West Virginia University
West Virginia University
| Established | 1867 |
|---|---|
| School type | Public university |
| President | David C. Hardesty |
| Location | Morgantown, WV |
| Enrollment | 26,051 |
| Faculty | 1,071 |
| Faculty to Student Ratio | 19:1 |
| Campuses | Urban and Suburban |
| Sports teams | The Mountaineers |
| Mascot | The Mountaineer |
| Homepage | www.wvu.edu |
West Virginia University is an institute of higher learning based in Morgantown, West Virginia, with off-site campuses in Parkersburg, Montgomery, Keyser and Charleston, West Virginia. WVU was founded in 1867 as a land-grant university with the help of the Morrill Act, and was originally called the "Agricultural College of West Virginia." The university gained its current name in 1868. Enrollment for Fall semester of 2005 was 26,051 with school projections estimating enrollment reaching 30,000 before the year 2010.
The university offers 170 different majors in 13 different colleges. These colleges are the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, & Consumer Sciences; the College of Business & Economics, the College of Creative Arts; the School of Dentistry; the Eberly College of Arts & Sciences; the School of Social Work & Public Administration; the College of Engineering & Mineral Resources, the Office of Academic Affairs; the College of Law; the College of Human Resources & Education; the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism; the School of Physical Education; the School of Medicine; the School of Dentistry; the School of Nursing; and the School of Pharmacy. Some of these programs, especially Nursing, Pharmacy, Engineering and Education, have almost 100% job placement rates after graduation. WVU also has one of the most respected forensic science programs in the United States.
Since the school's formation, 25 Rhodes Scholars, including current WVU president David C. Hardesty, have been chosen from WVU. There are only 6 other public universities with more. The university has also produced 26 Goldwater Scholars, 16 Truman Scholars, 5 members of USA Today's All-USA College Academic First Team, and 2 Udall Scholarship winners.
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Institutional Advancements
In addition to the high technological advancements the university has made, the Health Sciences division and university spending currently has over 800 million dollars in new construction including a joint venture between the Johns Hopkins University; The Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences InstituteBRNI. The BRNI is the only institute of its kind in the world, and is dedicated to the sole study of human memory. Construction on the 87 million dollar facility is already underway, and is scheduled for completion in late 2006.
The University has receieved growing national recognition for its Forensic Science and engineering programs. Upcoming projects include an engineering research park, advancements to the NASA/WVU IV&V Facility, as well as combined research with the Institute for Scientific Research [1], who is building its national research headquarters within 20 miles of WVU's Morgantown campus in Fairmont, WV (A move from the University of California, at Berkeley).
PRT System
Because the Morgantown campus is split into three campuses (Downtown, Evansdale, Health Sciences) one of the major icons at the school is a Personal rapid transit system to link them.
In 1974, Boeing began construction of the first major PRT project in Morgantown, West Virginia, designed to shuttle students between WVU's three campuses. The Downtown and Evansdale campuses, both located in the valley of the Monongahela River, were already fully developed. Because it proved impossible to develop any more valley land, WVU expanded to a separate parcel a couple of miles away on the other side of a ridge.
The WVU PRT has been in continuous operation since 1975, with about 15,000 riders per day (as of 2003). The system uses about 70 vehicles, with an advertised capacity of 20 people each (although the real number is more like 15). The system has five stations (Walnut, Beechurst, Engineering, Towers, and Medical) and a 4 mile (6 km) track. The vehicles are rubber-tired and run along electrified rails. Steam heating keeps the elevated guideway free of snow and ice. Most students habitually use it. This system was not sold to other sites because the heated track has proven too expensive. The system will occasionally break down, yet it is usually only for about ten minutes. Otherwise, it is reliable to transportation students between Downtown, Evansdale and Health Sciences.
The PRT has also been the recipient of favorable recognition. The National Society of Professional Engineers named the PRT one of the top 10 engineering achievements of 1972, and in 1998 The New Electric Railway Journal picked the WVU PRT over Disney World's monorail as the greatest people mover.
Athletics
The school's sports teams are called the Mountaineers and compete in the Big East Conference, a member of the NCAA's Division I. The school has teams in a variety of sports and has won several national championships.
Mountaineer sports were started in 1891 when a group of students organized the first football game at the school in a cow pasture. Since then, each sport at WVU has adhered to NCAA rules and regulations. See below for a list of sports offered as well as other information (as of 2004):
Baseball
- Playing Facility: Hawley Field
- Head Coach: Greg Van Zant
- Most Victories: 40 in 1994
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 12
- Last NCAA Appearance: 1996
- All-Americans: 7
- Drafted Players: 53
- Players In The Majors: 19
- Website: http://www.wvubaseball.com
Men's Basketball
- Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum
- Head Coach: John Beilein
- Most Victories: 29 in 1959
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 19
- NIT Appearances: 14
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2005
- All-Americans: 13
- Drafted Players: 28
- Players In The NBA: 11
Women's Basketball
- Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum
- Head Coach: Mike Carey
- Most Victories: 26 in 1992
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3
- WNIT Appearances: 2
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2004
- All-Americans: 3
- Drafted Players: 2
- Players In The WNBA: 1
Cross Country
- Head Coach: Jeff Huntoon
- NCAA Appearances: 2
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2000
- All-Americans: 2
Football
- Playing Facility: Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium
- Head Coach: Rich Rodriguez
- Most Victories: 11 in 1988 and 1993
- Bowl Game Appearances: 25
- Last Bowl Game Appearance: 2005 Gator Bowl
- All-Americans: 9
- Drafted Players: 150
- Players Currently In The NFL: 19
- All-Time NFL Players: 132
- Pro Football Hall of Famers: 2
- Couches Burnt during last game: 117
Gymnastics
- Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum
- Head Coach: Linda Burdette
- Most Victories: 26 in 1992
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3
- AIAW Appearances: 1
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2000
- All-Americans: 4
Rifle
- Playing Facility: WVU Shell Building
- Head Coach: Marsha Beasley
- Most Victories: 19 in 1964
- NCAA Appearances: 24
- NCAA Team Championships: 13
- National Individual Champions: 20
- NCAA All-Americans: 65
- Olympians: 12
Men's Soccer
- Playing Facility: Mountaineer Soccer Complex
- Head Coach: Mike Seabolt
- Most Victories: 13 in 1966 and 1999
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 7
- Last NCAA Appearance: 1992
- All-Americans: 4
- Mountaineer Professionals: 12
Women's Soccer
- Playing Facility: Mountaineer Soccer Complex
- Head Coach: Nikki Izzo-Brown
- Most Victories: 18 in 2002
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 4
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2003
- All-Americans: 3
- Academic All-American: 4
- Mountaineer Professionals: 2
Men's Swimming
- Playing Facility: WVU Natatorium
- Head Coach: Sergio Lopez
- Most Victories: 11 in 1966
- NCAA Qualifiers: 19
- NCAA All-Americans: 2
- Olympians: 1
Women's Swimming
- Playing Facility: WVU Natatorium
- Head Coach: Sergio Lopez
- Most Victories: 9 in 1990
- NCAA Qualifiers: 9
- NCAA All-Americans: 4
- Olympians: 1
Women's Tennis
- Playing Facility: Mountaineer Tennis Courts
- Head Coach: Dan Silverstein
- Most Victories: 21 in 1990
Women's Track
- Head Coach: Jeff Huntoon
- Olympians: 2
- NCAA National Champions: 2
- NCAA All-Americans: 13
Women's Volleyball
- Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum
- Head Coach: Veronica Hammersmith
- Most Victories: 35 in 1979
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0
- Last NCAA Appearance: NA
- NIT Appearances: 1
- All-Americans: 0
- All-East: 2
Wrestling
- Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum
- Head Coach: Craig Turnbull
- Most Victories: 14 in 1976 and 1990
- NCAA Individual Appearances: 67
- Best NCAA Finish: 6th in 1991
- All-Americans: 16
- National Champions: 3
- EWL Champions: 18
School Traditions
One of the reasons WVU has such a strong history in athletics is perhaps because of the many traditions at the university. Several of the school traditions and icons are listed below:
Burning Couches
After a football game, regardless of a win or loss, students often take to the streets with their couches and set them on fire. Recently, Morgantown officials began citing students who had any "indoor" furniture on their porch in hopes of curbing this tradition.
Flying WV
The logo of the university is known as the "Flying WV," which is one of the most popular items to emerge from the Don Nehlen era of Mountaineer football. The logo was quickly adopted as the official university logo.
The Mountaineer
The Mountaineer was adopted in 1890 as the official school mascot. A new Mountaineer is selected every year by the school's senior honorary, The Mountain. The new Mountaineer is given a custom tailored outfit and carries a traditional rifle which is fired to mark the opening of sporting events. Male Mountaineers traditionally grow a beard and wear a coonskin cap.
Take Me Home, Country Roads
The John Denver song Take Me Home, Country Roads, which has become a de facto anthem for the state, has also been adopted by WVU as its unofficial theme song. It is commonly played at most home sporting events as well as other occasions on campus. John Denver himself showed up in 1980 to help dedicate the new Mountaineer Field, now called Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, and lead the crowd in Take Me Home, Country Roads. It is now part of a new tradition: After a victory, fans are encouraged to stay in the stands and sing "Take Me Home, Country Roads" along with the football team.
The Pride of West Virginia
The WVU Marching Band, nicknamed the Pride of West Virginia, was formed in 1901 as an all-male ROTC band. They perform at every home football game and make many other appearances on and off campus throughout the year. During their pre-game performance, they traditionally form an outline of the state of West Virginia as well as the Flying WV, while playing Country Roads, Hail West Virginia, and Fight Mountaineers.
Notable Alumni
- Ret. Gen. Earl E. Anderson - Marine Corp General
- Allen Appel - writer
- Phillip D. Beall - WWII & Korean War soldier & winner of a Silver Star, two Purple Hearts, and two Bronze Stars
- Terry Bowden - ABC Television Sports Analyst
- Tommy Bowden - Head Football Coach at Clemson University
- Charles Frederick Tucker Brooke - Acclaimed Shakespeare scholar and professor at Yale, Cornell & the University of London.
- Marc Bulger - St. Louis Rams Quarterback
- Gale Catlett - winningest coach in WVU basketball history
- John Chambers - President and CEO of Cisco Systems
- Jay Chattaway - a Star Trek music score writer
- Stephen Coonts - New York Times bestselling author
- William Harrison Courtney - special assistant to President Clinton
- Brig. Gen. Frank Kendall Everest, Jr - test pilot and pioneer of rocket aircraft
- Gen. Robert Fogelsong - US Air Force HQ vice chief of staff
- Bucky Guth - Minnesota Twins player
- David C. Hardesty - President of the University
- Kathleen M. Hawk - Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons
- Jeff Hostetler - Washington Redskins & New York Giants Quarterback
- Sen. Harley M. Kilgore - chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on War Mobilization during World War II
- Fuzzy Knight - writer of the WVU Fight Song and Country Western Actor
- Don Knotts - television and movie actor
- Blanche Lazzell - artist
- William Leonhart - former ambassador to Tanzania and Yugoslavia
- Joe Manchin - The 34th Governor of West Virginia
- Jon McBride - astronaut
- Alan Mollohan J.D. - United States Congressman
- Herb Morrison - announcer for Chicago station WLS who described the Hindenburg German airship bursting into flames.
- Todd Sauerbrun-NFL punter
- Cecil H. Underwood M.A.- Youngest and oldest Governor of West Virginia
- Mike Vanderjagt - Indianapolis Colts placekicker
- Charles M. Vest - President Emeritus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Jerome Alan "Jerry" West - WVU & NBA basketball player
WVU students staged a riot against the National Guard in the spring of 1970, shortly after the shootings at Kent State.
In early August 2005, Jessica Lynch, a rescued prisoner of war in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, announced that she would be attending West Virginia University; she received a full scholarship.
