J. Kemp McLaughlin

The Jehovah Witnesses established their first "Kingdom School," in Clarksburg

Jonah Edward Kelley enrolled at Potomac State College

West Virginia State Board of Education adopted flag-salute regulations

Florence Blanchfield was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel

Construction on the Bluestone Dam began

Alonzo Brooks returned to French Creek

Log lodge, two framed dormitories, swimming pool and bathhouse constructed at Camp Washington-Carver

Brandon Hass sold the property now known as Cathedral State Park to the state

The Charleston Ordnance Center received the coveted Army-Navy "E" production award

Carl Rutherford learned to play in same tunings as others

Julia Davis wrote The Sun Climbs Slow

U.S. Farm Security Administration came to an end

Ken Hechler was drafted as an infantry private

Two separate groups of Italian POWs were imprisoned in West Virginia

The first and largest contingent of Italian POWs arrived to build Camp Ashford

Andrew Gardner Jackson died

Gordon L. Bennett was the first executive secretary of the Library Commission

The Linsly School became known as the Linsly Military Institute

The Lost World Caverns cave was discovered as the Grapevine Cave

Frank McEnteer arrived in the Middle East

Kermit McKeever became superintendent of Lost River State Park

Mercer County's miners produced 3,500,000 tons of coal

Arnold Miller joined the army

Okey Mills enlisted in the army as paratrooper

The Civilian Conservation Corps was terminated

Calvin W. Price received an honorary law degree from West Virginia University.

Dyke Raese coached the West Virginia University men's basketball team to a major sports national championship.

The Schoolhouse Cave survey was completed

Hugh Shott served in U.S. Senate

Hubert Skidmore wrote Hill Lawyer

Sam Snead had won 29 tournaments

President of UMWA District 17 Van Bittner resigned

CCC Camp Watoga was closed

Wertz Field Airport closed

Only 212 students enrolled at West Liberty State College

Phil Conley re-acquired the West Virginia Review

Antonia Modarelli became director of the Charleston Civic Orchestra

The Works Progress Administration ceased operation

The Army transformed parts of Dolly Sods into an artillery range for training

Woodford Sutherland killed after training flight when his parked P-51 was hit by another

Akro Agate Company ceased production

Clair Bee ended his college coaching career at Long Island University after the point-shaving scandals that devastated college basketball

Florence Blanchfield received the International Red Cross's Florence Nightingale Medal

Harry Atlee Burdette and Fred Clifford Painter first to be put to death via electric chair in West Virginia

Charleston Memorial Hospital dedicated with 129 beds

Air Force ROTC program was established at Davis & Elkins College

Fiestaware colors forest green, rose, chartreuse, and grey were introduced

Floodwall in Point Pleasant was completed

Ruel Foster wrote William Faulkner: A Critical Appraisal

Tony Brown graduated from Garnet High School

Gunner Gatski earned All-Pro honors in football

Ella Holroyd retired from Concord College

Ray Wetzel died in a car accident

Elizabeth Kee took her place in the House of Representatives, replacing her late husband, John Kee

Maryat Lee wrote and produced the street play Dope!

The federal navigation system on the Little Kanawha River was turned over to the state

Kanawha County Democratic boss Homer Hanna Sr. and Governor Patteson picked William Marland as candidate for governor

Catherine Marshall wrote A Man Called Peter

Okey Mills married Netie Mae Neely

Waterford Park (later Mountaineer Race Track) opened

Ruth Ann Musick and others founded the West Virginia Folklore Journal

Karl Myers compiled a second poetry collection, Cross and Crown

College assumed its current name, Potomac State College of West Virginia University

Benjamin Rosenbloom retired from practicing law

K. Duane Hurley became president of Salem College

Sam Shaw became editor of the Moundsville Daily Echo

Hulett Smith became chairman of Beckley's Democratic executive committee.

The Paw Paw Tunnel was shut down

The first coaxial cable television system started carrying programming of WSAZ to Welch

Bishop Swint asked Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus to help establish a Catholic college of liberal arts in West Virginia (now Wheeling Jesuit University)

Hurry-up Yost was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame

Robert Graetz Jr. married Jeannie Ellis

Citizens in Grafton formed the International Mother's Day Shrine Commission.

C&O and B&O merger continues

John Hodel became editor of the Beckley Register

Clair Bee wrote Comeback Cagers, the last of the Chip Hilton series

Betsy Byars published her first book, Clementine

Fannie Cobb Carter returned to Charleston

West Virginia purchased 11 miles of logging railroad and established Cass Scenic Railroad State Park

Charleston's population peaked at 85,796

Franklin Cleckley earned B.A. from Anderson College

James Dent began writing the Charleston Gazette's "Gazetteer" column

Duncan Yo-Yo Company hit its peak sales with 18 million yo-yos

The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation was organized

Construction of the government bunker and the simultaneous addition of a new hotel wing were completed at the Greenbrier

Davis Grubb wrote Voices of Glory

Hawkshaw Hawkins returned to King Records and recorded "Lonesome 7-7203"

The state purchased and planned restoration of the former logging town of Cass

Joseph Hodges succeeded John Swint as the fifth bishop of the diocese of Wheeling

William Hoffman wrote A Place For My Head

Interwoven Mills ownership changed

Kaymoor mine closed

The original Kingwood Tunnel was closed and sealed

John Knowles wrote Morning in Antibes

William Marland took a job as a Chicago taxi driver to "compose his character"

A new dormitory was constructed at Marshall University

West Virginia Archeological Society members Delf Norona, Oscar Mairs and Bob White described the May Moore Mound as the third largest in West Virginia

J. Kemp McLaughlin served as Kanawha County commissioner

Mildred Mitchell-Bateman was appointed the director of the Department of Mental Health by Governor Barron

Plum Orchard Lake was constructed

Donald Rasmussen came to West Virginia as associate chief of internal medicine at Miners Memorial Hospital in Beckley

Nat Reese was hired as a photographic silk-screen printer at Rockwell International's aviation plant in Princeton

Eleanor Roosevelt stopped serving as U.S. representative to the United Nations

The C. Z. Ruth Memorial Annex at St. Joseph's Hospital in Parkersburg was built to accommodate major services

The Sheriff's Succession Amendment was first rejected by legislation

WVU Rod Thorn became All-American in basketball

Catholic population in West Virginia was 110,000

There were 100 Catholic churches, a new cathedral five hospitals 43 elementary and secondary schools, one college and a preparatory seminary in West Virginia

Cyrus Vance became secretary of the army

Jerry West set the record for guards with 63 points in one game

Dr. Herbert Warden performed the first open-heart surgery in West Virginia

A fire ended racing at Wheeling Downs

Wheeling College (now Wheeling University) received national accreditation

Chuck Yeager became commander of the Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base

Billy Cox moved to Nashville and formed the King Kasuals with Jimi Hendrix

Betty Bartholomew retired as WVU herbarium curator

WVU Educational Building dedicated on grounds of CAMC Memorial Division

Stephen Coonts left active duty in Navy and moved to Colorado

Muriel Dressler published second collection of poetry, Appalachia

Ellis Dungan produced For Liberty and Union

Edgewood Country Club built a small clubhouse and golf course at Derrick Creek new Pocatalico

Robert Atkinson ordained the first women priests among West Virginia Episcopalians

Breece D'J Pancake wrote short story "Time and Again"

Louise McNeill became West Virginia poet laureate

William K. Simmons became president of Glenville State College

Goldenseal magazine was placed under the new Division of Culture and History

Davis Grubb returned to West Virginia for a statewide speaking tour

The legislature created a consolidated Department of Health combining the old Department of Health, the Department of Mental Health, Commission on Mental Retardation, public institutions and smaller boards and commissions

Legislation created the West Virginia Division of Culture and History

Protesting finally ended over the Kanawha County textbook controversy

Paul D. Marshall & Associates was incorporated in Charleston

John Sayles wrote the novel Union Dues

Marshall University School of Medicine was established

M. Blane Michael began serving as special counsel to Governor Rockefeller