MORGANTOWN – Ask many college sports fans the teams they think about first when talking about West Virginia University and they will quickly mention the successes of the football and men’s basketball programs over the years. But, ask the “true” fan of the Mountaineers and they will ...
By Neil Bucklew In 1986 I had the good fortune “to come home again” when I returned to my home state and home town to become the 20th president of West Virginia University. In spite of Thomas Wolfe’s warning, this opportunity proved to be the most fulfilling experience in my academic and administrative career. I rediscovered the secret to WVU’s success. That secret was simple and yet profound. The secret had become obvious to many citizens of West Virginia: their university was fully engaged with the needs and future of the state and that of the sons and daughters of the ...
West Virginia University’s impact on the state is without question. Here are 150 either firsts or interesting facts about WVU. Lady Gaga’s mother, Cynthia Germanotta of Wheeling, was a cheerleader at West Virginia University. Georgeann Wells of WVU in 1984 became the first woman to dunk a basketball in a college game. In June 1891, Harriet Lyon, a transfer from Vassar College, became the first woman to receive a degree from WVU. She graduated at the head of her class. In the land-grant application to create the university, the school was called the Agricultural College of West ...
