just another Warwood brat, son of Clyde and Vera,
running the streets with Moe, Rudy, Mario, Bill, and Ray near North 20th
pacing the courts at the YMCA under his dad’s skeptical eye
lettering in three sports at Warwood High: OVAC All-Star in football
Y-counselor at Oglebay luring young Miss Luhan to a family-weekend dance: 1950
claiming WLSC’s Mr. Hilltopper Award: 1953
ignoring an English prof’s non-recommendation to graduate school: “Thon, you’d
be better off pumping gas!”
responding with an MA in Chemistry from North Carolina State and a Ph.D.
degree in Biochemistry from WVU
securing 31 patents while at Mobay
making the lovely Miss Luhan his bride in 1956?
being father—great and grand- to Leslie, Emily, Hannah, and Colby
golfing with Hank, Don, Dick, Andy, Rollie, and Bob
drinking beers and playing pool at Beck’s and Bernie’s
winning billiards championships with Nelson
teaching Sunday-school at Warwood United Methodist for fifty-six years
smoking billows away from bicentennial heart-attack
running the roads with Bill to repair
winning “Take-up-another-Sport” trophies with Jack, Art, Gray, and Dave
eating at Fig’s
dinner-dating with the Farnsworths and Kepners
serving on multiple Boards of Directors
making fruit jams. apple-butter, and ketchup
“Let(ting) There Be Light!”
lovingly petting dogs
being Departmental Chair, School Director, and Dean with Bob, Larry, Dave, Les,
Andy, and John
taking the reins at three colleges: Bluefield, WLSC, and JCC
having Campbell Hall dedicated in his honor: 2012
affirming family and friends: reaffirming faith
being inducted into the Wheeling Hall of Fame:
now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of the Stifels, Schenck, Oglebay,
and Marsh:
not too shabby for a former Warwood brat–
(no telling what he could’ve done with a gas-pump nozzle in his hand!)
David J. Thomas is a Professor of English at West Liberty University, who is entering his thirty-third year of teaching on the collegiate-level. Originally from Burgettstown, PA, Thomas has lived in West Virginia since 1975. He attended West Liberty State College for a BA in English and History in 1975, Eastern Kentucky University in 1975, Marshall University for an MA in American Literature in 1977, and West Virginia University for a Ph. D. in Modern American Literature in 1992. He was also graduated as a Masters Naturalist in 2010 from the WV DNR. He was elected as the Professor of the Year at WLSC/WLU four different years. He also published a book of poetry, . . .only the trying. . . in 1991. He has additionally published over one hundred poems and articles in the past third of a century. Moreover, he is an award-winning poet, essayist, and cook.