Biography

Alderson, Emma Botham. 2021. Writing Home : A Quaker Immigrant on the Ohio Frontier, the Letters of Emma Botham Alderson. Edited by Donald Ingram Ulin. Lewisburg, Pennsylvania: Bucknell University Press."Writing Home offers readers a firsthand account of the life of Emma Alderson, an otherwise unexceptional English immigrant on the Ohio frontier in mid-nineteenth-century America, who documented the five years preceding her death with astonishing detail and insight. Her convictions as a Quaker offer unique perspectives on racism, slavery, and abolition; the impending war with Mexico; presidential elections; various religious and utopian movements; and the practices of everyday life in a young country. Introductions and notes situate the letters in relation to their critical, biographical, literary, and historical contexts. Editor Donald Ulin discusses the relationship between Alderson's letters and her sister Mary Howitt's Our Cousins in Ohio (1849), a remarkable instance of transatlantic literary collaboration. Writing Home offers an unparalleled opportunity for studying immigrant correspondence due to Alderson's unusually well-documented literary and religious affiliations. The notes and introductions provide background on nearly all the places, individuals, and events mentioned in the letters,"-- Provided by publisher.

Alvarez, M. Raymond. 2017. Forgotten Hero: Ensign James S. Maddox. Place of publication not identified: publisher not identified. Details the endeavors of Lieutenant James S. Maddox in WWII, originally from Fairmont, WV.

Alvarez, M. Raymond. 2017. Doddridge Farm Diary: The 1944 Journal of Sherman Benson Stout, Maxwell Ridge in Doddridge County, West Virginia. Place of publication not identified: publisher not identified. 108 pp. Diary of Sherman Benson Stout, a 39-year-old farmer in Doddridge County, West Virginia in 1944. Beginning on January 1st, 1944, Sherman recorded facts and observations at the end of each day, such as annotations of the weather, what chores he completed, activities at his wife’s schoolhouse, and the ongoings of WWII.

Bruchac, Joseph. 2020. One Real American : The Life of Ely S. Parker, Seneca Sachem and Civil War General. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers. "Ely S. Parker (1828-1895) is one of the most unique, but little-known figures in US history. A member of the Seneca, an Iroquois nation, Parker was an attorney, engineer, and tribal diplomat. Raised on a reservation but schooled at a Catholic institution, he learned English at a young age and became an interpreter for his people. During the American Civil War, he was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel and was the primary draftsman of the terms of the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. He eventually became President Grant's Commissioner of Indian Affairs, the first Native American to hold that post. Award-winning children's book author and Native American scholar Joseph Bruchac provides an expertly researched, intimate look at a man who achieved great success in two worlds yet was caught between them. Includes archival photos, maps, endnotes, bibliography, and timeline"-- Provided by publisher

Bumgardner, Stan. “Jane George: a Lifetime of Inspiration.” Goldenseal 44 (Summer 2018): 14-21.  A biography of Jane George, a native West Virginian who was an integral part of the movement to preserve traditional Appalachian culture. George focused on traditional handicrafts in particular. She was married to Frank George, who was also deeply involved with the preservation of traditional Appalachian culture. Both George and her husband promoted traditional culture and its preservation throughout their lives.

Casada, Jim. 2020. A Smoky Mountain Boyhood : Memories, Musings, and More First ed. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. "This book comprises the recollections of one man, Jim Casada, who was born in Bryson City, North Carolina, and has had a long career as an outdoorsman and author. Casada gathers his reminiscences on Smokies life in four parts: holidays, seasons of the Smokies, mountain childhood, and a concluding section where special memories blend with a once prominent culture in the Smokies. Casada's gift for storytelling pairs with his training as a historian to produce a highly readable memoir of mountain life in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina"-- Provided by publisher.

Cokeley, Lois. 2017. My Mother's Pickled Beets: And Other Inspirational Lessons from a West Virginia Farm. Charleston, South Carolina: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Cokely’s memoir detailing 8 lessons she learned from her parents while growing up in rural West Virginia. 

Cummings, Elijah, James Dale, and Nancy Pelosi. 2020. We're Better Than This : My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy First ed. New York, NY: Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers. A memoir by the late Congressman details how his experiences as a sharecroppers' son in volatile South Baltimore shaped his life in activism, explaining how government oversight can become a positive part of a just American collective.

DeCaro, Louis A. 2020. The Untold Story of Shields Green : The Life and Death of a Harper's Ferry Raider. New York: New York University Press. "This title examines the life and death of Shields Green"-- Provided by publisher.

Elza, Betty. 2017. History of the Elza Family, 1733-2017. Pennsylvania: Betty Elza. 2 volumes with illustrations and portraits. No description found. 

Forinash, Stella. 2017. The Roots of a Family from West Virginia: Phelps Family. Charleston, South Carolina: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. 311 pp. Outlines genealogy of the Phelps family from West Virginia. 

Mace, Darryl. 2021. Rosa Parks: A Life in American History. Black History Lives Ser. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC. "Rosa Parks: A Life in American History explores the life of this important civil rights activist in the context of the cultural and social history of her time."-- Provided by publisher

Matheny, Nancy Bronte. 2017.  Daniel Matheny: Maverick Tailor from Virginia, 1829 - 1876. 254 pp. This biography offers insight into Daniel's motivations, movements, and determination accompanied by a bounty of original court and land records, every-name index, and complete genealogy of his descendants. A mystery for decades to his own people, Daniel comes to life in the compelling story of a restless soul on a mission. Against the backdrop of wild Appalachia, Daniel travels an unmoored life through six wives and twelve children. Follow Daniel and by extension follow the history of the Matheny family on a uniquely American journey. 

Mayhew, John Wallace. 2017. The Mayhew, Dodson, Lowry & Sawyer Families of West Virginia & Virginia. Charleston, South Carolina: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. 253 pp. The Genealogy of the Mayhew. Dodson, Lowry and Sawyers families in WV and VA. Includes biographical sketch of author and short history of Renick, WV.

Neal, William A. 2017. Quiet Advocate: Edward J. Van Liere's Influence on Medical Education in West Virginia. Morgantown, W. Va.: West Virginia & Regional History Center. 264 pp. Biography of Edward J. Van Liere’s life and how he influenced the medical education given in the state of West Virginia. 

Robb, Charles S, and Bill Clinton. 2021. In the Arena: A Memoir of Love, War, and Politics. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. "The political memoir of Virginia governor and senator Chuck Robb. Covers his marriage to Lynda Bird Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, his tour in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine, and his roles as lieutenant governor, then governor, and then US senator of Virginia"-- Provided by publisher

Seaton, Carter Taylor. 2017. The Rebel in the Red Jeep: Ken Hechler’s Life in West Virginia Politics. Morgantown, WV: West Virginia University Press. 427 pp. Follows the personal and professional experiences of Ken Hechler, the oldest living person to have served in the US Congress, from his childhood until his marriage at 98 years of age.

Smith, Malcolm L, Edwin Lacy, and Wayne Henderson. 2020. Appalachian Fiddler Albert Hash : The Last Leaf on the Tree. Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies, 47. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. "World-class luthier and renowned guitarist Wayne Henderson calls Albert Hash "a real folk hero." A virtuoso fiddler from the Blue Ridge, Hash built more than 300 fiddles in his lifetime, recorded numerous times with a variety of bands and inspired countless instrument makers and musicians in the mountains of rural Southwest Virginia near the North Carolina border. His biography is the story of a resourceful, humble man who dedicated his life to his art, community and Appalachian musical heritage."-- Provided by publisher.

Thompson, Wright. 2020. Pappyland : A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last. New York: Penguin Press. People stand in long lines to get Julian Van Winkle to sign their bottles of Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve, the whiskey he created to honor his grandfather, the founder of the family concern. He'd just stepped in to try to save the business after his father had died, after having been forced to sell the old distillery in a brutal downturn in the market for whiskey. Then it turned out that hundreds of very special barrels of whiskey from the Van Winkle family distillery had been saved by the multinational conglomerate that bought it; they offered to sell it to Julian. Thompson provides a testimony to the challenge of living up to your legacy and the rewards that come from knowing and honoring your people and your craft. -- adapted from jacket

Walls, Jeannette. 2005. The Glass Castle: A Memoir. New York: Scribner. 288 pp. Memoir detailing Jeannette Walls’s childhood and her family, including her alcoholic father and siblings on their ultimate journey to New York City.

Whitacre, Paula. 2017. A Civil Life in an Uncivil Time: Julia Wilbur's Struggle for Purpose. Lincoln, UNITED STATES: Potomac Books. 319 pp. Shapes Julia Wilbur’s diaries and other personal documents into a cohesive narrative of her life as an abolitionist in Washington, D.C., 1862.

Winford, Brandon K. 2020. John Hervey Wheeler, Black Banking, and the Economic Struggle for Civil Rights. Civil Rights and the Struggle for Black Equality in the Twentieth Century. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky. "John Hervey Wheeler (1908-1978) was one of the civil rights movement's most influential leaders. In articulating a bold vision of regional prosperity grounded in full citizenship and economic power for African Americans, this banker, lawyer, and visionary would play a key role in the fight for racial and economic equality throughout North Carolina. Utilizing previously unexamined sources from the John Hervey Wheeler Collection at the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library, this biography explores the black freedom struggle through the life of North Carolina's most influential black power broker. After graduating from Morehouse College, Wheeler returned to Durham and began a decades-long career at Mechanics and Farmers (M&F) Bank. He started as a teller and rose to become bank president in 1952. In 1961, President Kennedy appointed Wheeler to the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity, a position in which he championed equal rights for African Americans and worked with Vice President Johnson to draft civil rights legislation. One of the first blacks to attain a high position in the state's Democratic Party, Wheeler became the state party's treasurer in 1968, and then its financial director. Wheeler urged North Carolina's white financial advisors to steer the region toward the end of Jim Crow segregation for economic reasons. Straddling the line between confrontation and negotiation, Wheeler pushed for increased economic opportunity for African Americans while reminding the white South that its future was linked to the plight of black southerners"-- Provided by publisher.