Marshall University Special Collections

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I'm pretty sure half of is on the way to Cary, North Carolina right now. The rest have already started tailgating.

Did you know Carter G. Woodson, "Father of Black History", lived in Huntington at one time? Carter G. Woodson came to Huntington at the age of 17. Working as a coal miner, he attended Douglass High School part time and began his full time education in 1895 at the age of 20, graduating in 1897 and serving at the principal in 1900.

In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson—known as the “Father of Black History"—started the first Negro History Week with the organization he helped found to research and share African American life and history.

Woodson was the second Black American to receive a PhD in history from Harvard, following W.E.B. Du Bois by a few years. He wanted to ensure students would be exposed to Black history through Negro History Week, and chose the second week of February to celebrate the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

As its popularity grew and the Civil Rights Movement gained momentum, more people began advocating for an extension of the annual week, and started in 1976.

This Scurlock Studio Records portrait of Woodson is in our National Museum of American History's Archives Center.

Yeager leaves lasting mark on Marshall University Chuck Yeager didn’t have a college degree. He was a graduate of the College of Life and Death, as he said in a speech in 1984. Still, Yeager appreciated the

We are saddened today to hear of the passing of General Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager. He was known worldwide for his heroism, patriotism, and exceptional military career. To include the first pilot to break the sound barrier. But for us in Special Collections he was storyteller, West Virginian, donor, and friend. Fly high General.

Painting - ‘Brig. Gen. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager’ by Adele Thorton Lewis. Hanging in The Yeager Room, Marshall University Special Collections

Never Forget

Do you have questions about what kind of materials you can find in Special Collections, how you can use our collections, and what resources exist online? All of these questions and more are answered in our new "Using Special Collections" guide!

LibGuides: Using Marshall University Archives and Special Collections: Home This guide provides an introduction to conducting research and using materials at Marshall University Archives and Special Collections. Learn more about Marshall Special Collections on the home tab.

One of our archivists was curious about how people accessed materials at Special Collection more than 20 years ago. They went to the Wayback Machine and found this gem of a web page from 1997!

You can visit the original home page here: https://web.archive.org/web/19970125232341/http://marshall.edu/speccoll/

Granville Parker (1809-1881) was a lawyer and newspaper correspondent who represented Cabell County at the Constitutional Convention of 1861 and 1862. His words printed here combat a traditional understanding of the history of West Virginia's founding. For instance, West Virginia seceded from Virginia in the Civil War--many think it's simply because West Virginia was against slavery, but the reality (as Parker explains in this broadside), was a lot more nuanced.

Good news everyone: we are officially open to researchers by appointment any time during our usual 8am-4:30pm business hours! To reserve a spot and request collections, visit our seat reservation form: https://marshall.libcal.com/reserve/specialcollections

Per Marshall policy, you will have to wear a mask while conducting research and using our facilities.

Some people think vital records are boring and factual--a person was born, a person got married, a person died. But sometimes you get additional traces of the stories behind the dry facts, like on this page of a Cabell County marriage register. Written next to two names is the request, "Please do not publish!" It's likely this couple was trying to get married in secret. Primary sources like this one provide subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) hints at the bigger, more human story behind the facts.