West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Founded as an agricultural college, WVU has developed into a major research university with an emphasis in neurosciences, forensics, and biometrics. [1]
Under the terms of the 1862 Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act, the West Virginia Legislature created the Agricultural College of West Virginia on February 7, 1867, and the school officially opened on September 2 of the same year. [2] [3] On December 4, 1868, lawmakers renamed the college West Virginia University to represent a broader range of higher education. [4] The University was built on the grounds of three former academies, namely the Monongalia Academy of 1814, the Morgantown Female Academy of 1831, and Woodburn Female Seminary of 1858. [5] Upon its founding, the local newspaper claimed that "a place more eligible for the quiet and successful pursuit of science and literature is nowhere to be found." [3]
The first campus building was constructed in 1870 as University Hall, and was renamed Martin Hall in 1889 in honor of West Virginia University's first president, the Rev. Alexander Martin of Scotland. [6] After the Woodburn Seminary building was destroyed by fire in 1873, the centerpiece of what is now Woodburn Hall was completed in 1876, under the name New Hall. The name was changed to University Building in 1878, when the College of Law was founded as the first professional school in the state of West Virginia. [7] The precursor to Woodburn Circle was finished in 1893 when Chitwood Hall (then Science Hall) was constructed on the bluff's north side. Around the start of the 20th century, a north wing was added to University Building, and the facility was renamed Woodburn Hall. Throughout the next decade, Woodburn Hall underwent several renovations and additions, including the construction of the south wing and east tower housing the iconic Seth Thomas clock. [8]
WVU was required to have a Cadet Corps under the terms of the Morrill Act of 1862. The United States War Department offered military equipment to the University at no charge, forming the basis of the school's Military Tactics department. The heavy military influence led to opposition of female enrollment that lasted through the first decade of the University. [9] The trend changed in 1889, when ten women were allowed to enroll and seek degrees at the University. In June 1891, Harriet Lyon became the first woman to receive a degree from West Virginia University, finishing first in the class ahead of all male students. [9] Lyon's academic success supported the acceptance of women in the University as students and educators. [10]
During the University's early years, daily chapel services and roll call for all students were mandatory, limiting time for student recreation. Following the removal of these obligations, students became active in extracurricular activities and established many of the school's first athletic and student organizations. The first edition of the student newspaper known as the Athenaeum, now The Daily Athenaeum, was published in 1887, and the West Virginia Law Review became the fourth oldest law review in the United States when it was founded in 1894. Kappa Delta, the first sorority at WVU, was established in 1899. [9] The first football team was formed in 1891, and the first basketball team appeared in 1903. [11]
The University's outlook around the start of the 20th century was optimistic, as the school constructed the first library in present-day Stewart Hall during 1902, and welcomed U.S. President William Taft to the campus for the inauguration of University President Thomas Hodges in 1911. [9] However, the University's efforts to attract more qualified educators, increase enrollment, and expand the campus was hindered during a period that saw two World Wars and the Great Depression. With a heavy military influence in the University, many students left college to join the army during World War I, and the local ROTC was organized in 1916. [12] Women's involvement in the war efforts at home led to the creation of Women's Hall dormitory, now Stalnaker Hall, in 1918.
Despite the wartime struggles, the University was able to establish the disciplines of biology, medicine, journalism, pharmacy, and the first mining program in the nation. In 1918 Oglebay Hall was built to house the expanded agriculture and forestry programs. [12] Additionally, the first dedicated sports facilities were constructed including "The Ark" for basketball in 1918, and the original Mountaineer Field in 1925. Stansbury Hall was built in 1928 and included a new basketball arena named "The Fieldhouse" that held 6,000 spectators. [13] The Mountaineer mascot was adopted during the late 1920s, with an unofficial process to select the Mountaineer through 1936. An official selection process began naming the mascot annually in 1937, with Boyd "Slim" Arnold becoming the first Mountaineer to wear the buckskin uniform. [14]
As male students left for World War II in 1939, women became more prominent in the University and surpassed the number of males on campus for the first time in 1943. [9] Soldiers returning from the war qualified for the G.I. Bill and helped increase enrollment to over 8,000 students for the first time, but the University's facilities were becoming inadequate to accommodate the surging student population.
Preparation for the baby boomer generation and plans for curriculum expansion led to the purchase of land for the Evansdale and Medical campuses. The growth of downtown Morgantown limited the space available on the original campus, therefore the new site was located nearly two miles north on what had been farmland. [9] Beginning in the late 1950s the University experienced the most rapid period of growth in its history. In 1957 WVU opened a Medical Center on the new campus and founded the first school of dentistry in West Virginia. The basketball program reached a new level of success when the university opened its doors to future 14-time NBA All-Star and Hall of Fame player Jerry West who led the team to the national championship game in 1959. [15] As enrollment approached 14,000 in the 1960s, the University continued expansion plans by building the Evansdale Residential Complex to house approximately 1,800 students, the Mountainlair student union, and several engineering and creative arts facilities on the Evansdale campus. In 1970 the WVU Coliseum, a new basketball facility with a capacity of 14,000, opened near the new campus. [13] As the facilities continued to expand, the University researched ways to facilitate transportation of its growing student population across the split campuses and to solve its worsening traffic congestion. The resulting Personal Rapid Transit system opened in 1973 as the first automated rapid transit system in the world. [16]
The student population continued to grow in the late seventies, reaching 22,000. With no room for growth on the downtown campus, the football stadium was closed, and the new Mountaineer Field was opened near the Medical campus on September 6, 1980. [12] After an $8 million donation to the University, Ruby Memorial Hospital opened on the Medical campus in 1988, providing the state's first level-one trauma center. Early the next year, the undefeated Mountaineer football team, led by Major Harris, made it to the national championship game before losing to Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. In the 1990s, WVU developed several recreational activities for students, such as FallFest and WVU "Up All Night", a program that has gained national attention. [17] In 2001, a $34 million, 177,000-square-foot (16,400 m2) recreation facility opened on the Evansdale campus. [18]
WVU reached a new level of athletic success during the first decade of the new millennium. The football team featured a 2-0 BCS bowl record, six consecutive bowl game appearances, a #1 ranking in the USA Today Coaches Poll, three consecutive 11-win seasons amassing a 33–5 record, 41 consecutive weeks in the top 25, and 4 conference championships. [19] [20] The men's basketball team won the 2007 NIT Championship, the 2010 Big East championship, and made several appearances in the NCAA tournament including 4 sweet-sixteen and 2 elite-eight appearances, along with a final-four appearance in 2010. [21] [22] The athletic successes brought the University a new level of national exposure, and enrollment has since increased to nearly 30,000 students. [23]
West Virginia University's first president was Rev. Alexander Martin. He was a Methodist minister from Scotland who served from the founding of the school in 1867 until 1875.
On April 13, 2007, the Board of Governors voted 16–1 to elect Morgantown attorney Michael Garrison to succeed David Hardesty as the University's president. [24] The Faculty Senate voted to work with Garrison but approved a vote of no confidence in the search. [25]
Garrison's early initiatives, including move forward to build a campus child care center after three decades of discussion on the subject and working with the Board of Governors to approve the largest salary increase since 1993 won him praise from many faculty and staff members. [26] The Chronicle of Higher Education [27] and Inside Higher Ed [28] profiled him as an example of a trend toward non-traditional university presidents.
In June 2008 Garrison announced plans to resign in September 2008. According to The Washington Post, Garrison sought to "end a scandal stemming from the university's awarding of an unearned degree to the governor's daughter." [29] C. Peter McGrath was named interim president in August 2008. [30]
James P. Clements became WVU's 23rd president on June 30, 2009. He previously served as provost at Towson University. [31]
On September 16, 2009 Michele G. Wheatly was named Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. [32]
Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Monongahela River. The largest city in North-Central West Virginia, Morgantown is best known as the home of West Virginia University. The population was 30,712 at the 2020 census. The city serves as the anchor of the Morgantown metropolitan area, which had a population of 138,176 in 2020.
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser, and a second clinical campus for the university's medical and dental schools at Charleston Area Medical Center in Charleston. WVU Extension Service provides outreach with offices in all of West Virginia's 55 counties.
Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit is a personal rapid transit (PRT) system in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. The system connects the three Morgantown campuses of West Virginia University (WVU) and the city's downtown area.
The WVU Coliseum is a 14,000-seat multi-purpose arena located on the Evansdale campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The circular arena features a poured concrete roof. It was built with state funds and replaced the WVU Fieldhouse, which seated 6,000.
The Backyard Brawl is an American college football rivalry between the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the West Virginia University Mountaineers. The term "Backyard Brawl" has also been used to refer to college basketball games played annually or semi-annually and may also be used to refer to other athletic competitions between the two schools. It is a registered trademark for both universities, and refers to the close proximity of the two universities, separated by 75 miles (105 km) along Interstate 79.
The Daily Athenaeum is the official student newspaper at West Virginia University. Founded in 1887, the paper draws students from all disciplines to contribute original content for publication. It is editorially independent from the university, and also does not have a faculty adviser. The DA is distributed at various locations on campus, as well as around Morgantown, West Virginia, in restaurants and businesses. Content is also available online via its website. News, Sports and special features reported in the DA have regularly been picked up and covered in many national newspapers as well as network news organizations.
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams that represent West Virginia University, an American university located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I. The Mountaineers have been a member of the Big 12 Conference since 2012. At that time, the Mountaineers joined the Mid-American Conference as an affiliate member for men's soccer. The two major sports at the university are football and basketball, although many of the other sports have large followings as well.
Frederick Appleton Schaus was an American basketball player, head coach and athletic director for the West Virginia University Mountaineers, player for the National Basketball Association's Fort Wayne Pistons and New York Knicks, general manager and head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, head coach of Purdue University basketball, and a member of the NCAA Basketball Committee. He was born in Newark, Ohio.
Stansbury Hall was a building on the Downtown Campus of West Virginia University. It was named after Harry Stansbury, a former WVU Athletic Director. Opened in 1929 as the WVU Field House, just to the southwest of "Old" Mountaineer Field, this was the home of WVU basketball until 1970, when the WVU Coliseum was opened. This was the home floor during the days of Hot Rod Hundley and Jerry West. It hosted the Southern Conference men's basketball tournament in 1953. While the home venue of WVU basketball, the team compiled a record of 370–81 (.820) when playing there. In October 1973, it was renamed to honor Stansbury.
Mountaineer Field, known as the "Jewel of the Mountains", was a football stadium located in downtown Morgantown, West Virginia. It was the home of the West Virginia Mountaineers football team.
The Friends of Coal Bowl is the name given to the Marshall–West Virginia football rivalry. It is an American college football rivalry game played by the Marshall Thundering Herd football team of Marshall University and the West Virginia Mountaineers football team of the West Virginia University. The game was sponsored by the Friends of Coal, a coal industry trade group. Planned to be a seven-year series, the Friends of Coal Bowl was organized by the West Virginia Coal Association at the urging of West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin.
The West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represents West Virginia University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. WVU has won 13 conference tournament championships, and has 29 appearances in the NCAA tournament, including two Final Fours, most recently in 2010. The Mountaineers have also appeared in 16 National Invitation Tournaments, and have won two championships, in 1942 and 2007.
The West Virginia University Libraries at West Virginia University consist of seven individual libraries located on various WVU campuses. The Downtown Campus library is on the WVU Downtown Campus. The Evansdale Library is located on the WVU's Evansdale campus. The Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Library is located on WVU's Medical Campus. The George R. Farmer, Jr. Law Library is located on WVU's Law Campus. The West Virginia & Regional History Center is located on the Downtown Campus inside the Wise Library. Libraries not on the WVU campus include the Mary F. Shipper Library at Potomac State College in Keyser and the Beckley Library at the WVU Institute of Technology.
The West Virginia Mountaineer is the official mascot of West Virginia University (WVU). Selected annually since the 1930s from the university’s student body, the mascot is a popular tradition at the school. The Mountaineer appears in a buckskin costume at West Virginia Mountaineers football games, men's and women's basketball matches, and other University-sponsored events.
The WVU Reed College of Media is one of the sixteen colleges and schools at West Virginia University, located in Morgantown, West Virginia. It is currently housed in Martin Hall.
The Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic is the name of the in-state rivalry between the Marshall University and West Virginia University basketball teams, the Marshall Thundering Herd and West Virginia Mountaineers. Chesapeake Energy is the title sponsor of the game. The game was last played during the 2015–2016 season and no further games are currently scheduled.
Rogers House is a historic home located at Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. It was originally built about 1857 and is one of the last remaining residences from this time period in downtown Morgantown. The building is a two-story, five bay brick and wood frame dwelling in the Classical Revival style. The original section of the house is in brick, whereas the addition, designed by noted Morgantown architect Elmer F. Jacobs and built in 1905-1906 is wood frame. Jacobs is also responsible for the interior design. It sits on a rough-faced coursed ashlar stone foundation. It features a front porch with four sets of triple wooden, Tuscan order columns. It was the home of the Rogers family, pioneer settlers of Morgantown. It has been the home of West Virginia University's Campus Ministry Center since 1984. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It is located in the Downtown Morgantown Historic District, listed in 1996.
Woodburn Circle, also known as W.V.U. Quadrangle, is part of the downtown campus of West Virginia University; it's located at Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. The circle, in reality a quadrangle grouped around an oval path, is a historic and distinctive architectural assembly of three collegiate buildings, which evolved in the late nineteenth century. In chronological order these are Martin Hall, Woodburn Hall and Chitwood Hall. However, it's the largest of the buildings, Woodburn Hall, that is best known and a symbol of the university.
Chelsea Jean Malone is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Morgantown, West Virginia, who was crowned Miss West Virginia 2015. She competed for the Miss America 2016 title in September 2015 and placed in the Top 15.
The 2006–07 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represented West Virginia University from Morgantown, West Virginia in the 2006-07 season. After impressive finishes in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight the last two years, the Mountaineers seemed poised to improve on those last two seasons, opening with a 10-1 nonconference schedule. Only to post a 9-7 in Big East conference play, placing 7th. After a loss in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament, the Mountaineers would accept an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament, where they would win the championship. Following the season, coach John Beilein would depart to become the next head coach at Michigan. Beilein would be replaced by current WVU coach Bob Huggins.