FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 23, 2018
For More Information:
Glenville State College
Public Relations Department
(304) 462-4115
GLENVILLE, WV – Glenville State College celebrated Founders Day on Monday, February 19, 2018 – marking 146 years of serving central West Virginia as an institution of higher education. Students, faculty, and staff joined President Dr. Tracy L. Pellett and First Lady Dr. Heidi Henschel Pellett in the Mollohan Campus Community Center for the event that featured birthday cake and a historical display provided by GSC’s Archives.
On February 19, 1872, the West Virginia state legislature put their approval on the placement of a Glenville Branch of the West Virginia Normal School. Unfortunately, that year the State Constitutional Convention declared that no appropriations were to be made for the establishment of any more normal schools or branches. So, the next April, fifty-six citizens of Gilmer County came together with their own funds to complete the establishment of the Normal School Glenville Branch. Each of these individuals invested anywhere from five dollars to one-hundred dollars for the cause, the majority of these investments being twenty-five dollars or less. These founders were farmers, merchants, lawyers, carpenters, public officials, democrats, and republicans, but they all had one thing in common – they shared the desire to see an educational institution in their hometown. They wanted to see a Normal School at Glenville.
“In 1873 a letter to the Weston Democrat newspaper said that Glenville ‘possesses every qualification requisite for a place of study and thought’ and that the people here are ‘civil, moral, refined, religious, and generous to a fault.’ I find it very meaningful that many of those sentiments still hold true all these years later,” Pellett said.
“We’re excited to be celebrating the founding of Glenville State College. Our best parts – our core values for helping students succeed and advancing education – have remained solid for 146 years. And we believe that the best is yet to come with our recommitment to lowering costs, educating career-ready graduates, and being good stewards of our resources,” said Pellett.
Throughout its history the institution has seen name changes to Glenville State Normal School (1909-1931), Glenville State Teachers College (1931-1943), before finally becoming Glenville State College (1943-present). Over the years GSC has maintained a tradition of teaching excellence by professors who care about each student as an individual, take the time to get to know each student's goals, and who are committed to helping students get an education that will prepare them for a successful career.
For more information about becoming a part of our history, contact the Office of Admissions at (800) 924-2010.
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