December 1999
Grant guidelines
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Major GrantsMajor grants have a budget request of over $1,500. Applicants should allow ten weeks between the deadline and the start of the project. Maximum award: $20,000 MinigrantsMinigrants have a budget request of $1,500 or less. Most proposals in this category are for smaller projects, single events, consultation needs, and planning for more complex projects. Applicants should allow six weeks between the deadline and the start of the project. Requests from schools for grants under $500 will be referred to the West Virginia Education Alliance. Media GrantsMedia grants of over $1,500 are available to support the planning, scripting, and production phases of projects intended to produce electronic or film materials, or a newspaper series. Media grants have supplemental guidelines; call the Council for a copy. Maximum award: $20,000 FellowshipsFellowships of up to $2,500 are awarded on an annual basis to humanities scholars to provide support for individual research within a humanities discipline. This program provides opportunities for advanced study that will enhance scholars' capacities as teachers or interpreters of the humanities. Fellowship grants have supplemental guidelines; call the Council office for a copy
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FIrst Lady Hovah Underwood visited us at the
HubbardHouse the Thursday before Thanksgiving. It turned out to be the
first cold day of the season, and we entertained her as best we could in
the unheated old mansion on Kanawha Boulevard in Charleston. She had her
mittens, fortunately, and saw every chilly corner before heading back to
the front parlor for cookies and cider.
We had set up a couple of electric heaters there, and Mrs. Underwood was gracious enough not to chuckle as one of us slipped out to the fuse box each time a circuit blew. Not surprisingly, the talk turned toward heating systems, and the First Lady had suggestions from her own experience as a Huntington home owner. It reminded me of the much warmer day when National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Bill Ferris toured our old house and offered advice on air conditioning gained from a renovation project in his native Mississippi. All of which is to say that we have some pretty important people taking a serious, practical interest in our big preservation project. The Hubbard House, as most of our friends now know, is the future home of the humanities in West Virginia. We acquired the 1836 house in May, and board president Joe Jefferds hosted a gala lawn party there in June. We outlined our renovation plans at that time. After six months, things are well underway. The architectural planning is done, with all necessary zoning changes, permits and approvals. The first contractor settled in after Labor Day to make structural repairs and bring the first floor up to commercial load requirements. An impressive reinforcement system is now tucked under the house, designed by engineer-historian Emory Kemp, a member of our board and WVU professor emeritus. We thank the State Historic Preservation Office, which helped to finance this vital first step. Now the main job begins. Seven firms submitted bids, and our executive committee hired Allegheny Restorations of Beckley and Morgantown as general contractor. They and their subcontractors will re-do the Hubbard House top to bottom, inside and out, including new wiring, with computer, fax and modem cabling; central heating and cooling; interior and exterior painting; handicapped access throughout the public areas; and all necessary modifications for the fire code. Our antebellum house will have a new millennium infrastructure by the time it’s over. And yes, it will be expensive. We have raised over $500,000 so far, including a $150,000 NEH challenge grant. That's more than half of what we need. I’m one to think of a glass as half full rather than half empty, but I am soberly aware of the work yet to be done. Please help, if you haven’t already. Gifts of any size are appreciated, and some carry very considerable tax advantages. At the lawn party we invited everyone back next June to see the finished product. That invitation still holds, as it seems very likely that the old house will be renewed and ready for public inspection by West Virginia Day 2000. Watch for details, and do plan to join us. E-mail Ken Sullivan
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Board member Betty Chilton was one of the
first of us to read Tom Wolfe's A Man in Full, and said she
laughed aloud in reading the epic tale of things gone wrong in the New
South. Executive director Ken Sullivan waited for the softcover version,
figuring he'd smother himself if he dozed off reading the 800-page
hardback in bed. Ken was mostly finished when People & Mountains
went to press. He loves the book as he did Wolfe's most recent previous
novel, The Bonfire of the Vanities. Wolfe reminds him of a
latter-day Dickens, in the sweep and scope of his novels, the pointed
social criticism, and the lush, over-the-top writing style.
Another paperback book has been circulating in the Council office, How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill. Both Bob Herrick and Jane Siers loved this very readable history of Celtic Christianity and its importance to the preservation of early Christian traditions after the fall of Rome. We hope to bring in Cahill, who more recently authored Gift of the Jews, as a Council speaker. The Council's recent Cornucopia of Books was a big, big success in bringing children's authors and illustrators together with the reading public in the Northern Panhandle. Cheryl Harshman and board member Marc Harshman, both children's writers themselves, were prime movers in this project funded by Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel. Marc's latest book, All the Way to Morning, was just published by Marshall Cavendish Corporation. E-mail Jane Siers (editor)
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Opening the Door to Our Future--
Council's Annual Report to the People
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From the President It has been a pleasure to serve as presidentduring 1999, the 25th anniversary of the West Virginia Humanities Council. Over the years our mision has remained the same, to support the humanities within West Virginia. Growth and progress were hallmarks of the anniversary year. The year's biggest news was our board's decision to acquire a permanent home by purchasing Charleston's historic Hubbard House. After more than a year of discussion of our needs and objectives, the Council, in May, bought the house. Our plans to preserve the character of the building were announced at a lawn party in June, and construction began just after Labor Day. Fundraising has proceeded simulatneously, with more than half of our goal reached at this writing. Acquisition of the Hubbard House will preserve a beautiful historic structure that otherwise might have been lost, and I think it will be a transforming change for the Council. The house will raise our profile, affording enhanced visibility of the place of the humanities among our state insitutions. It will permit in-house programming consistent with our mission. Other highlights of the year included a visit from National Endowment for the Humanities chairman Bill Ferris in October. His speech was preceded by a reception at the governor's mansion, hosted by Governor and Mrs. Underwood. We are enthusiastically engaged in an NEH-encouraged "self study" which documents our past, our present, and our plans for the future. We remain grateful for the strong support of the people of West Virginia, through individual donations of time and money; through their legislature, which has funded much of our efforts; through our governor, who has been a strong advocate; and through our representatives in Washington, who have strongly supported the NEH. Joseph C. Jefferds, Jr. From the Executive DirectorThe West Virginia Humanities Council observed its silver anniversary in 1999, a milestone marking 25 years of work to provide life-long humanities opportunities to the citizens of the Mountain State. The anniversary year culminated in a visit by William Ferris, chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, who delivered the annual McCreight Lecture in the Humanities on October 14. The Humanities Council offers grants and fellowships, awarded on a competitive basis, and manages its own direct programs. Grants funds are provided by the NEH, while other Council programs are funded from a variety of sources within state government and the private sector. The Humanities Council is a private, nonprofit corporation governed by a 27-member board. Our Council, one of 56 representing American states, territories, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is an active member of the Federation of State Humanities Councils. The Council was formed in 1974 as the Committee on the Humanities and Public Policy (CHAPP), with a mission to encourage the use of the humanities by out-of-school adults in considering issues of public policy. This was accomplished through regranting NEH funds. After only a few years, CHAPP sought a broader role and became the Humanities Foundation of West Virginia, encouraging the use of the humanities in more general applications through its grants-making function, but still serving only adult audiences. In the 1980s, the Foundation recognized the need to expand beyond grantsmaking to larger programs initiated and run by its own staff, sometimes in partnership with other organizations, and the need to serve primary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities. In acknowledgment of this change, the Foundation in 1990 became the West Virginia Humanities Council, providing both grants and direct programming throughout the state, and so it remains today. This report covers fiscal year 1999, the twelve months ending October 31. It was a good year for the West Virginia Humanities Council. Our anniversary found us growing and changing, as we worked to provide a permanent home for the humanities in West Virginia and to compile an authoritative state encyclopedia. The Council has greater financial resources than ever before, with commensurate challenges and opportunities. The year’s biggest undertaking was the acquisition of the historic Hubbard House, built in 1836 and now the third oldest in Charleston. The Council purchased the house in May and began restoration in late summer. The Council will restore the grounds, exterior, and first-floor formal rooms to historic standards, while adapting the upstairs and service areas for modern office use. Deed covenants secure the historic integrity of the property during ownership by the Council, which acts with the encouragement of the Kanawha Valley Historical and Preservation Society, the leading local historical association. The Council expects to move into the old mansion in mid-2000. Plans for the Hubbard House were outlined to the public at a gala lawn party on West Virginia Day in June, with 200 paying lunch guests and many others dropping in for the afternoon open house. Council president Joseph C. Jefferds, Jr., announced a $750,000 fundraising goal, half of which had been raised by the end of the fiscal year. This is the Humanities Council’s first capital campaign, and it has brought many new supporters to our organization. The Hubbard House was acquired under a strict board mandate requiring that the purchase and preservation should not infringe on Council programming resources. This was accomplished in fiscal year 1999 with an operating budget totaling $942,500, exclusive of the Hubbard House project. The 1999 budget represents a ten percent increase over the previous year, and reflects an increasingly diverse revenue base. The National Endowment for the Humanities remains the single most important source of funds, but its significance is declining relative to other sources. Support from state government increased to 32 percent in 1999, with the private sector contributing an additional 20 percent, reducing Council dependence on NEH funds to 48 percent. This is the first time the Humanities Council has drawn less than half its budget from federal sources. The change fortunately represents no loss of federal dollars but growth in other income, including an increase from $250,000 to $300,000 in funds provided by the West Virginia Secretary of Education and the Arts. Further progress toward revenue diversification is foreseen for fiscal year 2000, whose budget calls for only 43 percent federal funds and continued bottom-line growth. Long-term, the Council expects to rely in equal thirds on federal, state and private income. At the same time we are hopeful of future increases in national support for the humanities, and encouraged by signs that renewed growth in the budget of the National Endowment for the Humanities once more seems possible. Chairman Ferris in his October visit praised Senator Byrd’s leadership on this issue. Grant projects account for the largest single part of Council expenditures, with $277,000 budgeted for fiscal year 1999 and more than $288,000 actually granted. This was an increase of more than $45,000 over the previous year, or 19 percent. Sixty-nine grants were awarded statewide, chosen from among 109 applications requesting a total of $512,000. Council staff continues to work to increase grants funds available, as well as the number and quality of applications for Council grants. We understand our success to be demand-driven and believe Council access to funds will increase as creative West Virginians demand more support from the Council. The Council also operates many direct programs, administered by staff. In 1999, these included among others the popular History Alive! program; West Virginia Circuit Writers; and a ground-breaking medical ethics program done in collaboration with the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center at WVU. The West Virginia Encyclopedia, which remains our flagship effort and single largest program initiative, completed the second year of a three-year schedule. The Council invested nearly $220,000 in its direct programs in 1999, about the same as in 1998. Altogether, the programs and grants section claimed two-thirds of the total fiscal 1999 budget, including expenditures on programs and grants and attributable costs. As always, Council programs and projects varied greatly in 1999. The Council helped to send high school drama teachers to Shakespeare’s England; brought mystery novelist Sharyn McCrumb to Shepherd College and Vienna Public Library; and provided funds which will help to bring the slave ship Henrietta Marie exhibit to the State Museum, among many other projects. The Council helped to make films, radio and TV productions, and subsidized publication of a definitive book on West Virginia quilts. People & Mountains magazine, expanded in size and mission in 1999, is growing into a major program of the Council. Council funds were applied in all parts of West Virginia, and for the benefit of audiences ranging from grade school students to senior citizens. In the Mountain State, a West Virginia folklore curriculum for use in the fourth and eighth grades, was published in 1999 after several years in preparation, and arrangements were made to republish the Council’s labor history curriculum in conjunction with the West Virginia School to Work Program. The West Virginia Humanities Council ends 1999 renewed and invigorated. This was an institution-building year, with Council supporters rallying to the Hubbard House project, in particular, and many new friends joining the cause. At the same time, the Council carried its largest-ever operating budget through to successful completion. Confidently looking forward, the board of directors adopted a still larger budget for the year 2000, providing more than a million dollars in operating funds. On this basis and with a good staff and strong board leadership, the Humanities Council enters the new century optimistically, satisfied with recent progress and hopeful of the future. Ken Sullivan, Executive Director E-mail Ken Sullivan
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| West Virginia Humanities Council revenues come from a variety of sources including federal and state government and the private sector. Our private-sector support comes from leading corporations and foundations and hundreds of individual West Virginians. |
| Our budget has begun to grow again. Budgeted revenues totaled $942,500 for FY 1999, nearly $100,000 higher than recent past years, and are projected to increase by about the same amount for FY 2000. |
| The Humanities Council budget is divided
into three broad categories, with most resources going into Programs &
Grants. We administer direct programs, including History Alive!, the West
Virginia Encyclopedia, and others, from the Council offices while our
biggest single budget item consists of more than a quarter million dollars
in grants which are awarded competitively.
The Programs & Grants category includes staff costs and other expenditures directly involved in the administration of grants and direct programs. |
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Direct Programs
Harriet Tubman
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Circuit Writers The Circuit Writers program is a cooperative effort of the Humanities Council and West Virginia Writers, Inc. Together they provide West Virginia school students and the general public in communities around the state with programs and workshops by noted West Virginia authors. Humanities Council funds provide in-school programs by authors during the school day followed by a public presentation in the evening. West Virginia Writers, Inc. organizes and presents how-to workshops for aspiring writers. The programs are carried out in ten regions encompassing the state in its entirety. In 1999 the West Virginia Circuit Writers program featured such notable West Virginia authors as Denise Giardina, Gail Galloway Adams, Llewellyn McKernan, Irene McKinney, Cheryl Ware, Bonnie Proudfoot, Anna Smucker, and Cheryl and Marc Harshman. Teacher Institutes The seminar, Updating Shakespeare: Text, Context, Stage & Film was taught by Dr. David Wohl, professor of communications at West Virginia State College, and Dr. Joyce East, professor of humanities, Marshall University Graduate College. While there teachers experienced Shakespeare's plays through workshops, guest lectures, and performances by the world's leading theatre companies in London and Stratford-upon-Avon, including a visit to a replica of the famous Globe Theatre. History Alive! Typical performances include a monologue by the character followed by a question and answer period with the scholar responding as the historical figure. The scholar then breaks character to answer questions as him or herself, based on the extensive research done into the life and work of the historical figure. McCreight Lecture
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Teachers'
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The Humanities Council
invites teachers to apply for the year 2000 Teacher Institutes.
Room, board, and books are provided at no cost. Graduate credits and
continuing education hours are available. Application deadline is
April 1, 2000. Limited space!
Appalachian Culture:
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A Kid's-eye
View
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What do an African-American dentist, a
retired white female school librarian, and more than a dozen junior high school students have in common? They have all lived, worked, or attended school in Charleston's East End. And they, along with others in the city, are working together to preserve the area's unique past through an oral history project funded in part by the West Virginia Humanities Council. The brain child of Charleston residents Dr. Ancella Bickley, Julie Pratt, and Arla Ralston, project activities began with a trolley tour of Charleston's East End for the junior high students. Guided by Charleston historians Richard Andre and Jaime Lynch, the students got a feel for the history of the area as they stopped at various landmarks.
The following week the students were introduced to the adults who would share their experiences as long-time residents of the area. This exchange took place at an afternoon tea hosted by the parishioners of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, a 107-year-old East End structure. Project organizers were a little anxious. The kids involved were already committed to the project, of course. And publicity had gone out. But how many East End residents would be willing to spend an afternoon talking with the kids? And the weather wasn't cooperating either. It was a cold and rainy fall day, just the kind on which East End residents—many of them elderly—might prefer to stay in beside a warm fire. But the room quickly filled with adults more than ready to tell their stories to the interested students. In a process reminiscent of summer camp "get acquainted" exercises, students and adults were instructed to intermingle, sitting with people they didn't already know. Almost before the three directors could explain the project, the stories began to unfold. An elderly man remembered watching the first capitol burn in 1921. He was a small boy on his way to the farmers' market to pick up groceries for his mother. He recalled for the group that he "never got past Dickinson Street." The way was blocked by firemen and crowds of onlookers. One woman recalled the line of people snaking down the sidewalk in front of the "Bagel Lady's" house every Sunday morning, the air redolent with the aroma of warm bagels. The Bagel Lady was a Russian immigrant who baked the then exotic bread stuffs and sold them every Sunday from her East End home. Another woman interjected that the Bagel Lady had been her own mother-in-law, a widow whose sole income was earned using her baking skills. Around one table sat members of "The Seneca Club." The men had formed the club as boys living in the East End and had continued to meet as adults. Another man recalled his father's stories of the exploits of another East End boys' group, "The Slimey Tribe." ( *see article below)The students listened intently, taking notes for use in writing the play that will be the end result of this exchange of stories. This was the first of many meetings between the two groups before the play is finished and performed in early 2000. If all their interactions are as enthusiastic and fruitful as this one, the resulting work will be sure to capture the spirit of one of Charleston's oldest neighborhoods. * The Slimey TribeImagine a gang of boys in caps and knickers prowling the Charleston countryside (yes, countryside) in the early part of this century. Their headquarters is a lean-to in the swamps beyond Jackson Street, an area they call "The Sling Prong Patch," perhaps after the cattails growing there which they use as spears. The boys are residents of the city's East End, their gang The Slimey Tribe. Lifelong Charleston resident Harry Wallace, III remembers his father (Harry, Jr.) telling tales of his youthful days with the Tribe. "Dad was a great storyteller," says Wallace, "much of it out of the blue." But The Slimey Tribe was real. Theirs was not the urban jungle of today's youth. "They were always outdoors," says Wallace. When not exploring The Sling Prong Patch the boys might be found riding the wake of large boats on the Kanawha in their Maine-made canoes or hunting and trapping the fields and forests near their East End homes. Although their pranks held no malice and their adventures were the stuff of youthful high spirits and imagination, then as now careless fun sometimes resulted in danger, or even tragedy. Wallace remembers his father's assertion that one of the Tribe once saved his life when he pulled him from the icy river after his canoe overturned, thawing him out by a bonfire built on the riverbank. And one member of the Tribe died before the horrified eyes of his friends—killed by the accidental discharge of one of the guns the boys used for hunting. His mother invited the remaining Tribe members to her home regularly for tea and to remember their friend. It was a different time—a time East Enders recollect fondly. |
Looking for a Few Good Members
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The West Virginia Humanities Council is
governed by a board of directors, whose members represent all regions of
the Mountain State. Our board renews itself each spring, adding several
new members to replace those who are retiring at the end of their terms
of service.
We welcome your input to this important process. Nominees should show commitment to the humanities or accomplishment in a particular humanities field. Please send your recommendations, with as much biographical information as possible to the Board Nominating Committee at the Council or by FAX to (304) 346-8504 or via e-mail to wvhuman@wvhc.com. The current membership is listed below. The Humanities Council is committed to diversity among its board members, and to a wide geographic distribution of members. UNDERWRITER — $3,000 and above Bell Atlantic-West Virginia Bernard McDonough Foundation Columbia Natural Resources John Deaver Drinko Academy Bernard H. & Blanche E. Jacobson Foundation Union Carbide Foundation United Bankshares Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation BENEFACTOR — $1,000 to 2,999 ARCH Coal, Inc. Charleston Gazette Columbia Natural Resources First National Bank of Ronceverte & Lewisburg Jefferds Corporation Ruby Newman-Peck Leslie & Robert Nutting PATRON — $500 to 999 Don Bryant, Inc. S. Allen Chambers Martha & Rudolph DiTrapano The General Lewis Inn Clifford P. Hackett in memory of Beatrice Hackett Mary Price Ratrie Joseph & Lea Sakach Stephen Tanner Sally L. D. Todd SUSTAINER — $250 to 499 Allegheny Power Fred & Sandra Barkey Tom & Nancy Bulla Dr. Robert Conte John & Mary Virginia De Roo Dr. Robert Frey Dr. David & Mary McJunkin Gray Judge Elizabeth Hallanan Henry Harmon Mary Helen Hedges James & Law Textbook Depository J.C. Jefferds, Jr. Nancy Porter Jones Dr. & Mrs. Steven Jubelirer Gladys Knapp Carl & Marion Lehman Beverly McBride Robert & Tia McMillan Mary Noel & James Morgan Sarah M. Nicholas M/M R.J. Payne Dr. James W. Rowley Anne Selinger Regina Skaggs Jane Siers Jennifer Soule & Glade Little Ken Sullivan SPONSOR — $100 to 249 A.S. Thomas Memorial Fund The Art Store, Inc. Tim Alderman Anna & Kenneth Bailey M/M Edgar O. Barrett Dr. Marcella Barton Phillip Booth Stephen L. Brown Gina Busch & Edward H. Tiley, III Ed Cabbell Gloria Callen Jones Dr. Marshall Carper Elizabeth Chilton Buckner Clay Louis & Bertie Cohen Richard & Anne Conway Lakin Cook Dr. & Mrs. W.E. Crockett Frank D'Abreo & LaRee Naviaux John E. Dawson, II Jean Emch Thad & Helen Epps Theodore Farrish Mildred Fizer Bruce C. Flack Fortune Personnel Consultants Daniel Foster M/M Rodney Frye Dr. Ronald Garay Good Living Dick & Joanette Gould Sandy Graff Greenbrier Historical Society Charles & Priscilla H. Haden Gloria M. Hammack Marc & Cheryl Harshman Chris Hedges Mary Helen Hedges Cecil & Barbara Highland Dr. Donald H. Hofreuter M/M William Hogan Mary Beth Hughes Howard Illig John & Kathleen Jacobs J. Clair & Elsie M. Jarvis Theodore Jeffries in memory of Mason E. Jeffries Dolores Johnson Franklin Johnston Ruth Jones M/M L.E. Kahle Jack Kaplan & Marian Macsai Kapourales Enterprises Emory & Janet Kemp Bil & Paula Lepp Christine H. Lilly Michael E. Long Eleanor MacLean Dr. Robert & Mrs. Bonnie Maddox Theresa Marlow Brooks & Barbara McCabe Robert & Sylvia McCall Madge McDaniel Edward McDevitt Helen Louise McGuffie Robert F. McWhorter Joan T. Mead Richard Merrill M/M William E. Moore, II Dr. Patricia Mulvey Dr. Harold Murphy Harold Newman Ernie Dotson Patricia W. Doumaux M/M W.M. Drennen, Jr. East End Electric Drs. N.B. & Joyce East Linda Elliott Michael Ellis Philip Faini Jack & Peggy Feller Jane Ferrell Josephine Fidler Dan B. Fleming Beverly B. Fluty Nancy Francis Dr. & Mrs. Paul Francke Elizabeth Franzheim Walter & Kitty Frazier Peter L. Freeman William French Maureen & Si Galperin B.J. Garner Naomi Garrett Samme Gee Mary Alice Gentry Phyllis Gibson M/M Peter Godfrey James & Emmy Lou Gooch Daniel E. & Kellie K. Gooding Anna Gray Greenbrier Historical Society Jane A. Grishaber Leonard & Louise Gross Nancy Gunnoe Sandra Gunther Charles & Priscilla H. Haden Hedda Haning Olga S. Hardman M/M John Harman Susan Harshbarger Coleman Hatfield Lou Anne Hawkins Evelyn K. Hazen Billie Hensley M/M William Herrick Betty Herscher M/M R.C. Hieronymus Charles & Augusta High Mrs. Wilson E. Hoge Dr. Arthur & Jolanda Holmes Bernice T. Hosey Martha C. Howard Grace S. Hudson Ron & Mary Huiatt Jane Humphrey Nancy Humphreys Carolyn Hunter Joseph & Ann Hutchison M/M D.A. Hutchison David Ice Debby Jackson Lucia James Sue Ellen Johnson Katie & Don Jones Beth Bean Judy Sue Julian & Diane Reese Jeanette H. Keeney Mike Kelly Emory & Janet Kemp Elizabeth Kenna Jim & Susan Keresztury David King Rev. Beverly Kinraide Dr. Michael & Carrie Nobel Kline Gerry Kohler Peggy Kourey Ida Kramer Arthur & Kitty Kroner Jim Laise John P. Lambertson, III & Katherine B. Aaslestad Karen Larry Robert Lawson Hattie & Everett Leggett John Leland John G. & Sally A. Lepp Thomas & Pamela LeRose Richard Levy in memory of Bette Goldburg Levy Robert & Joyce Levy Linda Lewis John Lilly Dorothy A. Locke Kermit Long Glen & Glendine Looney Sidney Lopinsky Liz Loughran & Terry Kramer Madie Carroll House Preservation Society Sally Ward Maggard Dr. Julianne Maher Sylvia Mallory Paul D. Marshall Robert Maslowski Leora O. May Mildred J. Mazgaj Marilyn R. McCord Robert W. McCoy, Jr. Madge McDaniel Lawrence & Bea McElhinny M/M Harry L. McFarlane Dr. Stuart McGehee Moni McIntyre Lois McLean Lewis McManus Raymond McNamara William P. McNeel Mark McRoberts Margaret Meador M/M William J. Mellert Barbara Messenger Blane & Mary Anne Michael Dr. Tom Michaud Tom & Carolyn Miller Elmo & Maxine Miller Jean L. Miller Phyllis Moore Rene & Nancy Moore David Morgan M/M J.A. Welch Dr. Lynne B. Welch Uala Puckett Wells John M. Wells, Sr. West Virginia State Farm Museum Karen & Mike Whitaker Linda Wilkinson M/M Curtis B. Williams Nathan Wilson Fred H. Winterkamp William D. Wintz Caroline E. Wooddell Denis Woods & Eileen Dooley Jean E. Workman Alan & Tina Wright Beverly Wright Dr. & Mrs. J. Zeb Wright Helen Yeager Linda Yoder Rebecca Zacks- Gorsetman Food for Thought Dinner Sponsors: Charleston Marriott Hotel Columbia Natural Resources Jim & Shirley Dissen Shawn & Sarah Casey Mark & Pam Chandler Mark & AllynToor Ken & Karen Meadows Lee & Julie Robinson Buzz Products Dick & Joanette Gould Jackson & Kelly M/M David Barnette Motion Masters Guests: Andrew & Hope Altman Paul Austin John & Sheila Bayliss M/M Jim Bayliss M/M Robert Brandenburg John & Deborah Brown Tom & Nancy Bulla Dr. & Mrs. Marshall Carper Jim Casto & Norma Ciccarella Elizabeth Chilton Lyell Clay & guest Martha Confer Robert DeMott N.B. & Joyce East Jeff & Anna Emrick Lee & Mary Feinberg Roger Forman & Arla Ralston Duke & Fran Gossage Roy & Debbie Green John & Faye Griffin Sam Haddad & Betty Ireland M/M Arnold Harrison Steve & Barbara Henry Bobbie Hill Joe Jefferds Sally Jefferds M/M Tim Koontz Michael Lanza Joe & Pam LeRose Bob & Susan Maslowski John & Joan Mead Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence Minardi David & Michelle Reynolds Rita Ray Betty Risk Jim Rowley Paul & Ann Saville Dave & Peggy Schultz Chris & Sandra Smith M/M I.N. Smith, Jr. Jim & Robin Snyder Ken & Debra Sullivan Helen Tallman Elizabeth Walbridge Ron & Judy Wilkinson William & Audrey Wood |
Our Biggest Project:
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Andrew
Jackson was president when the Hubbard House was built in 1836, and West
Virginia hero Stonewall Jackson still a Lewis County schoolboy.
Charleston had been settled less than fifty years before, and remained a
county seat town of maybe 1,500 citizens. The Hubbard House survives
from that era as one of our state's historic treasures. It served until
1997 as a private residence, sheltering four Charleston families for six
generations. That era ended with the death of the heirless Elizabeth
Hubbard, and it was necessary to find another line of work for the old
mansion.
The 1999 purchase of the 1836 Hubbard House represents a transforming experience for the West Virginia Humanities Council, as well. When renovation is completed the historic structure will become the permanent home for the Humanities Council in Charleston and will provide the organization with its own programming space for the first time in its twenty-five-year history. And with the purchase of the house and three-quarter-acre lot on Kanawha Boulevard the Council began its first capital campaign, a campaign that citizens of the Kanawha Valley and the state as a whole have embraced enthusiastically. Support for the preservation project was evident at the lawn party and open house held in June. Over two hundred guests registered for lunch on the lawn and to tour the house and hear of the Council's plans for preserving the Charleston landmark. Since then support for the project has been unflagging, with over $550,000 raised in under six months. Stabilization work on the house's substructure began in September 1999 with funds from the State Historic Preservation Office and was completed in short order. The contract for the larger preservation work was put out for bid in late autumn and was awarded to Allegheny Restoration of Beckley and Morgantown, with work beginning in winter 1999. Completion is anticipated in May 2000, with another lawn party and open house planned for West Virginia Day in June 2000. E-mail Jane Siers (Campaign information) Preservation Campaign$50,000 and above The Clay Foundation J.C. Jefferds, Jr. National Endowment for the Humanities $25,000 - $49,999 Roxalana Land Co., Kanawha City Co., WV Coal Land.Co., and Kanawha Co. in memory of Roxalana Noyes Bernard H. & Blanche E. Jacobson Fdn. WV Budget Digest $10,000 - $24,999 Greater Kanawha Valley Fdn. Columbia Natural Resources Dr. & Mrs. Ward Maxson Ruby Newman-Peck WV State Historic Preservation Office $5,000 - $9,999 Bernard McDonough Foundation Tom & Nancy Bulla William Davis Henry & Joy Harmon Bobbie Hill Hellen Tallman Sally L. D. Todd Martha Wehrle $2,500 - $4,999 Nina Ratrie Peyton Ken Sullivan $1,500 - $2,499 Edward & Calvert Armbrecht Elizabeth E. Chilton in honor of Joe Jefferds, Jr. City National Bank Thad & Helen Epps Betty Kenna Joe & Pam LeRose Marshall Reynolds John Skidmore To $1,499 Lillian Alfred Mary Lee L. Allen Ruffner Alexander Al & Roberta Allison Henry Battle Murial Battle Jerry L. Beasley Elizabeth Lawton Beury Harriett Beury Mrs. Carter V. Blundon Margaret Brennan M/M James F. Brown, III S. Allen Chambers Martha Confer Susan K. Conner Richard & Anne Conway Rudolph & Martha DiTrapano Bill & Sarah Drennen Betty M. Fitzhugh Samuel Flournoy Dan Foster Alex & Caroline Franklin in memory of Cecil Hardy, Betty Brown Gardner, Betty Wellford, Jesse Brown, Susie Early, Fred Brown, Adam Burford, Charles McWhorter, and Mary Ferretti M/M Fred C. Frostick Naomi Garrett Sandra Graff Carolyn Halstead E.A. Hansbarger, Jr. Milton Harr Tom Horn Ron & Mary Huiatt David Ice Dolores Johnson Dr. Steven Jubelirer Emory Kemp Sydney Kleeman Anne Werum Lambright & Steven J. Knopp Mary Ann Lewis Peter Lydens & Linda Wright Jaime Lynch J. Davitt McAteer Betty McClung Brooks McCabe Sam & Betty McCorkle Tia McMillan Bill McNeel Joan Tyler Mead Margaret Meador Tom Michaud John & Stephanie Mitchell Dr. & Mrs. Warren Point Jean Potter Mrs. G.M.M. Ragland Dorothy Ramsey Rita Ray David Reynolds James W. Rowley Jurgen Schlunk Anne Selinger Chris & Sandra Smith M/M I.N. Smith, Jr. Jim & Robin Snyder Jennifer Soule & Glade Little Linda Tate Bill Theriault David Todd Betty Walker John M. Wells, Sr. Uala Puckett Wells Laura V. Wiik Joseph & Sue Wollenberger |
The West Virginia Encyclopedia
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The West Virginia Encyclopedia, the
biggest program of the West Virginia Humanities Council, will be the first comprehensive, one-volume West Virginia reference in many decades. The book is scheduled for publication in late 2000. As we enter the third year of this project, we look back with pride at how far we've come. The first year saw the hiring of encyclopedia staff and the development of a master topics list. Most of the work in identifying potential entries has been accomplished through meetings with interested West Virginians in Elkins, Flatwoods, Charleston, Berkeley Springs, and elsewhere. Participants included county librarians, university professors, local historians, naturalists, biologists, crafts and folklife specialists, journalists, and others. The list stands at 2,400 topics, with about half of the alphabetical essays now under assignment and most of those already written. The editorial work during year two of the project has been intensive, including researching topics, supplementary articles, and illustrations; processing and editing manuscripts; and making writing assignments. Over 300 writers from throughout West Virginia are now at work, with more being recruited. Two part-time word-processing professionals were recently added to project personnel, which already included Debby Jackson as managing editor and Cheryl Marsh as project coordinator. Council Director Ken Sullivan is editor-in-chief. Sullivan recently took part in an encyclopedia panel with National Endowment for the Humanities chairman William Ferris at a humanities conference in Denver. Board member Jerry Beasley, who attended the session, believes other state humanities councils defer to West Virginia’s leadership on this issue. The West Virginia Encyclopedia goes into production at the beginning of the new year. The Council is committed to producing an excellent volume, handsome in appearance and solid in content. We have recruited book designer Richard Hendel, who has several major reference works to his credit — The Encyclopedia of New York City and the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture among them. Fundraising is proceeding well, with nearly $240,000 of the $340,000 budget raised so far. Many West Virginia organizations and businesses support the project financially. Our biggest commitments have come from the State of West Virginia and the West Virginia Historical Education Foundation, and we have also received substantial support from other benefactors listed at left. The West Virginia Encyclopedia will include a full bibliography and index, 300 illustrations, and nearly 2,500 alphabetical topical essays. An 8,000-word history essay by Dr. Otis Rice and Dr. Stephen Brown serves as the anchor essay. Book orders are already coming in to the Humanities Council office. The new West Virginia Encyclopedia will be priced for all West Virginians, with the 1,000-page reference work to sell for well under $50. Corporate sponsors have already earmarked copies for some schools in West Virginia, the West Virginia Library Commission has ordered copies for public libraries, and Concord College has committed to a large advance order. E-mail the Encyclopedia Staff Contributors to the Encyclopedia State of West Virginia West Virginia Historical Education Foundation Bernard McDonough Foundation Columbia Natural Resources Bell Atlantic - West Virginia United Bankshares John Deaver Drinko Academy Union Carbide Foundation Bernard H. & Blanche E. Jacobson Foundation Herscher Foundation General Lewis Inn |
Your Letters
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Dear Humanities Council, I am very impressed with this curriculum! As a West Virginia storyteller, summer school instructor in social studies, and one who still promotes the West Virginia Heritage Trunk project, we can never have enough West Virginia projects, programs, or writings by Dr. Byers, Dr. Randolph, and Noel Tenney (Better known as The Hillorists). Thanks for this great work! Martha Mae Danzig Lewis County High School Weston Dear Humanities Council, I would like to thank you for the copy of the West Virginia Mountain State curriculum I received as school began. It will be used in my multi-categorical Special Education classroom with fourth and fifth graders. Teresa Roe Kellogg Elementary Huntington In the Mountain State, the Council's folklore curriculum, was distributed to West Virginia schools last fall.—ed.
Dear Humanities Council, I enjoyed the wide ranging article by S. Allen Chambers, "Architects and Architecture" in the Autumn 1999 issue of People and Mountains. However, I was rather confused by the author's identification of the Hare Krishna Palace of Gold as an example of "Indian Buddhist Architecture." How could this be? A palace dedicated to Lord Krishna built in a Buddhist style? On the face of it, it seems a rather sad confusion of two very distinct religious traditions. A mistake I am sure the Hindu occupants of the Palace didn't make when they designed and built the complex. Given the rather notorious history of this particular community, I would appreciate a clarification. I believe, if you go there, you'll find practicing Hindus, and a classic Hindu temple. Richard W. Dulee Alderson S. Allen Chambers replies: Is my face red or what!?! Mr. Dulee is correct, and it certainly sounds as if he knows his stuff. At any rate, I've always found that owning up to a legitimate mistake is the best policy. I'll stop my self-flagellation now, and I will definitely be more careful in the future. Hope all is well out your way. This has been an incredibly beautiful fall on this side of the mountains; much more intensive colors than anyone expected. It must be spectacular out in "God's Country"! S. Allen Chambers Washington, D.C. We appreciate Mr. Dulee's correction and Mr. Chambers's gracious reply. We can't add a thing to the exchange other than to note that the correction will be included when the article appears in the West Virginia Encyclopedia. And yes, it has been a spectacular fall here in God's Country!—ed. |
Thank You, Doug Goebel
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Charleston artist William D.
"Doug" Goebel recently presented the West Virginia Humanities
Council with an original pen and ink drawing of the historic 1836
Hubbard House. Goebel is well known for his depictions of famous West
Virginia landmarks.
Goebel contacted the Humanities Council in May, just after the organization purchased the historic home, offering to depict the house in his signature style. Not only was he interested in the house, but he was supportive of the Council's campaign to restore it as a working humanities center, transferring all rights to the work of art to the Council so that we can reproduce the drawing for use in the campaign. As an added touch Goebel produced a detail of the house's front door for use on note cards or other print pieces, such as the annual report cover seen at right. "We are deeply grateful to Doug for his beautiful gift, " said executive director Ken Sullivan. "It is an example of the interest the community is taking in our preservation of the Hubbard House." |
For
forms or more information, call or send E-mail to 
Whether it is a children's foreign language program in Wheeling, an
archaeological dig in Greenbrier County, a documentary of an historical
landmark, or scholarly research into the life and work of a famous
figure—through its grants and fellowships to West Virginia scholars,
the Council makes humanities projects possible across the state. Grants
were awarded in all regions in 1999, from the two panhandles to the
southern coalfields.
