PEOPLE’S UNIVERSITY: WV Archives, Class 1 - Materials for the Historian, an Identity for Future Generations

October 03, 2017
7:00pm - 7:00pm

West Virginia’s State Archives

"Public Documents are the materials for the historian.  . . . posterity can not have the means of judging, as it might, of the deeds, and principles of action, and of the legislation of ancestors. Thus the State that neglects to preserve its Public Documents, loses much to future generations -- to the whole world indeed."
- Virgil A. Lewis, West Virginia State Historian and Archivist, 1908

Yearbooks, rare books, phone books, periodicals, manuscripts, state documents, photos, films, and more – each tells a unique story, and all are collected by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. From microfilming newspaper to returning unclaimed civil war medals to their rightful families, director of West Virginia Archives and History Joe Geiger, will give a behind the scenes look at the activities of the State Archives and explain why it is important to collect, preserve and make accessible the history of West Virginia for present and future generations.

Instructor: Joe Geiger

Geiger received his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in marketing and a master’s degree in history from Marshall University. He has published numerous scholarly articles and a book, Civil War in Cabell County, West Virginia, 1861–1865. Geiger, who serves as the state historian and archivist, has worked for Archives and History since 1998 and was appointed Director in 2009.

The People’s University is a free program for adults who wish to continue their education in the liberal arts, featuring courses taught by experts in each subject that enable patrons to pursue their goal of lifelong learning in subjects such as history, philosophy, and literature. There are no grades and patrons are welcome to attend all classes or programs on an individual basis.

To register for The People’s University: West Virginia History Through Archives – Preserving the Mountain State’s Stories, please call the library at 304-232-0244, send an email to [email protected], or visit the Reference Desk. Classes are free and open to the public. Registration is not a commitment and you are welcome to attend any or all classes. Complimentary refreshments will be provided.