By David Esteppe
The sponsors of West Virginia History Day at the Legislature, along with the West Virginia Archives and History Commission, have announced that JoLynn Ball of Lewisburg will be one of 33 people recognized as a West Virginia History Hero at the History Day program at the Culture Center on the Capitol Complex on Feb. 19 in Charleston.
Nominated by the Greenbrier Historical Society (GHS), Ball has been a valued member of the GHS for many years. She served on the board of directors from 2000-2006, serving as secretary during that time. She has been a member of the personnel committee where she assisted in interviewing and selecting new staff, and providing annual staff evaluations. According to GHS, Ball started the computerized index of the materials in the archives and library, as well as organized the library’s physical space. She helped in the early sorting of Greenbrier County court documents, and is currently organizing photographs taken during the society’s 50 years of existence.
West Virginia History Heroes are nominated by historical, genealogical, preservation, museum, patriotic or like organizations from across the state. The purpose of the award is to give state-level recognition to individuals chosen for their dedicated service on behalf of an organization’s programs or for a recent significant contribution to state and local history through research, interpretation, publication or preservation. The West Virginia History hero award is a one-time only recognition.
The 2015 awards program will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the State Theater at the Cultural Center and conclude by 11 a.m. Honorees’ local legislators have been invited to participate in the ceremony. Photographs will be taken at this time and copies are available by visiting www.wvculture.zenfolio.com and selecting 2015 History Heroes.
Ball says, “I am very, very honored. I was surprised and honored to be a history hero and to have been nominated by the Greenbrier Historical Society.” She stated that there is an overwhelming amount of historical relevance in Greenbrier County, and that she is proud of the work everyone has done over time to preserve so much material and objects of interest. When asked if anything stands out in her years with GHS. Ball said that she is always tickled by tourists or locals looking through the archives and finding relations that they may or may not have known had a connection to Greenbrier County or West Virginia.
Other sponsors of West Virginia History Day are Friends of Culture and History, Mining Your History Foundation, Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, Inc., West Virginia Association of Museums, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, West Virginia Historical Society and the West Virginia Humanities Council.
