Bluefield State College Centennial History Being Published

A 190-page history of Bluefield State College will be published very soon. The book, Bluefield State College: A Centennial History (1895-1995, is the culmination of a three-year project directed by the collaborative efforts of BSC historian Frank Wilson (class of 52) and Dr. C. Stuart McGehee. They researched, compiled, organized, and wrote the book, which includes more than 150 photographs and traces the College from its establishment in 1895, detailing its growth and change during the next 100 years.

"We offer this book in the hope that readers will gain an appreciation for the remarkable history of Bluefield State College," McGehee and Wilson noted in their "acknowledgments" page. "BSC President Dr. Robert Moore is the single person most responsible for seeing that the long- overdue official history was written. Funds for the project were ably supplied by Dr. Marvin Rogers, Title III/BRACE program administrator. In no way did the current administration of the College seek to affect our interpretation of the school's history," McGehee and Wilson added.

Photographs for the volume were loaned from Wilson's personal collection, from the BSC Archives, and from the Eastern Regional Coal Archives.

Work on the project began in 1994, as the College prepared for its 18-month centennial celebration, and the narrative involved included nine drafts.

Through Title III/BRACE funding, an initial press run will publish 500 hardback copies of the book, with those copies to be presented as gifts to active BSC Alumni Association members, the BSC Institutional Advisory Board, BSC Foundation, along with selected libraries and those individuals and groups that assisted in the project. Title III/BRACE funds cannot be used to purchase material that is later resold.

Dr. Moore noted that, if demand for additional copies of the book is sufficiently large, a second printing of the volume (in paperback) will be conducted and the book will be available for purchase. Individuals or groups may register their interest in obtaining a copy of the BSC history by contacting the College and Media Relations Office at (304) 327-4103 or (304) 327- 4014, or by e-mail at kgordon@bluefieldstate.edu.