Ancella Bickley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ancella Bickley
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 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 on July 4, 1930, is an important American historian. She grew up in Huntington, West Virginia. She earned her first college degree in English from West Virginia State College in 1950. This school is now known as West Virginia State University.
She then earned a master's degree in English from Marshall University in 1954. She was the first full-time African American student at Marshall University. Later, in 1974, she earned her doctorate degree in English from West Virginia University. Dr. Bickley has spent her life working to preserve and share the history of African Americans in West Virginia.
Ancella Bickley's Career
Dr. Bickley is a professor emeritus of English. This means she is a retired professor who still holds her title because of her great work. She used to be the vice president of academic affairs at West Virginia State University. Now, she lives in Florida.
She continues to work hard to bring more attention to African Americans. She highlights their history in the Appalachian region and their many achievements. She helped edit a book called Memphis Tennessee Garrison: The Remarkable Story of a Black Appalachian Woman. This book was published by Ohio University Press.
Dr. Bickley has also written many stories and articles. Some of her writings have appeared in Goldenseal, a cultural magazine from West Virginia. She also conducted and published interviews for the Oral History of Appalachia Program at Marshall University.
In 1993, Bill Drennen, who was in charge of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, interviewed Dr. Bickley. This interview was part of a series called Cultural Conversations. In 1999, she was recognized as a Rockefeller Foundation Scholar. This honor came through the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Gender in Appalachia (CSEGA) at Marshall University.
Her Important Work and Legacy
Dr. Bickley has given many important documents to the West Virginia State Archives. About half of these materials are related to the annual West Virginia Conferences on Black History. These conferences started 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 works to collect and preserve black history across the state.
The West Virginia & Regional History Center at WVU Libraries also has a collection of Dr. Bickley's papers. These papers include her research, her work for the community, and details about her family life.
Books and Articles She Wrote
In 1997, Dr. Bickley published a book called Our Mount Vernons. This book helps identify important places related to 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 stories and articles 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. Other works she has written include short stories. These stories are titled Martha, On This Rock, and My Simple City.
