Alberta Ramage Neely (1880–1976) was the wife of former

Governor of West Virginia A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

Matthew M. Neely Matthew Mansfield Neely (November 9, 1874January 18, 1958) was an American Democratic politician from West Virginia. He is the only West Virginian to serve in both houses of the United States Congress and as the 21st governor of West Virginia. H ...

and served as that state's First Lady from 1941 to 1945. She was known to family and friends as "Bertie."

Formative years

Born as Alberta Clair Ramage on August 27, 1880, in

Milford, Pennsylvania Milford is a borough that is located in Pike County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat. Its population was 1,103 at the time of the 2020 census. Situated near the upper Delaware River, Milford is part of the New York metropo ...

, Alberta Ramage was a daughter of Benjamin Franklin Ramage and Almira Lavinia (Hefner) Ramage. Following graduation from Fairmont Normal School (now

Fairmont State University Fairmont State University is a public university in Fairmont, West Virginia. History Fairmont State University’s roots reach back to the formation of public education in the state of West Virginia. The first private normal school in West Vi ...

), she attended Randolph-Macon College in

Ashland, Virginia Ashland is a town in Hanover County, Virginia, United States, located north of Richmond along Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 7,565, up from 7,225 at the 2010 census. Ashland is named after the L ...

and Emerson College of Elocution in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. In 1903, she married

, a native of West Virginia who later achieved nationwide prominence during his long career in politics, a career that began with his election as mayor of

Fairmont, West Virginia Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 18,313 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in West Virginia, eighth-most populous city in ...

in 1908.

Political activities and public service

On January 19, 1941, Neely and her husband attended the Inaugural Gala at

Constitution Hall DAR Constitution Hall is a concert hall located at 1776 D Street NW, near the White House in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1929 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to house its annual convention when membership delegations outgrew ...

in Washington, D.C. as part of a delegation of thirty-two state executives and state representatives who were celebrating the third inauguration of U.S. President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

. As a first lady during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, she also sold

war bond War bonds (sometimes referred to as victory bonds, particularly in propaganda) are Security (finance)#Debt, debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditure in times of war without raising taxes to an un ...

s and raised money for servicemen's clubs. In May 1944, she and her husband hosted a dinner party in Charleston, West Virginia for the British Ambassador and his wife, who were visiting the United States to raise funds for the British War Relief Society. After her husband left office, the couple moved to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, where Matthew Neely served in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

until his death in 1958. In 1963, her portrait was one of eleven new portraits that were hung in the governor's mansion in Charleston, West Virginia. It was officially presented to the state during an unveiling ceremony on July 10 of that year.11 First Ladies To Be Undraped
" Beckley, West Virginia: ''The Raleigh Register'', July 10, 1963, p. 2 (subscription required). Following the death of her husband, Neely lived in

, where she died on June 30, 1976."West Virginia's First Ladies," West Virginia Division of Culture and History, June 2007.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neely, Alberta Ramage 1880 births 1976 deaths People from Milford, Pennsylvania First ladies and gentlemen of West Virginia People from Fairmont, West Virginia Fairmont State University alumni 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians