West Virginia Prison for Women

Federal government sold Arthurdale homes and community building to the homesteaders

West Virginia Aeronautics Commission formed

Florence Blanchfield retired

Jesse Bloch's son, Thomas, became president of Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company

Bluefield State College (now University) was fully accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education

Business affairs for WVU and state colleges was transferred to WVU Board of Governors and State Board of Education

Tony Boyle was brought to Washington as assistant to UMW President John L. Lewis

Harry Brawley won an award for the "School of the Air" series

Carter Coal Company sold to Youngstown Sheet & Tube

Western Maryland Railroad took possession of the Cheat Mountain Club

American Cyanamid built plant near Willow Island

Levi Johnson Dean had 139 architectural commissions

Coal production peaked with 174 million tons

Jack Fleming began announcing for WVU sports

Harry B. Heflin became the third president of Glenville State College

"Biggie" Goldberg led the Chicago Cardinals to the NFL Championship

The Greene Line acquired the Delta Queen

Louis W. Chappell recorded Edden Hammons at Richwood Hotel

Voters approved a city charter for the Weirton

Alberta Pierson Hannum wrote Roseanna McCoy

Ken Hechler began teaching at Princeton University

Marshall won the NAIB national basketball tournament in Kansas City

Homer Holt became general counsel for the Union Carbide company in New York City

The Huttonsville Correctional Center became a separate institution from the state penitentiary at Moundsville

The West Virginia Conservation Commission constructed a dam and bridge at the Jug of Middle Island Creek, restoring water to the original channel

Wertz Field in Institute received modern facilities at Kanawha (Yeager) Airport

Supreme Court ruling West Virginia-Pittsburgh Coal Company v. Strong limited surface mining

The West Virginia League of Women Voters was recognized by the national office

Operation of all locks and dams except Lock and Dam No 1 on the Big Sandy was discontinued

Elli Mannette had perfected a steel drum with two octaves of a diatonic scale

Jacob Rader Marcus established the American Jewish Archives

Dan Maroney became a bus driver for the Charleston Transit Company

Mildred Mitchell married William L. Bateman

Mildred Mitchell-Bateman was accepted a position as staff physician at Lakin State Hospital

Morgantown annexed part of Evansdale

The Pence Springs property containing the original spring, hotel and fields were purchased by the state of West Virginia for use as a state prison for women

The Nazarene Camp and Conference ground was established at Summersville

WPDX Clarksburg began competing with WMMN Fairmont for country music audience

Alex Schoenbaum opened the Parkette Drive-In and Bowling Alley in the west side of Charleston

Oliver S. Ikenberry became president of Shepherd College

Hulett Smith began serving on the state Aeronautics Commission.

Marshall College (now University) won the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball Championship

Miles Stanley became the president of his steelworkers union local

An additional appropriation of $60,000 to build the State Police Academy was obtained from legislature

Edward W. Stifel Sr. died

The Co-operative Transit Company ceased streetcar operations in Wheeling area

City Lines of West Virginia ceased streetcar operations in north-central West Virginia

Surface mining production reached 18.4 million tons

Union Carbide purchased the Institute butadiene, styrene and support facilities to convert to chemical plants

Reported 14,510 people were employed in textile-related jobs in West Virginia

The University of Hard Knocks was conceived by Jim Comstock

Andre Van Damme and family moved to America

Vitrolite ceased production

Enrollment at West Virginia State College was 1,785 students

The West Virginia Turnpike Commission was created by legislature

The Nickel Plate Railroad purchased a majority of the Wheeling & Lake Erie

Henry Mazer became conductor of the Wheeling Symphony

Doc Williams had a major hit, "Beyond the Sunset"

Florence Blanchfield ceased as superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps

Sam Jones joined the Cleveland Buckeyes of the Negro American League

Buck Harless became part owner of a lumber company

Toni Stone played for the semi-pro Twin Cities Colored Giants

The Pocahontas Times became one of the first papers in West Virginia to switch completely to the use of computers

Pruntytown Correctional Center reopened

Mary Lou Retton was inducted to the U.S. Olympic Committee Hall of Fame

Otis Rice became a member of the editorial board of Filson Club Quarterly

Rock Lake Pool was closed by its owner

Cynthia Rylant wrote The Relatives Came

Revival of the Sagebrush Roundup radio show was first held

The Old Salt Sulphur Springs resort was added to the National Register of Historic Places

Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel filed for bankruptcy

Blakers Mill was moved to Jackson's Mill

Frederick A Reichle purchased property at Timberline

Predecessor banks were renamed United National Bank

Robert Phalen became president of UMWA District 17

WAJR launched the Metronews Radio Network

Melvin Lentz became wood chopping champion

Meredith Sue Willis wrote Only Great Changes

Ellie Schaul was was awarded the 1985 West Virginia Juried Exhibition Governor’s Award

Kathy Mattea's song "Walk the Way the Wind Blows" became her first major hit

McCoy's Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Congressman Alan Mollohan was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee

Mount St. George was added to the National Register of Historic Places

Regular national broadcasts of Mountain Stage began on National Public Radio

Zebra mussels were introduced from Europe to the Great Lakes by commercial barge traffic

Henry Payne was runner up for the Pulitzer Prize.

The Peter Tarr furnace was partially restored.

A new division was created within the PSC to provide assistance to public water and wastewater providers.

Otis Rice became vice chairman of the Kanawha County Bicentennial Commission

The Smoot Theater stopped serving as a movie theater

The State Supreme Court ruled on Cook v. Heck's regarding the firing of workers

United National Bank joined with Intermountain Bankshares and Kanawha Banking and Trust

The Education Foundation changed its name to West Virginia Historical Education Foundation

Thomas W. Cole left as president of West Virginia State College (now University)

Roomier pens making use of natural features were installed at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center at French Creek

The West Virginia Turnpike accommodated about 5 million cars

WVU Mountaineer Field football stadium expanded to 63,175 seats

A master's degree in business administration was first offered at West Virginia Wesleyan College

Rachael Worby became music director of Wheeling Symphony

The Henderson Hall historic district was added to the National Register

Robert C. Gillespie became president of West Virginia Institute of Technology

Katherine Johnson retired from NASA

Conchata Ferrell married Arnie Anderson, a sound mixer

St. Mary's Orthodox Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places

The hydroelectric facility at Hannibal locks and dam was completed

Wheeling College changed its name to Wheeling Jesuit College

The first computerized coating facility went into operation in the Follansbee steel mill

Congress designated part of the Gauley River and Meadow River as the Gauley River National Recreation Area

Willard Hotel in Grafton stood vacant

Bill Withers won a Grammy for "Lean on Me"

Arnout "Sonny" Hyde retired as editor of the Wonderful West Virginia

WSAZ radio in Huntington returned to local ownership