Jack Robert Nuzum

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Jack Robert Nuzum (1921–1998) served several years as Circuit Judge representing Randolph County (20th Circuit) in Elkins, West Virginia from 19761991. [1] Prior to that, he was also a legislator, for Taylor County, West Virginia and then, neighboring Randolph County, West Virginia in the West Virginia Legislature as a member of the House of Delegates. [2] [3] After retirement from the judicial bench, Nuzum served as a Senior Judge for the State of West Virginia's Supreme Court System, occasionally being named to act in the place of other circuit judges when necessary. [4] For many years, Jack R. Nuzum was a law partner of former West Virginia Governor Herman G. Kump in the Elkins law firm of Kump, Kump, and Nuzum. Herman Guy Kump was the 19th Governor of the state of West Virginia. [5] [6] [7] [8]

Elkins, West Virginia City in West Virginia, United States

Elkins is a city in and the county seat of Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins, a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. The population was 7,094 at the 2010 census. Elkins is home to Davis and Elkins College and to the Mountain State Forest Festival, held in early October every year.

Taylor County, West Virginia County in the United States

Taylor County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,895. Its county seat is Grafton. The county was formed in 1844. and named for Senator John Taylor of Caroline.

Randolph County, West Virginia County in the United States

Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,405. Its county seat is Elkins. The county was founded in 1787 and is named for Edmund Jennings Randolph.

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Background

Nuzum was married for nearly a half century to Eldora Marie Bolyard Nuzum (1926–2004), the first female editor of a daily newspaper in West Virginia and interviewer of U.S. presidents. She served as editor of the Grafton Sentinel and was editor of The Inter-Mountain newspaper (Ogden Newspaper Chain) for many years. They had two children, Jefferson Patton Nuzum (Carrie Gould Nuzum) and Jon Cedric Nuzum (Diane Raszkowski Nuzum). Jack and Eldora Nuzum had two grandchildren, namely Lydia Ann Marie Nuzum and Derek Nuzum. [9]

Eldora Marie Bolyard Nuzum (1926–2004) was an American newspaper editor and journalist who interviewed several United States presidents. She was born in Grafton, West Virginia to Roy Everett Bolyard (1901–1983) and Georgia Ellen Deavers Bolyard (1909–1994). Nuzum started her newspaper career in the 1940s at the daily newspaper, The Grafton Sentinel. In 1946 she became editor at a young age of 20 years and served in that capacity for six years.

Eldora and Jack Nuzum were born in Grafton, West Virginia. Jack R. Nuzum was the son of Rena Henderson Rogers Nuzum (1891–1954) and John Frederick Nuzum (1886- ) and he had a half-brother, Chester F. Rogers (1913-1975). Eldora Nuzum was the daughter of Roy Everett Bolyard (1901–1983) and Georgia Ellen Deavers Bolyard (1909–1994) also of Grafton. Her siblings were Vonda Jean Bolyard Norris (Clyde Dale Norris); Robert Glen Bolyard (Jacqueline Westfall Bolyard); and Dr. Cassandra B. Whyte (William Rowland Whyte, Jr). [10]

Grafton, West Virginia City in West Virginia, United States

Grafton is a city in — and the county seat of — Taylor County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 5,164 at the 2010 census. Both of West Virginia's national cemeteries are located in Grafton. Mother's Day was founded in Grafton on May 10, 1908 and the city is home to the International Mother's Day Shrine.

Cassandra Bolyard Whyte is an American higher education administrator, teacher, and educational researcher. She is recognized for publication and leadership in the areas of higher education management, improving academic performance of students, campus planning and safety, predicting educational trends in. colleges and universities, and encouraging creativity in curriculum development. She is also experienced in helping facilitate campus architectural planning to meet educational vision and programming as well as higher education human resources management and motivation.

Service

Jack Nuzum was a Captain in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II serving in the Pacific and European Theaters and North Africa or Mediterranean Theater. He first served when it was known as the United States Army Air Corps. He flew 70 missions during his service, known as a four-engine pilot. In 1943, Jack R. Nuzum was part of the 17th Troop Carrier Squadron, 12th Air Force and 62nd Troop Carrier group [11] and was awarded an Air Medal Oak Leaf Cluster on July 16, 1943 for meritorious service in the North African Theater of Operation. A few years after his military service, Nuzum had a private pilot's license. He co-owned a small cub plane [12] and flew from the Elkins Airport to nearby destinations during the 1950s and part of the 1960s. Nuzum served as a member of the Randolph County Airport Authority and served four years on the West Virginia Aeronautics Commission.

United States Army Air Forces Aerial warfare branch of the United States army from 1941 to 1947

The United States Army Air Forces, informally known as the Air Force,or United States Army Air Force, was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army during and immediately after World War II (1939/41–1945), successor to the previous United States Army Air Corps and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force of today, one of the five uniformed military services. The AAF was a component of the United States Army, which in 1942 was divided functionally by executive order into three autonomous forces: the Army Ground Forces, the Services of Supply, and the Army Air Forces. Each of these forces had a commanding general who reported directly to the Army Chief of Staff.

United States Army Air Corps air warfare branch of the US Army from 1926 to 1941

The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service of the United States of America between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical rift developed between more traditional ground-based army personnel and those who felt that aircraft were being underutilized and that air operations were being stifled for political reasons unrelated to their effectiveness. The USAAC was renamed from the earlier United States Army Air Service on 2 July 1926, and was part of the larger United States Army. The Air Corps became the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 20 June 1941, giving it greater autonomy from the Army's middle-level command structure. During World War II, although not an administrative echelon, the Air Corps (AC) remained as one of the combat arms of the Army until 1947, when it was legally abolished by legislation establishing the Department of the Air Force.

Air Medal military decoration of the United States Military

The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, Jack Nuzum served as a member of the color guard for the West Virginia Highlanders Band. The West Virginia Highlanders were a post band of the H. W. Daniels Post No. 29, American Legion, of Elkins, West Virginia. The band, now sponsored by Davis and Elkins College, is composed of bagpipe and drum musicians who wear kilts and play music of Scotland, or highland music, in many of the festival parades in West Virginia.

Education

Jack Nuzum attended Fairmont State College and after World War II earned his Bachelor of Science degree from West Virginia University. Nuzum then received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, law degree, from West Virginia University, being credentialed by the West Virginia University College of Law in 1952. He was educated in the Taylor County, West Virginia public schools and graduated from Grafton High School. Nuzum was a member and president of the Randolph County Bar Association, and also was a member of the West Virginia Bar Association and the American Bar Association. As a lawyer, Nuzum practiced before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals (fourth circuit), the West Virginia Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court. In addition to public service, Nuzum had 24 years in private practice. [13] [14]

West Virginia University public university in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States

West Virginia University (WVU) is a public, land-grant, space-grant, research-intensive university in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Its other campuses include the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley and 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. Since 2001, WVU has been governed by the West Virginia University Board of Governors.

The West Virginia University College of Law is the professional school for the study of law at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. The law school was established in 1878 as the first professional school in the state, and remains the only law school in the state.

American Bar Association

The American Bar Association (ABA), founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation of model ethical codes related to the legal profession. The ABA has 410,000 members. Its national headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois; it also maintains a significant branch office in Washington, D.C.

Legislative work

Nuzum championed legislation in the West Virginia House of Delegates representing the Farm Block and worked with legislation for Daylight Saving Time (concept of Benjamin Franklin) as the state's determined participation in the time modification via legislation, prior to national time standardization efforts. [15] [16] Nuzum was also instrumental in preliminary drafts that eventually impacted branch banking legislation in the state of West Virginia. [17]

West Virginia House of Delegates lower house of the West Virginia Legislature

The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates.

Notes

  1. Former Lawmaker Nuzum Dies. Morgantown Dominion-Post. Morgantown, West Virginia. March. 1998.
  2. West Virginia Legislators in Randolph County. www.wvculture.org/history/government/legislature/legislatorsrandolph.1960-1964.
  3. West Virginia Legislators in Taylor County.www.wvculture.org/history/government/legislature/legislatorstaylor.1949.
  4. Skidmore, Linda H. and Higgins, Cara. WV Press Association Honors Nuzum.The Inter-Mountain.Elkins, WV.August 8, 2009. 1-7A.
  5. "West Virginia Centinniel Celebration", Wheeling News-Register Coverage, WV Archives, Charleston, WV, August 20 and 21, 1963.
  6. Kestenbaum, Lawrence,"Nuzum, Jack R.", The Political Graveyard, www.politicalgraveyard.com (by name and geography of Taylor and Randolph County, WV), Ann Arbor, MI, 1996-2009.
  7. General Elections Returns (WV) 1962 www.sos.wv.gov/elections/historyresource/Documents/General,1962. 11.
  8. General Elections Returns (WV) 1960 www.sos.wv.gov/elections/historyresource/Documents/General,1960.21.
  9. Sullivan, Ken (ed), The West Virginia Encyclopedia, The WV Humanities Council, Charleston, WV, 2006.
  10. Skidmore, Linda H. and Higgins, Carra, "Press Association Honors Nuzum", The Inter-Mountain, Elkins, West Virginia, August 8, 2009, 1,7A.
  11. Bramble, Robert,"Roster -Officers - Secret - 17th Troop Carrier Squadron, 64th Troop Carrier Group", A.P.O. 760, New York, New York.
  12. Bowers, Peter M. (1993). Piper Cubs. McGraw Hill. ISBN   0-8306-2170-9
  13. Former Lawmaker Nuzum Dies. Morgantown Dominion-Post. Morgantown, West Virginia. March. 1998.
  14. "Retired Circuit Judge, Legislator Jack Nuzum Dies" The Inter-Mountain. Ogden Newspapers, Elkins, West Virginia, March 5, 1998. 1,7.
  15. Bartlely, Ian, and Harrison, Elizabeth, "Standard and Daylight-Saving Time", Scientific American, May 1979 (Vol.240, No.5), 46-53.
  16. United Press International (UPI) Release (1963) "Legislature Gets Bill on Time in State", The Cumberland Times, Cumberland, January 11, WV, 5.
  17. Fannon, Donald F. 1963."Legislative Hearlings Likely on Branch Bank Measure". Raleigh Register. January 16. 6.

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