Ancella Bickley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ancella Bickley
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| Born |
Ancella Radford Bickley
July 4, 1930 |
| Education | West Virginia State College, Marshall University |
| Alma mater | West Virginia University |
| Title | Professor Emeritus |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | West Virginia State University |
Ancella Radford Bickley (born July 4, 1930) is an American historian. She was born in Huntington, West Virginia. She studied English at several universities.
In 1950, she earned her first degree from West Virginia State College. This school is now called West Virginia State University. She then got a master's degree from Marshall University in 1954. She was the first full-time African American student there. Later, in 1974, she earned her doctorate degree from West Virginia University. Ancella Bickley is dedicated to preserving the history of African Americans in West Virginia.
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Her Work
Ancella Bickley is a professor emeritus of English. This means she is a retired professor who keeps her title. She used to be the vice president of academic affairs at West Virginia State University. Today, she lives in Florida.
She continues to work hard to highlight the history of African Americans. She especially focuses on their stories and achievements in the Appalachia region. With Lynda Ann Ewen, she helped edit a book. It was called Memphis Tennessee Garrison: The Remarkable Story of a Black Appalachian Woman. She has also written many stories and articles. Some of these appeared in West Virginia's cultural magazine, Goldenseal. She also recorded and published interviews for Marshall University's Oral History of Appalachia Program.
In 1993, Bill Drennen interviewed Ancella Bickley. He was the commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Their talk was part of the Cultural Conversations series. In 1999, she was a Rockefeller Foundation Scholar. This was through a center at Marshall University.
Her Legacy
Ancella Bickley has given many important documents to the West Virginia State Archives. About half of these papers are about the annual West Virginia Conferences on Black History. These conferences began in 1988. Other materials she donated are about the Alliance for the Collection, Preservation, and Dissemination of West Virginia's Black History. This group was formed to plan the conferences. It also helps collect and save black history across the state.
The West Virginia & Regional History Center at WVU Libraries also has her papers. These documents cover her research, community work, and family life.
Her Books and Writings
In 1997, Ancella Bickley published a book called Our Mount Vernons. This book helps identify important places for Black history in West Virginia.
She also co-edited Memphis Tennessee Garrison: The Remarkable Story of a Black Appalachian Woman. This book was published by Ohio University Press. She has written many articles and stories for different publications. These include the West Virginia cultural magazine, Goldenseal. She also wrote a history of the West Virginia Schools for the Colored Deaf and Blind.
Some of her other short stories include Martha, On This Rock, and My Simple City.
See Also
- West Virginia State University
- Marshall University
- West Virginia University
