More than 19,000 black youth, grades 1-12, were provided education by the West Virginia public school system
Pastor Richard E. Shearer assumed presidency of Alderson-Broaddus College (now University)
Ernest Bavely died
The National Bituminous Coal Wage Agreement was approved
Sigus Olafson began publishing articles on petroglyphs, the painted trees, Gabriel Arthur and more
A caretaker for Audra State Park was hired
Walter Barnes helped revive the Folklore Society with help from Ruth Ann Musick
Bear Rock Lakes area was opened to fishing
Clair Bee wrote Hoop Crazy
Raleigh Coal & Coke ceased operations
About 25,000 people lived in Bluefield
Everett Lilly appeared on classic bluegrass recordings
Betsy Byars graduated from Queens College in Charlotte, NC
Governor Patteson gave state funds to improve Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park
Walter Eli Clark died
Phil Conley ended his term as president of the West Virginia Publishing Company and founded West Virginia Education Foundation
Name was shortened to West Virginia Council of Churches
Virginia Ruth "Dagmar" Egnor was hired to be on NBC's Broadway Open House
Julius DeGruyter wrote West Virginia: Its Charters and Municipal Affairs
West Virginia's median age was below national average at 26.3 years
Joanne Dru appeared in Wagon Master
Ellis Dungan returned to Hollywood
Fairmont population peaked at 29,346
Fayette County population peaked at 82,443
Floodwall in Parkersburg was completed
Patrick Gainer organized the West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville
Fostoria manufactured 8 million pieces of glass
West Virginia population peaked at 2,005,552
Statewide coal employment peaked at 127,000
The Veterans Administration Medical Center was built in Harrison County
Dave Gideon died
Mechanization and automation in coal mining reduced the number of miners and a decline in UMWA membership
The gates to the Home for the Incurables (now Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital) were removed
The Cedar Lakes Conference Center was established as a state FFA-FHA camp
Keystone's population was at 2,500
The National Labor Relation board recognized the Employees Security League as the legitimate bargaining agent for Weirton employees
The Linger chair factory moved to Rock Cave
The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers recorded for Cozy Records
Louis Wohinc died
Catherine Marshall published Mr. Jones, Meet The Master
A new science building was constructed at Marshall College (now University)
Jack Maurice became editor of the Charleston Daily Mail
A fourth of McDowell population was black
McDowell population peaked at 98,887
Mine mechanization led to widespread job loss
Major coal companies formed the Bituminous Coal Operators Association
The UMWA and Bituminous Coal Operators Association agreed that the union would not resist mechanization in exchange for a share of the proceeds
Birth rate in West Virginia declined and pace of out-migration accelerated
Traditional coal miners' vacation became formalized with the establishment of Bituminous Coal Operators Association
Mingo County population peaked at 47,409
The National Hillbilly News switched to a smaller format
Molly O'Day and Lynn Davis gave up show business to serve the Lord
Port Amherst Ltd. was acquired by the Amherst Fuel Company
Jack Rollins wrote "Frosty the Snow Man"
Charleston's St. Francis Hospital had 130 beds
Soupy Sales left Huntington
The West Virginia Conference of Seventh-day Adventists consisted of 2,000 members
Shepherd College was accredited by the North Central Association
Jim Sprouse studied international law at the University of Bordeaux
The Weirton Independent Union was declared a violation of federal labor law
West Virginia steelworkers numbered 22,596
Joe Stydahar was named head coach of the L.A. Rams
Leon Sullivan began ministry at Zion Baptist church in Philadelphia
Hinton's population was 5,780
West Virginia tobacco production was at 4,000,000 pounds
Richard Talbott stopped serving as state treasurer
Riggleman Hall was constructed at Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston)
Welch population peaked at 6,603
Walter Barnes, Patrick Gainer and Ruth Ann Musick revived the West Virginia Folklore Society
Helen Thompson became the Charleston Symphony Orchestra's first full-time executive secretary
Weston's population peaked at 8,945
An outpatient department was opened at Wheeling Hospital
Wildlife biologist tried trapping wild turkeys in the eastern mountains and moving them into other counties
Williamson population peaked at 8,624
Wyoming County population was 37,540
Mullens had a population of 3,544
Hurry-up Yost was inducted to the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame
Morgantown obtained the Tibbs Run Reservoir
President Eisenhower appointed Helen Holt to a new program in the Federal Housing Administration
