Tag: Marshall Academy

May 21, 1864: Confederate Gen. and Former Congressman Albert Gallatin Jenkins Killed in Battle

On May 21, 1864, Confederate General and former Congressman Albert Gallatin Jenkins was killed at the Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain, Virginia. He was 33.

As a young man, the Cabell County native had attended Marshall Academy, Jefferson College, and Harvard Law School before being elected twice to Congress. In 1859, he inherited his father’s plantation in Cabell County and became one of the largest slaveholders in present West Virginia.

When the Civil War began, Jenkins stepped down from Congress and recruited a unit of Confederate troops, known as the Border Rangers. The rangers played a key role in the Confederate victory at Scary Creek in Putnam County in July 1861. The next month, he formed the 8th Virginia Cavalry, which led a surprise raid on a Union camp at Guyandotte in November.

In 1862, Jenkins was elected to the Confederate Congress but soon returned to the army as a brigadier general. Two years later, he met his fate at Cloyd’s Mountain.

Jenkins is buried in Huntington’s Spring Hill Cemetery. And his home at Green Bottom is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

March 30, 1838: Marshall Academy Incorporated Into Huntington

On March 30, 1838, Marshall Academy was incorporated in what is now Huntington. The school had been established the previous year as a private school to educate the children of farmers in the region. The first classes were held in a small log church on the knoll where Marshall’s Old Main building now stands.

In 1858, the Virginia Assembly granted college status to Marshall. However, the school closed its doors a little more than two years later when the Civil War began.

It reopened in 1868, primarily to train teachers. But it also prepared students for business and had a primary department for youth. Although its campus and curriculum expanded significantly, by the early 20th century, Marshall was technically only a secondary school. The school introduced the equivalent of college freshman and sophomore courses in 1913 and awarded its first baccalaureate degrees in 1921.

The school grew steadily after World War II. And, in 1961, Marshall was granted university status. Since then, Marshall has grown extensively, adding a school of medicine, modern athletics facilities, a performing arts center, an engineering complex, and a Visual Arts Center.

February 6, 1941: Educator Morris Shawkey Dies

Educator Morris Shawkey died on February 6, 1941, at age 72. The Pennsylvania native came to West Virginia in 1895 to teach education at West Virginia Wesleyan.

In 1906, he became superintendent of Kanawha County schools and, in 1909, began three terms as state superintendent of free schools. During this time, he launched a program to build new high schools and junior highs, establish libraries in each school, consolidate schools, bus students, and upgrade teacher standards. Under his leadership, 125 new high schools were built in the state between 1909 and 1921.

After serving a stint as superintendent of Beaver Pond School District in Bluefield, Shawkey was named president of Marshall College (now University) in 1923.

During his 12 years at Marshall, the school was accredited, its College of Arts and Sciences became a member of the American Association of Colleges, and the Pre-Medical program met the standards of the American Medical Association. In addition, Marshall’s campus was expanded, the student body grew rapidly, and a new library and student union were built.

Today, Morris Shawkey is remembered as the father of secondary education in West Virginia.

May 21, 1864: Confederate Gen. and Former Congressman Albert Gallatin Jenkins Killed in Battle

On May 21, 1864, Confederate General and former Congressman Albert Gallatin Jenkins was killed at the Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain, Virginia. He was 33.

As a young man, the Cabell County native had attended Marshall Academy, Jefferson College, and Harvard Law School before being elected twice to Congress. In 1859, he inherited his father’s plantation in Cabell County and became one of the largest slaveholders in present West Virginia.

When the Civil War began, Jenkins stepped down from Congress and recruited a unit of Confederate troops, known as the Border Rangers. The rangers played a key role in the Confederate victory at Scary Creek in Putnam County in July 1861. The next month, he formed the 8th Virginia Cavalry, which led a surprise raid on a Union camp at Guyandotte in November.

In 1862, Jenkins was elected to the Confederate Congress but soon returned to the army as a brigadier general. Two years later, he met his fate at Cloyd’s Mountain.

Jenkins is buried in Huntington’s Spring Hill Cemetery. And his home at Green Bottom is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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