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Ex Libris: The WVU Libraries Magazine WVU Libraries Spring 2007 Ex Libris, Spring 2007 West Virginia University. Library. Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/lib-ex_libris Part of the Other Arts and Humanities Commons Recommended Citation West Virginia University. Library., "Ex Libris, Spring 2007" (2007). Ex Libris: The WVU Libraries Magazine. 11. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/lib-ex_libris/11 This Newsletter is brought to you for free and open access by the WVU Libraries at The Research Repository @ WVU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ex Libris: The WVU Libraries Magazine by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Newsletter of the West Virginia University Libraries Spring 2007 www.libraries.wvu.edu Knotts Memorabilia Finds Home at WVU he Reluctant Astronaut has touched “West Virginia University was down in the West Virginia University a large presence in Don's life from T Libraries. the time he was born,” The West Virginia and Regional History Yarborough-Knotts said. “He Collection recently received some unique memorabilia always knew he would be a from a famous alumnus – the late actor and Morgantown student there.” native Don Knotts. The WVRHC is now home to movie She said Knotts enjoyed and television scripts, awards, an original poem, and the sharing stories about spending manuscript and cassette recordings from the actor’s time on campus while growing autobiography. up in Morgantown. “Don Knotts was one of the University’s most One of his favorite stories illustrious graduates and one of the state’s most involved sneaking into prominent native sons,” said John Cuthbert, WVRHC Mountaineer football games with Curator. “We are very thankful to receive these items, friends. One particular Saturday, and we hope it is the beginning of many future Knotts got caught and was installments of Don Knotts memorabilia.” carried out of the old Stadium. Knotts began talking to representatives from the He found another way back in West Virginia University Libraries in late 2005 and and was again caught and tossed donated a group of his personal scripts to the Libraries out of the game. The process in January 2006, just one month before he passed away. continued multiple times and In late February of this year, his widow, Francey attracted the attention of Yarborough-Knotts, contacted the Libraries about spectators. donating more memorabilia. “The whole crowd got “As I've been looking through many of his items, I caught into it. They were wanted them to be in a safe place where they would be cheering and laughing. It was a Scripts from some of Don Knotts’ best movies are now part of the appreciated,” Yarborough-Knotts said. “I remembered big scene,” Yarborough-Knotts West Virginia and Regional History Collection. how happy Don was to be donating these items to WVU said. “Don got a thrill out of The strange looks were fine by Knotts. He loved and how connected he was to Morgantown, and I that. He talked about that a lot.” making people laugh, whether intentionally or not, and wanted to follow his lead by sending other special items Knotts was a born entertainer with an active he sought out every attempt to play a prank or tell a to the school.” imagination. As a kid, he would make up a variety of joke. Best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the games for his neighborhood pals. Sometimes they would Knotts took advantage of a Mountaineer tradition 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, Knotts use a tin can someone found and play kick-the-can. requiring freshmen to yell “Beat the hell out of Pitt” was born and raised in Morgantown and graduated from Other times the fun was fueled only by imagination. when an upperclassman would flash a thumbs-up Morgantown High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree “One time, he was by himself and pretended he was gesture. While still a senior at Morgantown High School, in communication studies from WVU in 1948. At the playing a football game, even though he didn't have a he often got a kick out of seeking out beanie-wearing time, there was no College of Creative Arts or WVU football,” Yarborough-Knotts said. “He got so carried theater degree, so students majored in other disciplines away that when he stopped, he noticed a couple of Continued on page 5… while acting in school productions. people had stopped and were staring at him oddly.” Students Make New Health Sciences Library Home orey Bozic has discovered the perfect place Settling into a comfortable lounge chair with her to study. When the time comes to crack laptop to search through the Libraries’ digital resources, open his books, the nursing student heads she too has found the perfect place to study. When she C to a comfortable chair in a quiet, well- wants a refreshing break from her work, all she has to lighted corner of the new Health Sciences do is look up from the computer screen. Library and Learning Center. The glass wall stretching along the library’s front “It’s refreshing to walk through the doors,” Bozic floods the library with natural light and offers a said. “The new library has a soothing environment that panoramic view of the mountains to the west of I think facilitates my ability to learn.” Morgantown with the Coliseum standing in the The Health Sciences Library and Learning Center, foreground. built at the main entrance to the Robert C. Byrd Health Behind her are the library entrance and a large Sciences Center, began welcoming students at the start atrium containing the landmark pylons that have of the spring semester. The state-of-the-art facility welcomed visitors to the HSC since 1963. Rather than The new Health Sciences Library offers plenty boasts a 27,000-square-foot library, two new computer- moving the monolithic marble structures, architects of comfortable spots for students to settle in based learning classrooms, three new lecture halls, and chose to wrap the new construction around the pylons. and focus on their studies. Alexis Lilly, an a renovated auditorium. “The new library is so much more open. They made occupational therapy student, uses the Library Occupational therapy student Alexis Lilly it a lot more attractive,” Lilly said. “You want to come and Learning Center’s wireless Internet appreciates the facelift. Continued on page 5… connection to do research. Wise Library Named Literary Landmark national library organization has prestigious Bread Loaf Publication Award for Time is designated the Charles C. Wise, Jr. Our House. A Library as a Literary Landmark. Her works appeared in periodicals from Harpers Friends of Libraries U.S.A. added the and Atlantic Monthly to Good Housekeeping and Wise Library to its Literary Landmark Registry because Saturday Review. of the library’s connection to Dr. Louise McNeill Pease, Pease was a product of the rural Mountain State Poet Laureate of West Virginia from 1977 to 1993. The that she lovingly described in her poetry and prose. In presentation came during the West Virginia Library 1930, the 19-year-old Pocahontas County native began Association’s Annual Conference held last fall in teaching in one-room schools. She went on to teach Huntington. English at WVU from 1948 to 1953 and then to earn a “People everywhere delight in the beautiful writings Ph.D. in history from WVU in 1959. of Louise McNeill Pease. I applaud the West Virginia The University recognized her life and University Libraries for their commitment to preserving accomplishments by inducting her into the Academy of a piece of our nation’s rich literary history,” said Sally Distinguished Alumni in February 1989 and by awarding Reed, Executive Director of Friends of Libraries U.S.A. her an Honorary Doctorate in the Humanities in May Wise Library joins about 100 institutions, buildings, 1989. and communities from across the nation on the Literary Pease was a prolific poet whose works were Landmark Registry. It is the first academic library in published from 1931 to 1994. Martha Yancey, Head of Circulation at the West Virginia to receive the distinction. In 1985, she was named West Virginian of the Year. Evansdale Library and WVLA President; “It’s an honor for the Wise Library to be designated In 1977, Governor John D. Rockefeller appointed Pease Frances O’Brien, Dean of the WVU Libraries; as a Literary Landmark because of its connection to Poet Laureate, a post that she held until her death in Penny Pugh, Head of Reference for the Louise McNeill Pease,” Provost Gerald E. Lang said. 1993. The State of West Virginia has named only six Downtown Campus Library; and Harold M. “I’m proud that Dr. Pease once served on the WVU individuals as Poet Laureate. faculty and that I took part in her induction into the “Louise McNeill Pease’s poetry is meaningful to so Forbes, Curator of Rare Books, display a Academy of Distinguished Alumni.” many West Virginians. We are honored to receive the plaque that designates the Charles C. Wise, Jr. Pease’s writings and papers are housed in the West Literary Landmark designation and to share her literary Library as a Literary Landmark. The plaque Virginia and Regional History Collection, which is heritage,” Libraries Dean Frances O’Brien said. was presented during the West Virginia Library located in the Wise Library. They were donated to WVU O’Brien worked with Penny Pugh, Head of Association Annual Conference. by her son, Douglas Pease, of Connecticut. Reference for the Downtown Campus Library, and Pease, who typically wrote under her maiden name, Harold Forbes, Curator of Rare Books, to compile remains beloved for her depiction of West Virginia information from the West Virginia and Regional History use,” O’Brien said.

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