Fairmont State College Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

September 17, 1897: Folklorist Ruth Ann Musick Born in Missouri

Folklorist Ruth Ann Musick was born in Missouri on September 17, 1897. She earned a Ph.D. in English from the State University of Iowa, where she developed a lifelong interest in folklore. She first came to West Virginia in 1946 to teach mathematics and English at Fairmont State College, which is now Fairmont State University. Musick quickly made a big impact on the Mountain State by starting a folk literature class at Fairmont State and helping to revive the West Virginia Folklore Society. And in 1951, she founded the West Virginia Folklore Journal. She retired from both the journal and Fairmont State in 1967.

Musick was West Virginia’s folklore ambassador through education, public speaking, radio, and television. She published four major collections of folklore, including The Telltale Lilac Bush and Coffin Hollow, and wrote two popular folklore columns for West Virginia newspapers, ‘‘The Old Folks Say’’ and ‘‘Sassafras Tea.’’

Ruth Ann Musick died in Fairmont in 1974 at age 76. Her papers are now archived in the West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State. In 1980, the university library was renamed in her honor.

May 13, 1941: Fairmont State College President Joseph Rosier Seated in the U.S. Senate

On May 13, 1941, Fairmont State College President Joseph Rosier was seated in the U.S. Senate, ending one of the state’s most bizarre political tussles. He was succeeding Democratic powerbroker Matthew Neely, who’d stepped down as senator to become West Virginia’s 21^st governor.

In the event of a vacancy in Congress, the state constitution gives the governor the right to appoint a replacement. However, Neely was in an ongoing feud with the outgoing governor, fellow Democrat Homer Holt. So, Neely tried a bit of trickery. He essentially resigned from the senate and was inaugurated as governor simultaneously. Then, Neely appointed Rosier to succeed him in the senate. The problem was, Holt had already appointed someone else. After a prolonged debate, Congress seated Neely’s man instead of Holt’s.

But Rosier was merely keeping the seat warm for Neely, who decided to run for the Senate again in 1942, less than two years into his gubernatorial term. Voters, though, had grown tired of Neely’s indecision and elected Republican Chapman Revercomb instead. Neely remained governor until 1945, when voters sent him back to Congress to serve in the House of Representatives.

Fairmont State Holds Appreciation Day for Federal Workers

Fairmont State University in West Virginia is hosting an appreciation day for federal workers and their families during the government shutdown.

The school said it will have a bounce house, open gym, games for children and other activities at Gym 2 in The Falcon Center from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

Fairmont State is also offering a hot meal and basketball tickets at no cost to federal employees and their families.

Dining hall meal tickets will be available from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. And tickets to the women’s and men’s basketball games against Notre Dame will also be available.

The Athletics Department will also offer free admission for federal employees during men’s and women’s basketball and acrobatics and tumbling events beginning Thursday and lasting until the shutdown ends.