West Virginia Wesleyan College Story Archives - Page 2 of 5

June 18, 1937: John D. Rockefeller IV Born in New York City

John D. Rockefeller IV was born in New York City on June 18, 1937, just weeks after the death of his great-grandfather, business tycoon John D. Rockefeller. Jay—as the wealthy Rockefeller heir was known—first came to West Virginia as a poverty volunteer in the 1960s. He soon attracted national attention by switching his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. He was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1966 and as secretary of state two years later.

After losing to Arch Moore for governor in 1972, he served as president of West Virginia Wesleyan College. In 1976, he won the governor’s office after spending a record amount on the campaign. During his eight years as West Virginia’s 29^th governor, Rockefeller reorganized state government, fought to expand coal exports, and eliminated the sales tax on food.

In 1984, he defeated Republican John Raese for the U.S. Senate. During Rockefeller’s 30 years in the Senate, he promoted worker rights and health care issues and pushed to diversify West Virginia’s economy. He stepped down from the senate in 2015, ending nearly 50 years in public service.

April 8, 1979: Writer Breece D'J Pancake Commits Suicide

Writer BreeceD’J Pancake died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 8, 1979. The South Charleston native grew up in Milton, which became the fictionalized setting for many of his short stories.

A graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan and Marshall, Pancake taught at two military schools in Virginia before entering the University of Virginia’s Creative Writing Program, where he was influenced by authors James Alan McPherson, Peter Taylor, and Mary Lee Settle. He began writing human interest stories for a Milton newspaper and working on a series of short stories. His big breakthrough came in 1977, when the Atlantic Monthly published his story “Trilobites.”

West Virginia was a popular locale for Pancake’s tales. In addition to Milton, which he fictionalized as “Rock Camp,” he wrote about the southern coalfields, Huntington, the north-central mountains, and curvy roads like Route 60 across Gauley Mountain. His stories are stark, with ironic humor, featuring characters who are trapped either by forces beyond their control or by their own past.

A collection of his short stories was published in 1983, four years after his death, bringing Pancake widespread acclaim in literary circles.

March 21, 1914: W.Va. Boys’ High School Basketball Tournament Begins in Buckhannon

The first state boys’ high school basketball tournament began in Buckhannon on March 21, 1914. The event was hosted by West Virginia Wesleyan College, which had West Virginia’s largest and finest gymnasium. Elkins High School took that first state title.

The tournament grew quickly in popularity. In 1922, a field of 64 teams was broken into ‘‘A’’ and ‘‘B’’ divisions, classified based on team strength rather than school size. In 1933, the tournament was reorganized with sectional winners advancing to eight regional tournaments.

The winner of those eight regionals—known as the ‘‘State Eight’’—then met in the statewide tournament. Since 1959, West Virginia has used a three-class format, based on school size.

To accommodate the growing crowds, the tournament was moved from Buckhannon to Mountaineer Field House in Morgantown in 1939. Beginning in 1955, the tournament began alternating between Morgantown and Huntington’s Memorial Field House. The Charleston Civic Center was added to the rotation in 1965. Charleston became the sole host site in 1972.

And what’s the winningest team in state high school tournament history? Beckley’s Woodrow Wilson, the winner of 16 state titles.

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.

June 1, 1956: Artist Blanche Lazelle Dies at 77

Artist Blanche Lazzell died on June 1, 1956, at age 77. She was born in Maidsville in Monongalia County in 1878. After receiving a diploma from the West Virginia Conference Seminary and an art degree from West Virginia University, she moved to New York City and studied with influential artists Kenyon Cox and William Merritt Smith. A remarkably independent woman for the time, Lazzell traveled twice to Paris, where she became enthralled with the avant-garde Cubism movement.

Blanche Lazell eventually settled in Provincetown, Massachusetts. She helped found the Provincetown Printers artists’ colony, which popularized single block color prints. During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration commissioned her to create color wood-block prints of scenes in and around Morgantown and a mural for the courthouse titled ‘‘Justice over Monongalia County.’

Lazzell showed her art in many prestigious exhibitions. And today, her work is in major museums and galleries, including the Smithsonian Institution, and in the collections of West Virginia Wesleyan College, WVU, and the West Virginia State Archives. She’s recognized as one of West Virginia’s most notable artists and one of America’s leading abstract painters and print makers.