West Virginia & Regional History Center Newsletter

Volume 37, No. 1
West Virginia University Libraries
Spring 2025

Lori Hostutler, Director of WVRHC

Dear friends,

I am pleased to share the first issue of our reinstated West Virginia & Regional History Center (WVRHC) Newsletter with you. In the nearly four years since our last issue, the History Center has continued to thrive and fulfill the mission of preserving and providing access to the rich history and culture of West Virginia and the central Appalachian region.

We continue to serve as an important and growing hub for research, instruction, and outreach, and you will find many new faces among our excellent and dedicated staff — who will be further introduced in another section of this newsletter. I am excited to be at the helm of this team as we further the History Center’s mission and shape it into a modern archive...

Read the Director's Full Letter

In this issue

Introducing the WVRHC team

Every day, the WVRHC team works hard to acquire, preserve and provide access to information and resources in all formats which elucidate the history and culture of West Virginia and the central Appalachian region.

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Congressional Archives Portal continues to grow

The WVRHC received $1.5 million in congressionally directed spending to expand utility, usability and capacity of the American Congress Digital Archives Portal.

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Creating a digital West Virginia folk music collection

The WVRHC is home to a vast and rich collection of West Virginia and Appalachian folklore and folklife that document the culture and traditions of long-settled West Virginians.

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WVRHC by the Numbers

The WVRHC's archival collections connect scholars, students, and the wider community with sources and narratives of Appalachia's heritage.

Read More

West Virginians in World War II: In Their Own Words

Corporal Hershel W. (Woody) Williams from Fairmont, W. Va.

Join us as the WVRHC opens a new exhibit featuring the experiences of West Virginians during World War II through their archives. Bryan Casey, grandson of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Woody Williams, will discuss Williams’ life and legacy.

June 20, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.
WVU Downtown Library, Milano Reading Room

Find Event Details & RSVP

Featured New Collections

Kanawha Valley Mining Institute..., A&M 4578

Kanawha Valley Mining Institute Annual Safety Meet Photograph framed by Judge Ribbons

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Michael Hotopp, Theatrical..., A&M 4551

ESPN set design by Hotopp.

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Allegheny Highlands Project..., A&M 5279

West Virginia University Libraries stacks.

Explore A&M 5279

Lisa Diehl Papers, A&M 4510

From the Diehl Papers, a photograph of Lisa Diehl (center) with friends, circa 1995

Explore A&M 4510

Explore Additional Featured New Collections

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