May 24, 2010
The Archives and History Library staff will continue its after-hours lecture series on Tuesday, June 1, from 6 - 7:30 p.m. The program is entitled “West Virginia Statehood,” and will be led by Joe Geiger, director of archives and history for the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. The lecture will take place in the Archives and History Library in the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston. All sessions are free and the public is invited to attend. The library will close at 5 p.m., and reopen at 5:45 p.m., for lecture guests and participants only.
Geiger will discuss the major conventions and other events that shaped the creation of the new state from Virginia in the midst of the Civil War; note the importance of the Civil War to the statehood movement; and review the reasons why many questioned the legality of West Virginia’s formation. The separation of West Virginia from Virginia was the only change in territory brought about by the Civil War, and the events leading up to that decision raised important constitutional and political issues which are still debated today.
In addition, Geiger will provide an overview of the Archives and History online exhibit, A State of Convenience: The Creation of West Virginia.
Prior to becoming director of archives and history, Geiger was the assistant director, historian and manager of the archives and history Web site. In that capacity, he was instrumental in the creation of the online exhibit about West Virginia’s statehood. For the past 13 years, he also has served as an adjunct professor in the history department at Marshall University. He has published numerous scholarly articles and a book, Civil War in Cabell County, West Virginia, 1861-1865.
Registration is not required, but is requested to ensure proper seating. To register in advance, contact Robert Taylor, library manager for archives and history, at (304) 558-0230, ext. 163, or by e-mail at Bobby.L.Taylor@wv.gov. Participants interested in registering by e-mail should send their name, telephone number and the name and date of the session. For additional information about the lecture and workshop series, contact the Archives and History Library at (304) 558-0230.
The next session will focus on preserving family mementoes in scrapbooks with Lynn Barney, on Tuesday, July 6.
The Archives and History Library is open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., on Monday through Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m., to 8 p.m., on Thursday. The library is closed on Sunday.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Culture Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Culture Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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