West Virginia State University (WVSU) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

historically black, land-grant university in

Institute, West Virginia Institute is an unincorporated community on the Kanawha River in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Interstate 64 and West Virginia Route 25 pass by the community, which has grown to intermingle with nearby Dunbar. As of 2018, the commu ...

. Founded in 1891 as the West Virginia Colored Institute, it is one of the original 19 land-grant colleges and universities established by the second

Morrill Act The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges in U.S. states using the proceeds from sales of federally-owned land, often obtained from indigenous tribes through treaty, cession, or s ...

of 1890, which evolved as a diverse and inclusive campus. Following desegregation, WVSU's student population slowly became more white than black. As of 2017, WVSU's student body was 75% white and only 8% African-American. The university's Gus R. Douglass Land-Grant Institute is divided into three programmatic divisions: WVSU Extension Service, WVSU Agricultural and Environmental Research Station, and The Center for the Advancement of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CASTEM). The WVSU Extension Service (1890 Extension) provides community and agricultural outreach throughout West Virginia via 4-H Youth Development, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Community and Economic Development, and Family and Consumer Sciences programs. The WVSU Agricultural and Environmental Research Station (1890 Research) focuses on Aquaculture,

Environmental Microbiology A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...

Biotechnology Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used ...

, Horticultural Crops & Production Systems,

Urban Forestry Urban forestry is the care and management of single trees and tree populations in urban settings for the purpose of improving the urban environment. Urban forestry involves both planning and management, including the programming of care and ...

Natural Resource Management Natural resource management (NRM) is the management of natural resources such as land, water, soil, plants and animals, with a particular focus on how management affects the quality of life for both present and future generations (stewardship) ...

, and Vegetable Genomics & Plant Breeding research programs. CASTEM programs encourage the state's youth to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network (STEM) fields to become engineers, scientists, researchers, teachers, and leaders.

History

WVSU is located on land once occupied by mound builder Native Americans. The British government granted the site to George Washington for his service in the British military during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

. It was subsequently sold and operated as a plantation, using enslaved labor. During the early 19th century, the son of Virginia Governor

William H. Cabell William H. Cabell (December 16, 1772January 12, 1853) was a Virginia lawyer, politician, plantation owner and judge aligned with the Democratic-Republican party. He served as Member of the Virginia House of Delegates, as Governor of Virginia, an ...

Samuel I. Cabell Samuel I. Cabell (1802 - July 18, 1865) was a wealthy Virginia plantation owner in the Kanawha River valley who may have been murdered for marrying one of his former slaves and providing for their descendants. Although seven white men were acquit ...

, moved to the

Kanawha River The Kanawha River ( ) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi (156 km) long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, its valley has been a significant industrial region of the st ...

valley and married Mary Barnes, a former slave, who bore thirteen children. He bought the property in 1853 and much to the displeasure of their white neighbors, took elaborate precautions to ensure that Mary, his wife, and their children would inherit his wealth and not be sold into slavery, including officially emancipating Mary and their then-living children in 1858. Sam Cabell was murdered shortly after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

and the creation of the state of West Virginia. Two decades later, his daughter Maria Cabell-Hurt sold some land to the new state to permit creation of the ''West Virginia Colored Institute'', since Sam's descendants and neighbors had to send their children across the Ohio River to Ohio for higher education. Sam and Mary Cabell and their children are buried on the campus; some descendants continue to live nearby.

Early history

The school was established as the West Virginia Colored Institute in 1891 under the second

, which provided for land-grant institutions for

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

students in the 17 states that had segregated schools. The school opened its doors in May 1892 and had an enrollment of over 40 students. The faculty consisted of President James Edwin Campbell,

Byrd Prillerman Byrd Prillerman (October 19, 1859April 25, 1929) was an American educator and school administrator. Prillerman was the fourth principal of the West Virginia Collegiate Institute (present-day West Virginia State University) from 1909 un ...

, and T.C. Friend. The curriculum consisted of courses in agriculture, horticulture, mechanical arts, and domestic science. Teacher education ("normal") courses were added in 1893. Military education became an integral part of the school, and in 1899 West Virginia's legislature passed a bill to admit up to 60 cadets. In 1909, African-American educator and statesman Booker T. Washington recommended his friend,

, as the institution's president. Washington had been instrumental in locating the institution in the Kanawha Valley, visited the campus often, and spoke at its first commencement. During Prillerman's 10-year administration, the school established itself as the center of black intellectual life in the state. John Warren Davis 1923

From 1891 through 1915, the school provided the equivalent of a high school education, with vocational training and teacher preparation for segregated public schools. In 1915, it became the West Virginia Collegiate Institute and began to offer college degrees. In 1919, John Warren Davis became president of the institute. A Morehouse graduate, Davis recruited highly qualified faculty and focused on curriculum development. He persuaded noted historian

Carter G. Woodson Carter Godwin Woodson (December 19, 1875April 3, 1950) was an American historian, author, journalist, and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). He was one of the first scholars to study the h ...

to assist him as academic dean. In 1927, the school was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, making it the first of 17 original black land-grant schools to be certified by a regional association and one of only four black colleges to gain such status. It also became the first public college in West Virginia to be accredited by North Central. In 1929, the name was changed to West Virginia State College. With an enrollment of 1,000 students, the college contained divisions of Applied Arts and Sciences; Languages, Literature and Fine Arts; Natural Sciences and Mathematics; and Social Sciences and Philosophy. In 1939, West Virginia State College became the first of six historically black colleges to be authorized by the

Civil Aeronautics Authority The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) was an agency of the federal government of the United States, formed in 1938 and abolished in 1985, that regulated aviation services including scheduled passenger airline serviceStringer, David H."Non-Skeds: T ...

to establish an aviation program. Benefiting from the presence of the Wertz Field airport adjacent to campus, the program prepared many African-American pilots for the U.S. Army Air Corps in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Several college aviators joined the famed 99th Fighter Squadron and

332nd Fighter Group The 332d Expeditionary Operations Group is a provisional air expeditionary group of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command, currently active. It was inactivated on 8 May 2012 and reactivated 16 November 2014. The group forms part of ...

(the

Tuskegee Airmen The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the United States Army ...

) that served with distinction in the

European Theater The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 and ending with the ...

. One of the original graduates of the aviation program, Rose Agnes Rolls Cousins, was the first African-American woman to become a solo pilot in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. During World War II, West Virginia State College was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the

V-12 Navy College Training Program The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II. Between July 1, 1943, and June 30, 1946, more than 125,000 participants were enrolled in 131 colleg ...

, which offered students a path to a Navy commission. In 1942, a college ROTC program was established as an artillery unit. The ROTC tradition continues today, and the school has claimed 15 general officers who have graduated from West Virginia State, including Major General

Charles C. Rogers Charles Calvin Rogers (September 6, 1929 – September 21, 1990) was a US Army officer and a recipient of the highest military decoration in the United States, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Vietnam War. Biography Charles Ro ...

and Major General Harvey D. Williams. In 1951 the Drain-Jordan Library opened, named in honor of librarian Leaonead Pack Drain-Bailey and Lawrence Victor Jordan.

Desegregation

West Virginia State College underwent a significant transformation under the guidance of president William J. L. Wallace. In 1954, following the ''

Brown v. Board of Education ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segrega ...

'' order to desegregate public education, and the initiation of the

G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

, the college transformed into a predominantly

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

institution. This garnered national attention. President Wallace hailed it as "a tribute to the character and courage of the people of Kanawha Valley." As a result, West Virginia State adopted the motto "A Living Laboratory of Human Relations." Enrollment substantially increased after the change in demographics. In 1957, the school lost its land grant status because the West Virginia Board of Education voted to end the state funding needed to obtain matching federal land-grant aid. Although land-grant university funding is governed by federal laws, the federal aid is conditioned upon matching state funds. Under the leadership of President Hazo W. Carter, Jr., a 12-year quest was begun to restore the land-grant designation. The first step toward regaining the status came when Gov. Gaston Caperton signed a bill on Feb. 12, 1991, that had been passed by the Legislature to recognize the land-grant status on the state level. With the advocacy of alumni, university leadership, and assistance from West Virginia's U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, the U.S. Congress fully restored land-grant status in 2001. West Virginia State is again recognized as an 1890 land-grant institution with recognition at the Federal level, along with funding to carry out its mission of teaching, research, and public service. The land-grant institution of WVSU is named the Gus R. Douglass Land-Grant Institution.

University status

In 2003, the school's

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...

, established in 1953, was separately accredited as the West Virginia State Community and Technical College but remained administratively linked to West Virginia State College. In 2008, the legislature fully separated the community and technical college. However, both schools continued to share the same campus. In 2009, the Community and Technical College went through a name change and it was announced on April 20, 2009, as Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College. In the fall of 2012, KVCTC moved its campus to

South Charleston, West Virginia South Charleston is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. It is located to the west of Charleston. The population was 13,639 at the 2020 census. South Charleston was established in 1906, but not incorporated until 1917. The ...

. In 2004, under President Carter's leadership, West Virginia State College gained University status, becoming West Virginia State University, and began to offer graduate degrees in Biotechnology and Media Studies. In the fall of 2011, WVSU began to offer a graduate degree in Law Enforcement. In the spring of 2014, WVSU began offering a graduate degree in education. Under President Brian O. Hemphill, the university set a goal to become the most student-centered research and teaching, land-grant university in West Virginia. Under President Anthony L. Jenkins, PhD, the university celebrated a historic achievement, receiving its full land-grant state match.

Leadership

After serving as interim president, Ericke S. Cage is the current and 13th president of the university, officially taking office in 2022. Past presidents of the university include: James Edwin Campbell (1892–94), John H. Hill (1894–98), James McHenry Jones (1898–1909), Byrd Prillerman (1909–19), John Warren Davis (1919–53), William J.L. Wallace (1953–73), Harold M. McNeill (1973–81), Thomas W. Cole, Jr. (1982–86), Hazo W. Carter, Jr. (1986–2012), Brian O'Harold Hemphill (2012–16), Anthony L. Jenkins (2016–20), and Nicole Pride (2020–21). . Several buildings on campus are named after them: Campbell Conference Center, Hill Hall, Jones Hall, Prillerman Hall, Davis Fine Arts Building, Wallace Hall, McNeill Facilities Building, Cole Complex, and the Dr. Hazo W. Carter Jr. Integrated Research and Extension Building and the adjacent Dr. Hazo W. and Judge Phyllis H. Carter Food and Agricultural Complex. James Edwin Campbell was a poet, free-lance writer, and mathematician from

Pomeroy, Ohio Pomeroy ( ) is a village in and the county seat of Meigs County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River 21 miles south of Athens. The population was 1,852 at the 2010 census. History Pomeroy was founded in 1804 and named for landowner Samuel ...

. Following Campbell was John H. Hill, who was a lawyer, teacher, administrator, and soldier, who oversaw the university's first commencement. He resigned to fight in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

and later returned as an instructor. James McHenry Jones was responsible for adding teacher education (a "normal" department), and is buried on campus. Before becoming the fourth president, Byrd Prillerman was a faculty member and one of those responsible for locating the school in the Kanawha Valley. During his tenure, academic programs were expanded and the institution was renamed the "West Virginia Collegiate Institute". John Warren Davis focused on recruiting the best black faculty members he could find and developing the curriculum. He persuaded noted historian

to assist him as Academic Dean. During his tenure, the school was first accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools in 1927, and became West Virginia State College in 1929. Davis is the longest-serving president, having served for thirty-four years. William James Lord Wallace's greatest challenge of his presidency came following the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 ruling, ''Brown v. Board of Education'', which declared segregated schools to be unconstitutional. Following that, the historically black West Virginia State College opened its doors to all students. Dr. Wallace not only met the challenge but set an example for the world to follow. During Harold M. McNeill's tenure, the community college component was established; a building was erected for community college programs, and Ferrell Hall and the Drain-Jordan Library were renovated. During Thomas Winston Cole, Jr.'s administration, he made several organizational changes in the institution, creating new academic divisions and establishing a planning and advancement unit. Cole left West Virginia State in 1986 to become Chancellor of the West Virginia Board of Regents. Shortly after he became the ninth president in September 1987, Dr. Hazo W. Carter, Jr. began a 12-year quest to regain the college's land-grant status that had been transferred in the 1950s. Since "State" was the only institution to have the status removed, there was no precedent for recovering it. After this status was restored, a quest then began for West Virginia State to be designated a university, which became a reality in 2004; he became the first president to serve under the "university" status. These achievements, accompanied by two highly successful accreditation's by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the addition of graduate programs, highlight his administration. In August 2011, the faculty voted no confidence in Carter's leadership, and Carter retired on June 30, 2012. He then became president emeritus until his death in February 2014. Under the leadership of Dr. Anthony L. Jenkins, WVSU expanded its outreach and public service to all 55 counties throughout WV, increased academic program offerings to include Engineering and Nursing, increased retention and dual enrollment course offerings. Just less than one year as president, Dr. Nicole Pride, the university's 12th president who was also the first female president of WVSU, resigned following controversy. Her cabinet called for her termination due to allegations of a hostile work environment under her leadership. A vote of "no confidence" was taken and the Board of Governors unanimously accepted her resignation letter.

Other

East Hall and the Canty House, home of "Colonel"

James M. Canty James Munroe Canty (December 23, 1865February 16, 1964) was an American educator, school administrator, and businessperson. Canty was an acting principal of the West Virginia State University, West Virginia Colored Institute (present-day West V ...

, were listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1988. WVSU's

Fall Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southe ...

and Spring Commencement Ceremonies were held in December and May, respectively, at the

Charleston Civic Center The Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center (originally known as Charleston Civic Center) is a municipal complex located in the downtown area of Charleston, West Virginia, United States. Originally completed in 1958, it consists of four main co ...

in Charleston. Until 2009, WVSU and WVSCTC had joint commencement ceremonies. To cut back on spending, WVSU now holds its commencement ceremonies on campus. Until the completion of the new convocation center, the December commencement was held in the P.A. Williams Auditorium of Ferrell Hall, while the May commencement was either on the large lawn in the center of campus (also called the quad), or in the P.A. Williams Auditorium, pending weather. Commencements are now held in the D. Stephen and Diane H. Walker Convocation Center (Walker Convocation Center for short), a new addition/renovation to Fleming Hall. The Spring 2014 commencement was the first commencement held in the Walker Convocation Center.

Student activities

Athletics

The athletic teams are known as the Yellow Jackets. WVSU athletic teams include men's football, baseball, basketball, golf, and tennis, and women's basketball, golf, softball, tennis, volleyball and soccer. During the segregation era, the school competed in athletics as "West Virginia" and played other segregated schools as a member of the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association. After desegregation, the school withdrew from the CIAA (today's

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. CIAA institutions mostly consist of historically black coll ...

) and competed as "West Virginia State" to avoid confusion with

West Virginia University 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 Coll ...

. The school then moved to the formerly all-white

West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) was a collegiate athletic conference which historically operated exclusively in the state of West Virginia, but briefly had one Kentucky member in its early years, and expanded into Pe ...

(WVIAC), which competed in the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

's Division II. After the dissolution of the WVIAC, WVSU joined the new Mountain East Conference in 2013, which is also part of NCAA Division II. WVSU's main rivals include

University of Charleston The University of Charleston (UC) is a private non-profit university with its main campus in Charleston, West Virginia. The university also has a location in Beckley, West Virginia, known as UC-Beckley. History The school was founded in 1888 as ...

(WV), Central State University (OH), and Kentucky State University. During the segregation era, black high schools were barred from competition in the

West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC, but colloquially referred to as SSAC) is the main governing body of high school sports, cheerleading, and marching bands in West Virginia, United States. For sports other than basket ...

, and State therefore sponsored an unofficial "state colored championship" from 1932 to 1959.

Music

WVSU's Music Department is housed in the College of Arts and Humanities. Currently, WVSU offers two undergraduate degrees in music, a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Performance, as well as a music minor.

Instrumental ensembles

In the mid-late 1990s, the band saw a period of resurgence under the direction of Chris Card. From 1995 until 2000, the band had an enrollment of between 35 and 50 members. Many of the members during this time period were scholarship recipients, and the band often contained 5-10 veterans or active members of Drum Corps International. The band was known for its small size and huge sound. The band marches in a "corps-style" fashion, the only band of its type at an HBCU, as most have a "show-style" band. The band tries to do a different marching show at every home football game, with the exception of homecoming. The Yellow Jacket Marching Band, also known as the "Marching Swarm", performs in one parade unless invited to others: the WVSU Homecoming Parade. In 2018, the band performed in Welch, WV's 100th Veteran's Day Parade, the longest ongoing Veteran's Day parade in the nation. The band has also played for the president's "State of the University Address", the Founder's Day ceremony, and annually for WVSU's ROTC Hall of Fame Ceremony. They have served as the exhibition band at high school marching band festivals, including Nicholas County's Mountain Band Spectacular (2008–2010), Poca High School's Heritage Day Festival in Poca (2009–2016, 2018), the 2013 WV Marching Band Invitational in Charleston, the 2015 Sissonville High School Cavalcade of Bands Band Festival in Sissonville, and the Boone County Coal Classic, hosted by Scott High School in Madison (2018–2019). On October 12, 2013, WVSU, in co-sponsorship with the St. Albans High School Music Department, hosted the Cavalcade of Bands Southwest Regional Band Festival, and hosted it again in 2014. In 2008, the band was invited to go to Chicago with the football team for the Chicago Football Classic to participate in the Battle of the Bands competition; the only competition the band has competed in. The Wind Ensemble has performed at WVSU's commencement ceremonies. Students of the Advanced Conducting studio may also conduct on a concert. The Advanced Conducting studio is a unique feature of WVSU as not many colleges offer it at the undergraduate level. In the spring of 2015, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble performed at The Hamilton in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

for the simultaneous events of D.C.'s 153rd Emancipation Day Celebrations and the 150th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's Assassination. Established in fall 2015, WVSU offers a chamber orchestra, named the West Virginia State Philharmonic Orchestra (WVSPO, formerly Charleston Chamber Orchestra), under the baton of Dr. Scott E. Woodard. On their debut concert, the ensemble performed a world premiere of a piece by local composer Matthew Jackfert. In June 2018, the orchestra performed in Carnegie Hall in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

as part of the Viennese Masters Orchestra Invitational, hosted by Music Celebrations International (MCI), followed by a performance at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

in D.C. in February 2019 for MCI's Capital Orchestra Festival. The WVSPO were set to tour in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

as part of a

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

festival in the summer of 2020, also as part of MCI, but it was rescheduled to 2021 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

; however, the 2021 date also fell through due to the ongoing pandemic. The Jazz Ensemble performs for various events on and off campus. In November 2007, the Jazz Ensemble traveled to Austria to perform in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Graz, and

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label= Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...

. On April 12 and 13, 2012, the Jazz Ensemble played two concerts for Washington, D.C.'s 150th Emancipation Day celebrations at the Lincoln Theatre. The April 12 concert featured the WVSU Jazz Ensemble and saxophonist Brian Lenair while the April 13th concert additionally featured a comedy show by famed comedian,

Dick Gregory Richard Claxton Gregory (October 12, 1932 – August 19, 2017) was an American comedian, civil rights leader, business owner and entrepreneur, and vegetarian activist. His writings were best sellers. Gregory became popular among the Afric ...

. The Jazz Ensemble returned the following year to perform for the 151st Anniversary on April 16 at

Freedom Plaza Freedom Plaza, originally known as Western Plaza, is an open plaza in Northwest Washington, D.C., United States, located near 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, adjacent to Pershing Park. The plaza features an inlay that partially depict ...

. The Jazz Ensemble, along with the Concert Choir, performed at

The Greenbrier The Greenbrier is a luxury resort located in the Allegheny Mountains near White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, in the United States. Since 1778, visitors have traveled to this part of the state to "take the waters" of th ...

on November 22, 2013, as part of the West Virginia Reading Association (WVRA) conference. In March 2016, the ensemble performed for the West Virginia Music Educators Association (WVMEA) conference. Other instrumental groups at WVSU include a Brass Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and Woodwind Ensemble. In addition, WVSU is home to the Montclaire String Quartet, the Quartet in Residence at WVSU, composed of the principle string players of the

West Virginia Symphony Orchestra The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra that performs primarily at the Clay Center in Charleston, West Virginia. The orchestra performs over 50 concerts annually around the state of West Virginia, and has a nationally a ...

Vocal ensembles

In addition to the instrumental ensembles, WVSU features a concert choir called the State A Capella and an audition-only chamber vocal ensemble called State Singers. Depending on enrollment, vocal ensembles specifically for male and female groups may also be offered. The State Singers consists of eight to ten vocalists and also occasionally perform as the WVSU Vocal Jazz Choir. The State Singers act as ambassadors for the university and frequently perform off campus for important community and cultural events. Every spring, the State Singers go on tour. Recent tours have taken the group to Cleveland, Ohio,

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, and

. On April 13 and 14, 2012, the concert choir had the unique opportunity of singing the music of "

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

" with the

. The concert choir again sang with the WVSO for the symphony's 2012 holiday concerts, and have continued since. In March 2016, the concert choir again joined the symphony, along with three other West Virginia collegiate choirs, to perform the Brahms Requiem. Dr. Dirk Johnson is the Director of Choral Activities for WVSU and has been at that position since the fall of 2009. He is also the current Chair of the WVSU Department of Music.

Student life

Many of the students who live in dorms on campus are from large urban areas outside of West Virginia or from the rural counties in the state. Those who stay on campus generally congregate at Wilson Student Union.

Fraternities and sororities

National Pan-Hellenic Council The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative umbrella council composed of historically African American fraternities and sororities also referred to as Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs). The NPHC was formed as a permanent ...

** Alpha Phi Alpha - Alpha Zeta Chapter (1921) ** Alpha Kappa Alpha - Nu Chapter (1922) **

Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African American fraternity. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never restricted membership on the basis of color, creed ...

- Tau Chapter (1923) ** Omega Psi Phi - Theta Psi Chapter (1926) ** Delta Sigma Theta - Alpha Delta (1926) ** Phi Beta Sigma - Alpha Theta (1948) **

Zeta Phi Beta Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. In 1920, five women from Howard University envisioned a sorority that would raise the consciousness of their people, encourage the highest standards of scholastic ach ...

- Iota Beta (1948) ** Iota Phi Theta - WVSU Colony (2006)

Student media

The campus radio station at WVSU can be heard locally on 106.7 FM or over the internet. The station has hosted live music and interviews with recording artists. The campus newspaper, ''The Yellow Jacket,'' is published and edited by students and can be picked up in major buildings across the campus.

Notable alumni

Chu Berry Leon Brown "Chu" Berry (September 13, 1908 – October 30, 1941) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist during the 1930s. According to music critic Gary Giddins, musicians called him "Chu" either because he chewed on the mouthpiece of his saxop ...

, jazz tenor saxophonist * Joan Browning, civil rights activist * Harriet Elizabeth Byrd, first African-American to serve in the Wyoming Legislature *

Augusta Clark Augusta "Gussie" Clark (March 5, 1932 – October 13, 2013) was an American librarian, lawyer and politician. Clark was elected to an at-large seat on the Philadelphia City Council in 1979, becoming the second African-American woman to serve ...

, librarian, politician, and lawyer; second African-American woman to serve on the Philadelphia City Council (1980–2000). * Herbert Fielding, former

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

lawmaker *

Antoine Fuqua Antoine Fuqua (born May 30, 1965) is an American filmmaker, known for his work in the action and thriller genres. He was originally known as a director of music videos, and made his film debut in 1998 with ''The Replacement Killers''. His critica ...

, writer and director of various movies, including ''

Training Day ''Training Day'' is a 2001 American crime thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Ayer. It stars Denzel Washington as Alonzo Harris and Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt, two LAPD narcotics officers over a 24-hour period in the gan ...

'' (2001), starring Denzel Washington * Donald L. Graham, Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. * Robert "RJ" Haddy, special effects artist and twice contestant on Syfy's reality game show '' Face Off'' * Calvin Hicks, African American photographer, a founder of The Black Gallery * Serita Jakes, Associate Pastor, and wife of TD Jakes of The Potters House of Dallas, entrepreneur * Katherine Johnson, African-American scientist, who made significant contributions to America's aeronautics and space exploration for

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...

; in 2018, a statue of Johnson was erected on campus next to the Cole Complex and a scholarship was established in her honor * Damon Keith, Senior Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; the Keith Scholars Hall dormitory is named in his honor * Earl Lloyd, first African-American to play in the NBA; in 2014, a statue of Lloyd was erected and is on display in the Walker Convocation Center and the basketball season starts with the Earl Lloyd Classic in his honor, which also began in 2014; in 2018, the street in front of the Convocation Center was renamed to Earl Lloyd Way * Butch Miles,

jazz drummer Jazz drumming is the art of playing percussion (predominantly the drum kit, which includes a variety of drums and cymbals) in jazz styles ranging from 1910s-style Dixieland jazz to 1970s-era jazz fusion and 1980s-era Latin jazz. The techniques a ...

and a professor in the School of Music at

Texas State University-San Marcos Texas State University is a public research university in San Marcos, Texas. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has grown to the second largest university in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and the fifth largest university ...

Lou Myers Lou Myers (1915 – November 20, 2005) was a cartoonist and short story writer. He was the first person since James Thurber to contribute both cartoons and articles to ''The New Yorker''. His work has also appeared in ''The New York Times'', '' ...

, actor and theatrical director, played Vernon Gaines in the television sitcom ''

A Different World ''A Different World'' is an American sitcom (and a spin-off of '' The Cosby Show'') television series that aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) a ...

'' *

Bill Nunn William Goldwyn Nunn III (October 20, 1953 – September 24, 2016) was an American actor known for his roles as Radio Raheem in Spike Lee's film '' Do the Right Thing'', Robbie Robertson in the Sam Raimi ''Spider-Man'' film trilogy and as T ...

, journalist, professional football scout, and member of the Black College Football Hall of Fame, the Pittsburgh Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Pro Football Hall of Fame. *

Richard Ojeda Richard Neece Ojeda II ( ; born October 25, 1970) is an American politician and retired United States Army major who served in the West Virginia Senate representing the 7th district from 2016 until 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he ran ...

, former member of the

West Virginia Senate The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms. Although the Democratic Party held a supermajority in t ...

. * Leaonead Pack Drain-Bailey, librarian and namesake of WVSU's Drain-Jordan Library. * Will Robinson, first African-American Division I basketball coach and NBA scout * Charles Calvin Rogers, US Army Major General (ret); Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient for his actions in Vietnam; a bust of Rogers was dedicated in 2016 and is on display in the Wilson Student Union * Leander J. Shaw Jr., first African-American Chief Justice on the Florida Supreme Court * Wendell Smith, noted African American sportswriter who was influential in the choice of Jackie Robinson to become the first African American player in Major League Baseball *

Leon Sullivan Leon Howard Sullivan (October 16, 1922 – April 24, 2001) was a Baptist minister, a civil rights leader and social activist focusing on the creation of job training opportunities for African Americans, a longtime General Motors Board Member, an ...

, Baptist minister, a civil rights leader and social activist, longtime General Motors board member, and an anti-

Apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

activist; Sullivan Hall is named in his honor * Reggie B. Walton, Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. * Harvey D. Williams, African-American retired United States Army major general *

, African-American historian cited as the father of black history; served as Academic Dean of WVSU from 1920 to 1922

References

External links

*
WVSU Athletics websiteStuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library
Emory University
West Virginia Colored Institute photographs, 1921-1923
{{authority control Historically black universities and colleges in the United States Land-grant universities and colleges Public universities and colleges in West Virginia Education in Kanawha County, West Virginia Educational institutions established in 1891 African-American history of West Virginia Buildings and structures in Kanawha County, West Virginia 1891 establishments in West Virginia Historically segregated African-American schools in West Virginia