman (Professor of English Literature 1919-56)

Paul Crissman (Philosophy and Psychology 1925-28)

James Deck (German Languages, Greek, Modern Languages 1901-32)

Clara Fishpaugh (Education 1925-30)

Camp Wellington Foltz (Director of the Conservatory of Music 1925-27)

George Glauner (History 1923-66)

Eleanore Hancher (Biology 1926-28)

Thomas W. Haught (Sem. 1894, Many Roles!)

Nicholas Hyma (Chemistry 1919-56)

Oda Earl Karickhoff (Class of 1905; Sociology and Economics 1919-46)

Zeno Le Tellier (Mathematics 1922-28)

Reemt Eike Luebbbers (Business Administration and Finance 1926-30)

Bartlett Lyons (Public School Music 1926-33_

Lois Muree McCloskey (Home Economis 1922-29)

Frank Edwin Muzzy (Voice and Piano 1918-41)

Aiice Nason (Physical Education for Women 1922-39)

Rachel Ogden (Dean of Women 1926-34; Modern Languages 1926-47)

Ruth Raw (English Composition 1925-29)

Cecil B. (Cebe) Ross (Class of 1923; Coach, Director of Athletics; Physical Education 1925-42; 1946-54)

R. Ray Scott (Education 1921-35)

Leta Snodgrass (Sem.1904; Art 1913-49; WVWC Masters 1933)

Edgar Sorton (Violin 1926-28; Music 1938-44)

Homer Wark (President 1926-31)

Who Was There? (Students)

These students became doctors, lawyers, pastors, professors, and leaders in all walks of life. Some served in World War II. There were artists,  athletes, debaters, musicians, and writers.

Among these students are several people that we might recognize. For example:

Forrest Bachtel  (Class of 1930; Forrest Bachtel was the starting quarterback for Wesleyan for four years. He also lettered in basketball three times, as well as serving as the captain in 1930.)

Charles Ross Culpepper (Class of 1930; Honorary Doctor of Divinity in 1950. He became a prominent minister in the West Virginia Annual Conference and was a delegate to three World Conferences. He served in World War II on active duty for 4 1/2 years and was in the National Guard for 17 years, retiring as a colonel. He is the father of Marvin Culpepper who graduated in the class of 1951).

Katherine Ellen Currran (Class of 1930; Katherine eventually married classmate David Echols Reemsnyder and, when she died in 2013 at 104 years old, she was Wesleyan’s oldest alumna)

Randall Hamrick (Class of 1930; Director of Personnel 1938-42; Taught Bible, Philosophy, and Religion)

David Reemsnyder (Class of 1930; Physical Education 1935-73; Director of Athletics 1960-73)

The expressions on the faces of these students would tend to suggest that they were a lively bunch. Some look serious, some appear annoyed at having to pose for the photograph, and some look downright ornery. In other words, they are much like the students of today.

August 2019

A snapshot of a group of students. It is often hard to recognize the significance of a moment when we are in it.

Intentional Focus for 2020

Two years ago this month I started the DreamersAndGiants.com website. The goal was to honor and remember many of the people who have been part of WVWC throughout the history of the school.

Need for Intentionality

A couple of things happened on New Year’s Day. First of all, I realized that we were in a new decade, and I needed to add a page to record things that are happening now. Secondly, I realized that I have never managed to create a biography page for some of the very biggest Giants — like Roy McCuskey, for instance!

What if I needed to

2020 Focus

The year 2020 seems like a great time to consider my focus. Most of last year I jumped around and wrote blogs on whatever happened to come into my line of sight that week. It was a lot of fun! And, I was able to write about a lot of great things. It was somewhat like Alice in Wonderland going down Rabbit Holes!

What if this year, I tried to be more like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz? She knew exactly where she wanted to go and managed to get there even while having lots of adventures and making some new friends.

New Year – New Plan

This year, I have committed to taking a more strategic approach. The basis of this approach will be Chronologies. To that end, I have reconfigured the Chronology section on DreamersAndGiants.com. Instead of having a different page for each year, it is more streamlined. Take a look! There is a lot of good information already, and it will get stronger as we go. I have been working on several of these types of tools behind the scenes.

One of the first things I will need to do is to strengthen the decade review sections. As I do this, I will still be running into various Rabbit Holes. So, I think that this is a plan that I can enjoy while still being productive.

Happy New Year, everyone! Wishing you 2020 focus in whatever the new year brings your way.

The Year They Went To A Bowl Game

This time of the year, there are many Bowl Games to be seen.  It may surprise you to know of the West Virginia Wesleyan Bowl win on January 1, 1925.

The year started off with a loss in a historic game in Morgantown. The Methodists (aka Bob Cats) lost to WVU in the very first game ever played at Mountaineer Field.  Even that game had a uniquely WVWC connection as Wesleyan’s own Harry Stansbury was the Athletic Director at WVU, and was responsible for building that iconic stadium.

Only one other loss marred that incredible season. Coach Bob Higgins and his Cats racked up wins over Navy, Syracuse, and the University of Kentucky along the way. This brought national attention to the squad, and caused the great Knute Rockney to recommend the team for the Dixie Classic on New Years Day.

1926 Murmurmontis

Dixie Classic

This bowl game was played only three times, and is the forerunner of today’s Cotton Bowl.  Wesleyan played in the middle game.

January 2, 1922 saw Texas A&M defeated Centre College 22-14

January 1, 1925

Wikipedia

And on January 1, 1934  Arkansas and Centenary College tied with seven points each.

Pharos Pre-Game Coverage

As the exciting news was shared, the coverage in the Pharos was excellent. In the December 17, 1924 edition, there was a complete wrap-up of the season and interviews with the coaches on page 3. There was a story discussing travel plans and hopes to find a way to broadcast the game (on radio) so that the fans could hear the game. On page 4 was a photograph and write-up about each of the players.

Page 5 includes the following story: What Prominent Sports Writers Over the Country Have Said About Wesleyan.

I would recommend reading all of the coverage in that issue here.

And Coverage of the Big Victory

The January 14, 1925 issue was full of the adventure and glory of it all. There was an article written by William B. Ruggles of the Dallas Morning News, entitled Bob Cats Win From Texas Mustangs Nine to Seven. In the article he states:

The West Virginia line, however, deserves all of the praise that has been given it. The right side was weak at the start but when Collins was sent in end to end it succeeded in a large extent to holding its own through the shifting panorama of the offensive game it had to face. Schelb, Kemerer, Comstock, Collins, and Bullman are hard to beat and they succeeded in bringing into the limelight the well-balanced backfield that runs and plunges with ready abandon.

Two columns were written by the players themselves. Page three includes a travel diary written by All-American John Moore (A Bob Cat’s Diary During the Trip to Texas) and also one written by Gale Bullman, Captain Bullman Tells of Texas Trip.

Afterwards

The team members reunited on May 22-23, 1954 to celebrate their achievements thirty years later. In the July 1954 issue of the Sundial, is an article about that event. Nineteen of the twenty-four original playing squad were present, an several staff as well. They came from 12 states and represented 24 vocations.

They gathered again in 1974, but their numbers were fewer. There were eleven members there, and the widows of two others.

The Cotton Bowl Connection in 2019

When Bob Higgins left West Virginia Wesleyan, he coached for two years at Washington University in St. Louis before heading back to his Alma Mater — Pennsylvania State University, where he had been a three time All-American. There he was an assistant coach for Penn State from 1928-29 before becoming their head coach from 1930-48. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954 as a coach.

He returned to the Cotton Bowl with his Penn State team in 1948, only the second time that school had been to a bowl game. There, they played to a tie with none other than S.M.U. He was probably wishing he had his Bob Cats back that day!

This weekend, December 28, 2019, Pennsylvania State University won the Cotton Bowl, beating the Memphis Tigers 53-39. I’ll bet Bob Higgins was smiling.