Special Collections is composed of the University Archives, Manuscript Collections, West Virginia State Documents, Rare Books, and other specialized collections relating to the history of West Virginia and Appalachia. This page will cover what collections we have and where you can search our collections online.
Huntington History
Cabell-Wayne Historical Society Collection, 1880-1973
Fred B. Lambert Papers, 1809-1964
Clinton J. Teubert Scrapbooks, 1904-1958
Marshall University History
Marshall University Archives
Political History
Kenneth Hechler Papers, 1958-1976
Matthew A. Reese Papers, 1950-2017
Marvin L. Stone Papers, 1924-2000
Women's History
American Association of University Women. W. Va. Division Records, 1923-1990
The Links, Incorporated Collection, 1955-2016
Association of Southern Women for the Prevention of Lynching Records [Microfilm], 1930-1942
Huntington Junior League Collection, 1929-2015
The Women's Club of Huntington Records, 1900-1997
Nancy Voisers Whear Papers, 1985-1988
Catherine Bliss Enslow Papers, 1890-1973
Special Collections is home to more than 860 collections created by individuals, business, families, and community groups from in and around West Virginia. Particular areas of focus include Huntington history, genealogy, women's history, and political history.
Browse or search guides to Special Collections materials below:
As part of the department’s focus on increasing access to our unique historic materials, we prioritize making digitized versions of our book and manuscript collections widely available and sharable.
Browse or search digital materials from Special Collections below:
Marshall University Archives consist of materials created by Marshall University throughout its history. Materials and formats include:
Archives material is grouped by the department that created the materials, and each grouping features descriptions of what materials are contained within it. To search these collections, open the Archives inventory and use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+F to search for your subject of interest. More detailed inventories are being uploaded regularly and can be searched here:
Browse or search guides to collections from the University Archives below:
Several Archives publications, including Marshall University Yearbooks, The Parthenon, Marshall University Newsletter, 1972-1986, MU Newsletter, 1987-1999, We Are…Marshall Newsletter, 1999-Current, Marshall University Magazine, Marshall University Commencement Ceremonies, and Marshall University Catalogs, as well as other University Archives materials are digitized and available online.
Browse or search digital materials from the University Archives below:
Other resources at Special Collections include:
These collections, with the exception of materials in the General Chuck Yeager Room and portions of the Rosanna Blake Library, both found in the Manuscript Collections database described above, can be searched via the library catalog.
West Virginia State Documents may be searched through an inventory of West Virginia State Documents in Special Collections.
If you have any other questions, ask us! There is always somebody ready to help you at the Special Collections reference desk. You can also reach us via email at speccoll@marshall.edu or by phone at (304) 696-2343.
The Rosanna Blake Library of Confederate History was given to Marshall in 1987 by noted government lawyer Rosanna Blake, and consists of Civil War era Confederate imprints, correspondence, photographs, manuscripts, pamphlets, books, periodicals, works of art, and more. Books in the collection may be searched by visiting our catalog and selecting "Special Collections" from the dropdown box. Manuscripts, prints, objects, and ephemera can be viewed in the Blake Collection finding aid.
Charles "Carl" Hoffman was a Huntington, West Virginia urologist who later became president of the American Medical Association. Special Collections houses his personal and professional papers as well as his library of then contemporary and historical medical texts. The collection may be searched by visiting our catalog and selecting "Special Collections" from the dropdown box.
Special Collections maintains a rare book collection containing primarily nineteenth and twentieth century texts. Of particular note is our collection of McGuffey Readers and Jesse Stuart texts. The collection may be searched by visiting our catalog and selecting "Special Collections" from the dropdown box.
Special Collections maintains an extensive library of books and periodicals published in, by, about, or for West Virginia and West Virginians. Strengths of the collection are local history and genealogy. The collection may be searched by visiting our catalog and selecting "Special Collections" from the dropdown box.
Marshall University is an official repository for West Virginia State Documents. West Virginia State Documents are a collection of documents published by various state entities from the state’s inception to today. This includes publications from a variety of public departments as well as the state legislature. The collection includes newsletters, maps, pamphlets, legislative bills, reports, and more and can be search through an inventory on Marshall Digitial Scholar.
A native West Virginian, General Charles "Chuck" Yeager is a record-setting test pilot and the first person to have exceeded the speed of sound in flight. At Marshall, he founded the prestigious Yeager Scholars program. Special Collections is home to his personal and professional papers as well as artifacts, which are housed in the General Chuck Yeager Room. A finding of the materials is located at here: Yeager Finding Aid
