West Virginia University scholars Jack Weaver, Kristen Bailey, Mathew Powell and David Solomon talk about the history of West Virginia and the state's impact on America the past 250 years. Photo by Benjamin Powell

MORGANTOWN — West Virginia’s impact on the nation was discussed Thursday at the West Virginia University Downtown Library as part of the America 250th commemoration.

Hosted by the West Virginia & Regional History Center with WVU Libraries, the event brought together recent graduates of WVU’s history program for a panel discussion exploring topics spanning the Revolutionary War era through the modern civil rights movement.

The program was both a West Virginia Day celebration and an opportunity to spotlight new scholarship emerging from WVU researchers using the university’s historical collections.

Moderated by William “Hal” Gorby, WVU Associate Professor of History, the discussion featured four recent graduates whose research examined West Virginia’s historical identity across nearly 250 years.

The panel included: Kristen Bailey, whose dissertation explored politics and capitalism in West Virginia statehood; Matthew Powell, whose work examined labor and environmental control in Appalachian paper mill communities; David Solomon, whose research focused on the West Virginia Human Rights Commission and the civil rights movement; and DrJack Weaver, whose dissertation studied material culture and identity during early America.

Mathew Powell discusses the important role West Virginia played during America’s rising in the past 250 years. Photo by Benjamin Powell

The panel was designed to reflect the breadth of West Virginia history while showcasing research built from primary source materials housed at the university, Lori Hostuttler, director of the Regional History Center, said.

“We work really closely with the WVU History Department,” Hostuttler said. “We have graduate assistants from the history department working in our department, many of us are WVU history graduates, and we see lots of history students using our collections for research.”

As planning began for this year’s annual West Virginia Day event, Hostuttler said she looked at recent graduates and recognized an opportunity to create a broader historical narrative.

“When I looked at the list of graduates from 2025, there were some really nice papers that represented across time,” she said. “It seemed like the perfect opportunity to highlight West Virginia primary source research.”

The chronological discussion began in the Revolutionary War era and continued through statehood, industrial labor and the civil rights movement.

Guests are welcomed Thursday afternoon to a West Virginia Day celebration hosted by the West Virginia & Regional History Center and the West Virginia University Downtown Library. The event featured a panel discussion highlighting on West Virginia history and culture as the nation approaches America’s 250th anniversary. Photo by Benjamin Powell

Weaver, who completed his doctorate in spring 2025 and previously worked at the Regional History Center, reflected on the connections of early West Virginia and neighboring regions.

“A lot of ways the history of the lands that became West Virginia were very interconnected with the stories of eastern Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and the Carolinas during the era of the American Revolution,” Weaver said.

Migration patterns, frontier settlement and regional identity shaped what would eventually become West Virginia, he said. Local events created experiences unique to the region. Weaver said.

For Bailey, the event represented more than presenting historical research. It highlighted the relationships that continue long after students graduate.

“For many of us whose research centers on West Virginia, Lori Hostuttler has been very pivotal to our research, and she’s probably the biggest reason most of us are here,” Bailey said.

Kristen Bailey, PhD, answers questions from the community during a panel discussion at the West Virginia University Downtown Library on Thursday. Photo by Benjamin Powell.

Bailey said the university’s history department fosters continued connections among alumni and scholars.

“Once you leave, you’re still not really gone,” she said. “You’re still connected to the department.”

Researchers often find themselves supported by staff who become invested in the work being produced and in preserving the stories being uncovered, Bailey said.

The event also marked one of the first major public programs for Mark Press, dean of WVU Libraries and Press, who joined the university this spring.

Originally from Indiana and having spent nearly three decades in the Boston area, Paris said his family also has roots in West Virginia and that he quickly recognized the significance of the stories preserved across the state.

West Virginia University scholars Jack Weaver, Kristen Bailey, Mathew Powell and David Solomon talk about the history of West Virginia and the state's impact on America the past 250 years. Photo by Benjamin Powell

“I think there is just a powerful history here. A powerful story to be told,” Paris said.

“Our collections tell that story very well,” he said. “There’s so much here that people outside of West Virginia might not necessarily appreciate or understand. It’s an opportunity to help tell that story.”