Social History Commons^™

0897: William A. “Red” Dawson Collection, 1915-2023, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

William Alfred “Red” Dawson, a native of Valdosta, Georgia, led his high school football team to a state championship and played for four years at Florida State University. Dawson briefly played professional football for the Boston Patriots in the AFL and the Orlando Panthers. He was serving as an assistant football coach at Marshall University when a fatal plane crash killed seventy-five players, coaches, staff, and prominent citizens of Huntington. Dawson was essential in restarting the Marshall University football program, serving as acting head coach and coached through the 1971 season. He then began working in the construction industry and …

0894: G. W. “Jerry” Sutphin River Transportation Collection, 1832-2024, Marshall University Special Collections

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Gerald W. “Jerry” Sutphin was a nationally recognized river historian from Huntington. He graduated from Mullens High School and Marshall University and became an army officer. Sutphin worked for and retired from the United States Army Corps of Engineers before spending twenty years operating his own business, Visual Information Ltd. The author of Sternwheelers on the Great Kanawha River, he also wrote a number of articles and contributed to numerous publications with words and/or photographs. Sutphin provided historical presentations on the Delta Queen and other large sternwheel excursion boats and served as a consultant for several documentaries and exhibits. Sutphin …

0893: Maurice G. Burnside Collection, 1793-2003, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

This collection was deaccessioned from East Carolina University to Marshall University Special Collections. The original processing, organizing, and files were maintained in this transfer. The only change that has been made is the addition of the new accession number to the existing folders.

The bulk of this collection pertains to Dr. Burnside’s congressional and political activities (1945-1956) and is composed largely of scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, and photographs. Materials reflect the time and effort Dr. Burnside directed towards environmental issues, unemployment, the problems faced by small businesses and farmers, and the promotion of tariffs on foreign products that competed with local …

0886: Ken Reffeitt Collection, 1852-2023, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

Ken Reffeitt was employed by Marshall University Special Collections for many years and was a member of a number of fraternal organizations. His extensive collection of materials on this subject was donated in 2024.

The Ken Reffeitt Collection consists of annual reports and other documents of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) of West Virginia, the Rebekah Assembly, I.O.O.F., the Improved Order of Red Men, the Department Council Patriarchs Militant, I.O.O.F., the M. W. Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of the State of West Virginia, and other organizations. The collection also includes a number of books …

0892: The Gregg Family Papers, 1940-2024, Marshall University Special Collections

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Anna Catherine “Kay” Kelly Gregg was born in 1920 in Dawson, West Virginia, to Aldridge James Kelly and Mary Leah Lowry. She was raised in Huntington, West Virginia, alongside her four siblings: James Thompson Kelly, Franklin C. Kelly, Bonna Kelly Paul, and Jeanette W. Kelly Scheerer. Kay enrolled at Marshall College in 1940 and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Teachers College on September 12, 1944.

Harrison “Harry” Humphreys Gregg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Daniel B. Gregg and Rebecca Humphreys. He attended the University of Cincinnati and later met Kay Kelly while visiting Huntington. The two …

0869: League Of Women Voters Of The Huntington Area Collection, 1931-2020, Marshall University Special Collections

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Initially created as an auxiliary to the National American Woman Suffrage Association, the League of Women Voters was formed as an independent organization on February 14, 1920, six months prior to the ratification of the 19^th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The League was designed to be “a mighty political experiment.” Although nonpartisan, the organization educates the public about politics and elections and advocates for major public policy legislation.

The League of Women Voters of the Huntington Area organized in April 1944 and was granted recognition as a local League on January 10, 1948.The program of the new …

0778: Jim Taylor Photograph Collection, 1880s-1910s, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

This collection consists of 51 TIFF images representing 50 photographs of early Huntington, West Virginia. Photographic subjects include the D. E. Abbot frame factory in Huntington, WV, Twelve Pole Creek in Wayne County, WV, Norfolk and Western Railway and Chesapeake and Ohio railroad tracks, trestles, and trains, Big Sandy River, Kenova Electric Power Plant, log and timber in rivers, log cabins in Huntington and Kenova, WV, Camden Interstate Railway train cars, tie hoists, Johnson’s Lane car house, as well as a railway car wreck in 1906, Cabell County Courthouse, Cabell County Jail, Huntington Hospital, 20th Street Hill, Kessler Hospital, “H. …

0856: Bible Of Mrs. Isabella W. Hite, 1857, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection consists of a single bible. Published by E. Stevenson & F. A. Owen, Agents, for the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in 1856, the title page states it is the English Version of the Polyglott Bible. The book itself contains fold-out maps and illustrations. On the first page is written “Mrs. Isabella W. Hite Cabel Co. Va. Feb 24th 1857” and then in a different ink/pencil, “Isa. H. Moore.” Throughout the book, passages are marked and near them, a name and date are written in the margins. Many of the days (not all were checked) appear to have fallen …

0857: Kfeirian Reunion Foundation Papers, 1932-2017, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

The majority of this collection consists of various printed media, including booklets, pamphlets, directories, and other materials focusing on the annual Kfeirian Reunion. Items date from the 4th Annual Reunion in 1936 to the 2017 85th Annual Reunion. The collection also contains pictures from various reunions, awards, name badges and other items related to the organization and its activities. The collection was donated by the Kfeirian Reunion Foundation and was organized into a number of manila envelopes. This order has been kept, and although some items had to be separated to fit into folders, the order of the items was …

0850: Oley Elementary Corner-Stone Time Capsule Of 1888 Papers, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

This collection includes materials found in the Cornerstone Time Capsule from 1888 that was buried at Oley Elementary School. Included in this collection are the personal business cards of prominent people in the Huntington, West Virginia community who were members of secret society groups such as the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. Additionally, this collection contains business cards from local Huntington shops from the 1880s, some of which contain artwork or are featured in color. Further, this collection contains books and manuals, where the majority emphasize the Huntington, WV community either in education, city statistics, religion, and masonry. This collection …

0841: Mary Lois Garrett Collection, 1941-1954, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

This collection spans the years 1941-1954, with the bulk of the research covering the years 1950-1954. File contents were maintained in the way in which they were originally received, but folders have been arranged in a more chronological order. Some notes are entirely handwritten, while logs and records consist of typed templates which have been filled-in by hand. Notes contain illustrations of birds and nests, graphs of bird activity during observance, and descriptions of bird behavior. Nesting logs have mostly been filled out by Mary Lois Garrett, but other authors contributed, including Twila Hessin, Ruth Geib, and an unspecified ornithology …

0849: Guyandotte Poetry Society Papers, 1989-2018, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

This collections contains the professional documents of the Guyandotte Poetry Society. The contents in this collection span from 1989 to 2018. The collection includes correspondence, directions to meetings, directories of poets who participated in the Society, and poems that were submitted and workshopped. The materials in this collection document the various writers who either served as reviewers or submitted poetry for review. This list of writers is included following the list of folders and their contents.

0840: Bertram (Bert) A. Dressler Papers, 1924-1998, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection contains football-related materials, professional possessions, educational materials, and personal memorabilia of Bertram (Bert) A. Dressler. The collection includes photographs, professional programs developed, trucking log books and certificates, as well as genealogical materials. These materials document Dressler's life as a Marshall University graduate in West Virginia, North Carolina, Iowa, and beyond.

0839: Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Papers, 1941-2006, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

This collection contains the personal, educational, and professional possessions of Mildred Mitchell-Bateman. The collection includes correspondence, newspaper articles, association newsletters, professional planners, financial documents, plaques, and other personal memorabilia. The materials document Bateman’s various roles within local, state, and national psychology and psychiatric organizations. The collection is organized into six series: Series 1, Personal; Series 2, Education; Series 3, Professional Experience; Series 4, Correspondence; Series 5, Associations; and Series 6, Bound Books, Bound Volumes and list of Newspapers.

To view materials from this collection that are digitized and available online, search the Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Papers, 1941-2006 here.

0835: The Links, Incorporated Collection, 1955-2016, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

Established in 1955, the Huntington, West Virginia chapter of The Links, Incorporated is a women’s volunteer organization that works to support culture, education, health and wellness for seniors, adults, and youth in the African American community. The national Links, Incorporated organization, founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, oversees four regional areas, including the Central Area, which consists of 69 Links chapters in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The Huntington, WV chapter is the only Links, Incorporated chapter in West Virginia, and its activities extend to Williamson and Bluefield. Chapter members such …

0833: Huntington League Of The Association Of Junior Leagues International, 1929-2015, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

The Huntington Junior League of the Association of Junior Leagues International records consist of newspapers, League Lines, magazines, scrapbooks, organizational materials, cookbook recipes, Garden Club material, horse show material, etc. The focus of the collection is evenly distributed among the different series. The reason the Garden Club series is so large is because there were numerous large items that had to separated. The inclusive dates range from 1929-2015, however most materials are the 1940s to the 1960s.

0827: Rotary International - Huntington, Wv Chapter Collection, 1915-2015, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

The collection includes an assortment of Rotary business files, artifacts, and images. It contains a variety of correspondence, meeting records, membership forms, awards, newsletters, memos, financial documents, newspapers, bulletins, and various Rotary artifacts including Rotary flags, proclamations, and Rotary themed desktop items. The collection showcases the Rotary Club of Huntington’s influence both in the Huntington area and within the district and international Rotary community. Many of these files, although mostly dating from time period of 1990-2015, do contain records and documents dating as far back to the founding of the Rotary Club of Huntington in 1915.

0819: Memphis Tennessee Garrison Papers, 1898-1981, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection contains the personal, religious, educational, and political possessions of Memphis Tennessee Garrison. The collection includes correspondence, photographs, newspaper articles, programs, books, financial documents, publications, newsletters, plaques, certificates, a diary, and a jewelry box. The materials document Garrison’s various roles on the local and national levels of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as well as her participation in other civil rights activities.

To view materials from this collection that are digitized and available online, search the Memphis Tennessee Garrison Papers, 1898-1981 here.

0816: First Presbyterian Church Of Huntington Records, 1890-2008, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

This collection contains the records of the First Presbyterian Church of Huntington from the 1890s to the early 2000s. Most of the collection falls between 1930 and 2002. Within the collection are administrative records such as minutes, registers, and accounting records; photographs of members, non-members, former members, church functions; scrapbooks of sanctuary renovations, church functions, and miscellaneous ephemera; newspaper clippings; an international collection; histories of the First Presbyterian Church; a large collection of lantern slides; and other various items.

To view materials from this collection that are digitized and available online, search the First Presbyterian Church of Huntington, 1890-2008 here.

0822: Lawrence H. "Bud" Rogers Papers, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

The collection consists primarily of newspaper articles, biographical sketches, and historical summaries of Mr. Roger's career in the television industry and the Federal Reserve Board. The bulk of the materials are related to his time as the General Manager of the WSAZ-TV station in Huntington, West Virginia and as the President of Taft Broadcasting Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. The collection contains some correspondence, both personal and business related. The collection is organized into two series; Series I, Personal Papers and, Series II, WSAZ-TV.

0820: Kenneth Hechler Papers, 1958-1976, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection is composed of papers related to Ken Hechler's careers in teaching and writing as well as his personal life. Some political materials are represented as well as artifacts and other memorabilia.

0807: American Association Of University Women (Aauw), Wv Division, 1929-2011, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

This collection contains paper and multimedia materials related to the American Association of University Women- West Virginia Division from 1929-2011. The collection includes meeting minutes, agendas, and officer reports, publications, initiative plans, and correspondence. Branch yearbooks and statewide directories are also included, as well as workshop materials. The “kits” associated with the collection were produced by the AAUW on a national level, and distributed to chapters. Each kit is representative of AAUW workshops.

0812: Anderson-Newcomb Company And Family Collection, 1884-1980, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

The Anderson-Newcomb Collection contains material dealing with the company store such as financial reports, meeting logs, and silverware. It also includes material on the Anderson-Newcomb family and history on Huntington like the diary of Margaret Emily Cox Newcomb, William Newcomb's great-grandmother, newspaper articles, and magazines.

To view materials from this collection that are digitized and available online, search the Anderson-Newcomb Company and Family Collection, 1884-1980 here.

0802: Kay Wildman Collection, 1900-2006, Marshall University Special Collections

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The Kay Wildman Collection explores the history of music in Huntington, WV. This collection consists of oral histories, photographs, newspaper clippings, and research materials. In most of the oral histories you will find a copy of the interview on a CD and a typed outline of the interview. A diary by Robert Grant, a member of numerous musical groups in Huntington, can also be found in this collection. This diary covers the period of time Grant was a student at Marshall University with some additional entries that go beyond that period of time.

0854: Isaac H. Mitchell Biographical Sketch Collection, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection consists of the research done by Scott Lemley and Rod Pell on Isaac Mitchell’s life and genealogy, including his descendants, in order for Mitchell to be memorialized by the Huntington Police Department in 2013. The bulk of the collection consists of printed copies of email correspondence between Lemley and Bob Mitchell and Michelle Shypkoski (both descendants of Isaac Mitchell), printed genealogies, and two copies of the memoirs of William Clare Mitchell, a descendant who moved to Idaho. Also included are the HPD Memorial Application, copied photographs of Isaac Mitchell’s grave and other family members, copied and transcribed newspaper …

0814: C. H. Freeman Collection, 1877-1977, Marshall University Special Collections

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Papers related to the C.H. Freeman estate. Zubah and C.H. Freeman had many investments such as the Yawkey and Freeman Coal Company and the Freeman Estates. This collection contains contract agreements for property purchases of the Estates, a contour map of what seems to be the Freeman’s country residence, and correspondences between Zubah and realtors. This collection also houses some of Zubah’s family documents including old letters, registers of visitors from Klingel-Carpenter Mortuary, and Paul and Ricky Ray’s basketball documents.

0797: The Woman's Club Of Huntington, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

The Woman’s Club of Huntington Collection includes materials from the early 1900s to the 2020s that document the club’s civic, cultural, and social work. The collection contains meeting minutes, club officer reports, financial records, membership lists, and correspondence. It also includes materials related to the club’s departments, events, and projects, such as newsletters, programs, and scrapbooks.

Records from the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and the West Virginia Federation of Women’s Clubs are included, along with documents about the club’s property and the sale of its clubhouse. Photographs, plaques, awards, and memorabilia show the club’s long history of community involvement. …

0796: Shirley Foster Streeby Mathews Collection, 1939-2003, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

The bulk of the collection contains newspaper clippings that Mrs. Mathews collected over the years about her former students. There are also a few dozen photographs, along with wedding invitations, school pageants and programs, commencements, handwritten and typed correspondence, reunion correspondence, Greenline newsletters (a publication for Marshall University alumni), church programs, funeral/death announcements and holiday cards. Most of the photos are identified on the back.

0795: Dr. Robert P. Alexander Collection, 1880-2000, Marshall University Special Collections

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Dr. Robert P. Alexander graduated from Marshall University in 1959. After graduating, Dr. Alexander was hired by Marshall University and traveled to the eastern panhandle of West Virginia to recruit prospective students. It was here he became interested in the town of Cass, WV. In 1969, Dr. Alexander completed his doctorate and became a professor of management and marketing. Dr. Alexander was also the Dean of Marshall University’s College of Business and also served sixteen years on Huntington, WV’s city council. In 1975 Dr. Alexander returned to Cass and created a living history of both the town and timbering industry …

0793: Thomas J. Buffington Copy Of Savage Land Grant Survey, 1816, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

This collection consists of a handwritten manuscript copy by Thomas J. Buffington of the plots distributed by the Savage Land Grant as resurveyed by Tupper, including plot descriptions. The manuscript is sewn as a pamphlet binding and the end pages include sums and other miscellaneous notes.