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Phyllis Curtin
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Dec 03, 1921
Phyllis (Smith) Curtin was born in Clarksburg
1946
Phyllis Curtin appeared at Tanglewood Music Center Other events that happened on or around 1946 United Mine Workers of America established a Welfare and Retirement Fund Ashford General Hospital closed Wood County Airport, Parkersburg, built Greater Cumberland Regional Airport, at Wiley Ford, built The Bailes Brothers moved to KWKH Shreveport Bluefield joined the Appalachian Rookie League in baseball Van Bittner directed the abortive drive to organize southern industrial workers Everett Ferguson sold Browns Island to Weirton Ice and Coal Supply Company Lew Burdette signed his first professional contract with the New York Yankees Col. E. G. Via died Camden Park was sold to James P. Boylin Jim Comstock founded the Richwood News Leader Samuel Cooper attended the World Zionist Congress in Basle, Switzerland Bruce Crawford founded the West Virginia Advertising Company Davis & Elkins College received full accreditation Dolores Dowling left the Army Nurse Corps as a first lieutenant Joanne Dru starred in her first film, Abie's Irish Rose Proposed amendment to make the Board of Education a constitutional body First consulting forester in West Virginia began work Patrick Gainer became professor of English at WVU Joseph C. Gluck, eventually dean of students, vice president for student affairs and special counselor to students, began work at WVU The third floor of the Governor's Mansion was added Alberta Pierson Hannum's book Spin a Silver Dollar was released as a radio play Governor Meadows reappointed Roy Lee Harmon as poet laureate of West Virginia Hawkshaw Hawkins began working on the Wheeling Jamboree broadcast from WWVA Johnnie Johnson began performing in Chicago The village of Lilly was razed due to construction of the Bluestone Dam Pare Lorentz was awarded the Legion of Merit A new dining hall was constructed at Marshall College (now University) Jack Maurice returned to the Charleston Daily Mail Arnold Miller returned home from WWII The UMWA Health and Retirement Funds were created Ruth Ann Musick began teaching mathematics and English at Fairmont State College (Fairmont State University) Eldora Nuzum was made managing editor of the Grafton Sentinel Molly O'Day was signed to Columbia Records contract by Fred Rose American Cyanamid established plant at Willow Island The West Virginia Broadcasters Association was organized Louis Jordan made "Salt Pork, West Virginia" a best-selling recording The Secondary Schools Activities Commission appointed a full-time executive secretary to the board Raymond Hayes made a trip to Fayette County Meredith Sue Willis was born Sam Snead won the British Open Buddy Starcher cut his first recordings on Four Star An appropriation of $60,000 was obtained for the West Virginia State Police Academy during the legislative session Storer College was accredited as a baccalaureate institution A constitutional amendment providing educational reforms was defeated Joe Stydahar won another championship with the Chicago Bears Festus Summers became a full-time professor at WVU The rubber plant at Institute was closed DuPont's Belle Works ceased production of nylon Frank Thomas built Fayette Airport The United Brethren merged with the Evangelical Association forming the Evangelical United Brethren Church There were 261 United Brethren churches in West Virginia Hobert Skidmore died The current West Virginia Historical Society was incorporated The West Virginia Review was sold again There were 6,000 students enrolled in WVU Irvin Stewart became president of WVU George Smith died WJLS added an FM affiliate American neurologist Walter Freeman adapted a variation of the surgery called the transorbital lobotomy Artist Helen Chilton was born in Pennsylvania
1953
Phyllis Curtin made her debut with New York City Opera Other events that happened on or around 1953 Southern tract of present Calvin W. Price State Forest was sold to the state by New River Company Carr China Company went out of business Statewide circulation of the Charleston Gazette peaked at 86,000 Consolidated Bus Lines employed 337 individuals and operated 100 buses Phoebia Moore died John Warren Davis retired as president of West Virginia State Julius DeGruyter wrote The Kanawha Spectator: History of the Kanawha Valley The Dunbar-South Charleston Bridge opened as a toll bridge Gunner Gatski earned All-Pro honors in football Perry Gresham became president of Bethany College Perry Gresham wrote Disciples of the High Calling John Ailes became editor of the Hampshire Review, Hampshire County Hardy County Heritage Weekend began at Mill Island Another 400 acres was added for the Harpers Ferry National Monument Ken Hechler became the associate director of the American Political Science Association Jean Lee Latham wrote The Story of Eli Whitney The Library Commission moved to Charleston from Morgantown The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers left West Virginia A fire damaged the Martinsburg Journal building "Speedy" Estep was killed racing a stock car in Columbus, Ohio Davis Grubb wrote Night of the Hunter A trail at the WVU Arboretum was named in honor of Lawrence Nuttall Eldora Nuzum joined the Elkins Inter-Mountain The West Virginia State Poultry Association annual meeting moved to Moorefield Distribution of Salk polio vaccine Chuck Ripper moved to Huntington as art director for the Standard Printing & Publishing Co. Rat Rodgers was admitted to the College Football Hall of Fame Eleanor Roosevelt stopped serving as U.S. representative to the United Nations Alex Schoenbaum's restaurant chain was named Shoney's WVU played in the Sugar Bowl West Virginia became one of the first sates to finance development of park facilities by selling bonds WKNA TV when on air in Charleston as channel 49 The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Kanawha Valley was established Oscar Nelson died The initial accreditation attempt for Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston) failed The Baptist State Convention began to meet at Hilltop William J. Wallace became president of West Virginia State College Enrollment at West Virginia State College was at 837 students WJLS-FM Beckley became WBKW-FM William B. Axtell became president of West Virginia Institute of Technology Katherine Johnson began working with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics as a “computer” doing complex analysis and calculations Toni Stone joined the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League
1954
Life magazine dedicated 3 pages of photos to Phyllis Curtin's "dance of the seven veils" Other events that happened on or around 1954 Appalachian Bible Institute had a student body of 40 and needed more space Walter Barnes retired as president of the West Virginia Folklore Society West Virginia physician Joseph E. Martin Jr. insisted black lung was a progressive, terminal disease associated with exposure to coal dust. W. E. Blackhurst published Riders of the Flood Improved amplifiers made it possible to offer as many as five cable television channels by the end of the year Monsanto and Bayer built polyurethane foam plant in New Martinsville J. R. Clifford remains re-interred at Arlington National Cemetery Explosion at Jamison No. 9 mine killed 16 Farm Women's Clubs changed names to Home Demonstration clubs West Virginia State's land grant college status was transferred to WVU Fairmont State College opened the campus to black students for the first time Deadly explosion in Consolidation Coal Company's Farmington Mine The Follansbee steel mill was sold to the Louis Berkman Company Davis Grubb wrote A Dream of Kings John T. Willet became commissioner of the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park Harold Hayslett established Hayslett Violins in South Charleston The West Virginia Turnpike was completed from Princeton to Charleston The federal government transferred the deed of the Holly River State Park to the state Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation built a large aluminum plant in Ravenswood Garland Wilson died in Paris Joy Manufacturing Company reported that 72% of all coal loaded mechanically was loaded by Joy loaders Lakin State Hospital was integrated after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregation unconstitutional Harts High School was built at Harts Marshall College named its buffalo mascot "Marco" Governor William Marland implemented his no-nonsense policy of public school desegregation following the U.S. Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision Minter Homes Corporation began concentrating on custom millwork, finished lumber, windows, doors and other items for building contractors Public school districts in Morgantown desegregated John Norman received an M.D. from Harvard Medical School The Oak Hill Saturday Night Wrestling television show first aired Peach production was at 900,000 bushels The Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative purchased Hardy County Power and Light Fred Schaus began coaching basketball at WVU Shepherd College admitted African-American students for the first time Red Sovine joined the Grand Ole Opry Morris Harvey College football team participated in the Cigar Bowl in Tampa Miles Stanley was elected president of the Kanawha Valley Industrial Council A Turnpike Division was added to the State Police The Statler hotel chain was purchased by Conrad Hilton Boyd Stutler left the American Legion magazine Pope Pius XII bestowed the honorary title of archbishop ad personam on John Swint Clint Thomas became messenger for the state Senate The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Morgantown was founded WCHS-TV Channel 8 was launched The Press Association was revived under its original name The West Virginia State Wildlife Center began evolving as a zoo Geoffrey Hobday began leading the Charleston Symphony Orchestra West Virginia dedicated the Charlton Memorial Bridge on the West Virginia Turnpike
1958
Phyllis Curtin sang Susannah at the Brussels World's Fair Other events that happened on or around 1958 Reorganization changed name from AG&E back to Appalachian Power Leroy Allen became president of Bluefield State College (now University) Ruby Bradley became a colonel Elk River Coal & Lumber Company was sold to Clinchfield Coal Company Clarksburg Park Board developed Buffalo Lake into a public recreation area Dale Brooks released "The Ambridge Boogie" on Cozy Records Phyllis Curtin sang with the Charleston Symphony Opera Ellis Dungan returned to the Ohio Valley, settling in Wheeling State superintendent of schools became a Board of Education appointee National Radio Quiet Zone surrounding Green Bank observatory was established by the Federal Communications Commission Jack Fleming became announcer for the Pittsburgh Steelers Follansbee rolling and annealing facilities were sold to Wheeling Steel "Biggie" Goldberg was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame and the West Virginia Sports Writers Hall of Fame Davis Grubb wrote The Watchman Alberta Pierson Hannum wrote Paint the Wind Chuck Howley was drafted by the Chicago Bears The school year was interrupted by an anti-integration school bombing at Osage near Morgantown A new dormitory was constructed at Marshall College (now University) The need for local graduate education was articulated by officials at Union Carbide Corporation and other Kanawha Valley chemical concerns, and Kanawha Valley Graduate Center was founded John Matheus retired from West Virginia State College (now University) Jack Maurice won the Sigma Delta Chi award for editorial writing The McClain Printing Company was incorporated McClain Printing Company published its first book, Chronicles of Border Warfare by Alexander Scott Withers Mildred Mitchell-Bateman became superintendent of the Lakin State Hospital Moncove Public Hunting and Fishing area was purchased by the West Virginia Conservation Commission Ohio Valley Speedway was built Construction on the National Radio Astronomy Observatory began at Green Bank Marble King Factory moved to Paden City Jennings Randolph flew from Morgantown to Washington on a plane fueled with gasoline made from West Virginia coal William Revercomb left U.S. Senate, defeated by Robert C. Byrd Leonard Riggleman led Morris Harvey to accreditation Fred Schaus guided WVU's basketball team to a No. 1 national ranking at the end of the regular season Festus Summers co-authored with Charles Ambler the second edition of West Virginia: The Mountain State Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston) was accredited by the North Central Accreditation Agency Jerry West played on the WVU team that finished No.1 in the nation Jerry West was a second-team All-American in basketball West Virginia Yesterday and Today was adopted as a state textbook The West Virginia turnpike was included in the Interstate highway system A water ski show moved from Tennessee to Hinton Aunt Jennie Wilson was discovered by Patrick Gainer Elizabeth Gilmore helped organize the Charleston chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
1961
Phyllis Curtin made her Metropolitan Opera debut Other events that happened on or around 1961 Discrimination against blacks in state's public places continued, according to West Virginia Human Rights Commission, including in the coal mines. West Virginia purchased an additional 44 acres A flood claimed 22 lives in West Virginia A 65-site campground opened at Blackwater Falls State Park The Army Corps of Engineers completed a dam on Elk River at Sutton Marshall College became a university Charleston's Davis Child Shelter orphanage closed W. E. "Ned" Chilton III became publisher of the Charleston Gazette Accident classified as a "disaster" changed from when 5 died to 3 or more Bruce Crawford retired from the West Virginia Advertising Company Reported 90% of West Virginia crimes were nonviolent Julia Davis wrote Legacy of Love Douglass High School closed in Huntington Joanne Dru was featured on Guestward Ho! Ann Flagg moved to Chicago Grafton National Cemetery reached its capacity of 2,119 graves Charles Haden began practicing law with his father in a firm, Haden & Haden Elizabeth Hallanan became a member and chairman of the Public Service Commission Charles Hodel was named the Charleston Gazette's "man of the year" Joseph Hodges was appointed coadjutor bishop with the right of succession to Archbishop John Swint of the Diocese of Wheeling The gate house at the Huntington State Hospital entrance was removed The coal seam at Kaymoor was worked out Sam Mallison published Let's Set a Spell Kyle McCormick left the position of state historian Howard Gray passed presidency of the Meadow River Lumber Company to his son Morgantown Glassware Guild made a line of elegant stemware for the White House for the Kennedy administration Milan Puskar started Mylan Pharmaceuticals Okey Patteson married Dorothy R. "Bebe" (Reuter) Warden. The Omar riverboat was given to West Virginia Eleanor Roosevelt began serving as U.S. representative to the United Nations St. Francis Nursing School in Charleston closed David Selby appeared in Honey in the Rock The Salvation Army sold the Sunrise mansions and grounds to the Sunrise Foundation The New River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship was established Cyrus Vance was named general counsel for the Department of Defense Charleston baseball joined the AAA International League The Hinton Jaycees turned the water ski show into a full festival WSAZ was sold out-of-state Leonard C. Nelson became president of West Virginia Institute of Technology Matthew Reese joined the Democratic National Committee as deputy chairman Billy Cox met James "Jimi" Hendrix at the service club in Fort Campbell
1963
Phyllis Curtin sang at the meeting of the Music Educators National Conference in Charleston Other events that happened on or around 1963 The Centennial year closed and virtually all elements of the program had been successfully completed Patch Adams spent two weeks in a psychiatric facility for depression President's Appalachian Regional Commission (PARC) recommendations sent to President Johnson Appalachian Hospital network saved by the Board of National Missions of the United Presbyterian Church Appalachian Volunteers organized Only 417 nesting pairs of bald eagles could be found in the U.S. W. E. Blackhurst published Sawdust in Your Eyes W. E. Blackhurst was the first commentator for the Cass Scenic Railroad Florence Blanchfield received the West Virginia Distinguished Service Medal A new student union building was built at Bluefield State College (now University) Tony Boyle was elected president of the UMWA Ruby Bradley retired from the army Elk River Coal & Lumber Company sold its sawmill at Swandale to Georgia-Pacific Expansion of Cabell Huntington Hospital increased the size to 280 beds and 48 bassinets Centennial Golden Trout received first widespread stocking Mower Lumber Company purchased Cheat Mountain Club Jim Comstock ran for unsuccessfully for Congress Julius DeGruyter wrote A Brief History of Kanawha County and the Kanawha Region Dolores Dowling became secretary and administrative assistant of the Veterans Administration regional office in Huntington Thomson Newspapers of Canada purchased all three Fairmont papers Ann Flagg returned to teaching at Evanston Consolidated School District and Southern Illinois University The department led the effort to organize a crafts fair at Cedar Lakes The book, Mountain Heritage was published Patrick Gainer published The West Virginia Centennial Song Book of 100 Songs Patrick Gainer recorded Folk Songs of the Allegheny Mountains for Folk Heritage Recordings Earl Andrews became president of the Pennsylvania Glass Sand Corporation at Berkeley Springs Legislature authorized counties to cooperate with local governments and the federal government Land on Maryland Heights was added to the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park The widows of Edward and Walker Long and William D. Brike took charge of Huntington Newspaper Publishing Charles Hodel was named to the West Virginia Press Association's Hall of Fame The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals who ruled in State ex rel. Slatton v. Boles that the state policy is to "protect and reclaim juveniles" and will be treated as delinquents rather than criminals Kanawha Records began to record authentic indigenous mountain music as performed by contemporary West Virginia musicians Reynolds Memorial Hospital opened a new facility in Glen Dale The National Youth Science Camp was founded in Pocahontas County The West Virginia Chapter of Nature Conservancy was founded by volunteers The Greenbrier Historical society re-formed after disbanding during the Civil War New buildings of the Ohio Valley College (now University) were occupied on a permanent campus The Libbey-Owens-Ford glass bottle plant closed in Charleston Jim Comstock found a preserved baby and the two female mummies in a barn in Philippi. The West Virginia Centennial showboat, Rhododendron, plied the Kanawha, Ohio and Monongahela Rivers Spanky Roberts was assigned to Griffis Air Force base The St. Albans Archeological Site was first identified by Samuel D. Kessel Salem College received full accreditation by the North Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges Devid Selby married Claudeis "Chip" Newman WVU Rod Thorn became All-American in basketball Boyd Stutler published West Virginia in the Civil War Legislation to protect the environment from surface mining was enacted Rod Thorn became the second pick in the first round of the NBA draft and went to Baltimore Bullets The Unitarian Universalist church in Morgantown was built The VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America) began Geoffrey Hobday left the Charleston Symphony Orchestra The Charleston Symphony Orchestra was led by a season of guest conductors The first Water Festival was held at Hinton Billy Edd Wheeler recorded "Coal Tattoo" Wheeling Hospital set up the first intensive care unit in West Virginia The Shott brothers revived their WHAJ-FM The Widen mine and railroad ceased operation WVU at Parkersburg became the first of WVU's Appalachian Centers A naval radio station was established at Sugar Grove Ellie Schaul helped decorate the Centennial Showboat Rhododendron
1968
Phyllis Curtin sang with the Charleston Symphony Opera Other events that happened on or around 1968 Frederick M. Staunton, publisher of the Charleston Daily Mail, retired Chief Logan State Park gained state park status Denomination adopted the name Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Orval Brown was released from the state mental hospital at Weston Stephen Coonts earned a B.A. at WVU George Crumb was award the Pulitzer Prize for Echoes of Time and the River: Four Processionals for Orchestra Phyllis Curtin was named West Virginian of the year with George Crumb by the Charleston Sunday Gazette Mail Home Demonstration clubs changed name to Extension Homemaker Clubs National attention was brought to the issue of mine safety Fesenmeier sold its brewery to Little Switzerland Brewing Company Two-year associate degree in forestry was developed at Glenville State College Five high schools were consolidated into Gilmer County High School The last Gravely tractor rolled off the Dunbar assembly line Charles Haden served on the Monongalia County Board of Education Roy Lee Harmon wrote Rhymes of a Mountaineer The Modern Budget Amendment made the governor responsible for preparation of the state budget West Virginia's first spring gobbler season began Sonny Hyde transferred to the state Department of Natural Resources to work on Outdoor West Virginia (now Wild Wonderful West Virginia) The Jones Diamond left the Smithsonian to be on exhibition at the State Fair Linsly School relocated to Banes Hall in Wheeling The present entrance to the Lost World Cavers was dug through a hill Joe Manchin's family shoe store burned A new academic building was constructed at Marshall University Enrollment at Marshall University reached 8,177 Irene McKinney received her bachelor's from West Virginia Wesleyan College M. Blane Michael graduated from New York University M. Blane Michael began working at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York R. E. Fisher died leaving the Moorefield paper to Pheobe Fisher Heishman and husband David Mountain Artisans was founded John W. Saunders became president of Beckley College (now Mountain State University) replacing D. K. Shroyer The National Bank of Commerce built a new building known as Commerce Square in Charleston New Vrindaban began as a project of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness The New York Central System merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad to create the ill-fated Penn Central The annual Nature Wonder Weekend was first held in North Bend State Park Nylon precursor chemical stopped being produced at Belle Works Logging on Otter Creek began again Pilgrim Glass Corporation plant manager Karel Konrad introduced cranberry glass Radio station WVWC, licensed to West Virginia Wesleyan College, went on air The last case of polio in West Virginia was reported James Rexrode's works were displayed at the Shenandoah Valley Folklore Society at the Harrisonburg Arts and Crafts Festival Spanky Roberts retired from McClellan Air Force Base The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey conducted another extensive excavation on the St. Albans archeological site David Selby appeared in Dark Shadows James A Butcher became president of Shepherd College (now University) Governor Hulett Smith proposed $150 million bond issue for school construction and state facilities improvement. Grace Martin Taylor retired from Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston) Norman L. Fagan suggested a Theater West Virginia show based on the Hatfield-McCoy Feud The Evangelical United Brethren Church merged with the Methodists forming the United Methodists, becoming West Virginia's biggest denomination There were 240 Evangelical United Brethren Churches in West Virginia, at the time of their merger with the Methodists Kendall Vintroux retired from the Charleston Gazette VISTA volunteers had streamed into rural and hard-pressed areas of West Virginia The WAJR facilities moved to the Greer Building West Virginia counties reasserted their control over economic opportunity commissions and community action programs, as local officials react to War on Poverty WesBanco was incorporated Wheeling Downs reopened Jon Dragan founded Wildwater Expedition Unlimited at Thurmond Bill Withers was discharged from the U.S. Navy in San Jose Runway expansion for jet airliners began at Kanawha Airport Chuck Yeager became a brigadier general Keith Ham leased 130 acres in Marshall County for the establishment of a rural retreat Nick Saban led the Monongah High School football team to a state championship victory over Paden City High Helen Chilton graduated from Denison University Charleston Section of the National Council of Jewish Women undertook “Appalachian Corridors,” the first exhibition to expressly curate the work of Appalachian artists
1976
Phyllis Curtin was invited to White House to sing for West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Other events that happened on or around 1976 Glade Creek gristmill completed The spring pavilion was renovated at Barger Springs Girls' state high school basketball tournament revived after dying off in the 1920s Beckley Newspapers Corporation was sold to Clay Communications J. Wade Gilley became president of Bluefield State College (now University) Jennings Boyd named West Virginia Coach of the Year Cabell Huntington Hospital expanded for the second time Gaston Caperton was elected president of the McDonough-Caperton-Shepherd insurance company Shelley Moore Capito earned M.A. from University of Virginia Lou Austin died French Carpenter record Elzic's Farewell is released Shenandoah Downs closed Buildings of McMillan Hospital were demolished in Charleston Picnic shelters, restrooms, restaurant and amphitheater were added at Chief Logan State Park Bernard Coffindaffer married June Woodrum Cogar Arden set the world record for standing chopping a 10-inch yellow poplar in 16.2 seconds Merger of Bluefield State College and Concord College ended The Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) was created Julius DeGruyter wrote a second volume of the Kanawha Spectator George Snyder received a MFA from University of North Carolina
1984
Phyllis Curtin retired from public singing Other events that happened on or around 1984 The Raleigh Register merged with Beckley Post-Herald to become the Register-Herald Bob Vorel moved from New England to Doddridge County Brawley Walkway in downtown Charleston was named in honor of Harry Brawley After extensive rehabilitation, Camp Washington-Carver was reopened Founder John L. "Bugs" Teets died Bernard Coffindaffer dreamed that God told him to erect roadside crosses Daniel Boone Hotel was reopened after renovation, as office building Hazel Dickens released By the Sweat of My Brow The West Virginia Draft Horse and Mule Association was formed Denise Giardina wrote Good King Harry
1999
Phyllis Curtin won a Lifetime Achievement Award at Governor's Awards for Culture, History and the Arts Other events that happened on or around 1999 Otis Rice received the first Governor's Award for Outstanding Contributions to West Virginia History or Literature
Jun 03, 2008
Opera singer Phyllis Curtin was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame
Jun 05, 2016
Opera singer Phyllis Curtin died in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, at age 94 View Articles by Existing Key Dates or Specify Your Own Date Range |
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