Mountaineer Boys State

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Mountaineer Boys State
American Legion Mountaineer Boys State
Photo from first year of the program, 1936 1936 Annual Mountaineer Boys State (cropped, no watermark).png
Photo from first year of the program, 1936
AbbreviationMBS, ALMBS
Formation1936
Founded at Jackson's Mill, WV, USA
PurposeTo teach good government through participation
Region
West Virginia
Official Song:
"Men of Tomorrow" (MBS Original, 1938)
Number of Graduates:
31,649
Director:
Robbie Robinson [1]
Administrator:
Randall Kocsis [2]
Parent organization
 The American Legion
Affiliations Boys Nation [3]
Volunteers100+
Website mountaineerboysstate.org

The American Legion Mountaineer Boys State (ALMBS), also known as Mountaineer Boys State (MBS), is a West Virginia chapter of The American Legion's Boys State program, which was founded in 1936. [4] ALMBS is based in Jackson's Mill. [5] The program has paused operations four times since its founding, taking a hiatus in 1943 and 1945 due to World War II rationing [6] and from 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [6]

Notable alumni of the program include Jerry West and Bob Wise. [7] [8]

Since 1936, the program has been held at Jackson’s Mill, the historic West Virginia University 4-H campus located on the boyhood home of Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. [9]

The program has produced more than 31,000 alumni over its history and is among the longest-running Boys State programs in the nation. [10]

References

  1. ↑ "American Legion opens applications for 84th Mountaineer Boys State". WBOY.com. 16 March 2023.
  2. ↑ Neff, Kaitlyn (1 March 2018). "County commission gives support to Boys State, coal mining statue". Times West Virginian.
  3. ↑ Herald, The Putnam (13 July 2018). "Hurricane student to represent West Virginia at Boys Nation". The Associated Press.
  4. ↑ "Local students take part in American Legion Mountaineer Boys State". The Herald-Dispatch. 2022-06-12. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  5. ↑ "Department Spotlight: West Virginia's Boys State program is 80 years strong". The American Legion. 2023-06-16. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  6. 1 2 McCarthy, Jacob (2015-11-23). "Program". The American Legion Mountaineer Boys State. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  7. ↑ Administrator, ALMBS Technology (2024-06-12). "Jerry West: The Mountaineer Boys State Alum Who Became Mr. Clutch". The American Legion Mountaineer Boys State. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  8. ↑ "Department Spotlight: West Virginia's Boys State program is 80 years strong". The American Legion. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  9. ↑ "Department Spotlight: West Virginia's Boys State program is 80 years strong". The American Legion. August 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  10. ↑ "WV Boys State: They're pretty good at it". The American Legion. June 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
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