A Brief History of the W-Club

On a fall West Virginia Sunday morning in 1975, the day after West Virginia State’s Homecoming, a group of West Virginia State College alumni met in a Charleston, West Virginia hotel. The agenda was to brainstorm as to how to raise funds for athletics as well as restore athletics to the status of previous years. The open discussion was chaired by Attorney William Lonesome, an alumnus of the school and a very distinguished leader.

After several hours of discussion, it was decided that a National “W” Club would be formed to raise funds for athletic programs. A year later, in 1976, a meeting was held the night before the Homecoming game to formally establish a new National “W” Club.

The first officers of the National “W” Club elected at the 1976 meeting were: Dr. Frank E. Enty, president; Rupert G. Curry, vice president; Herbert B. Thompson, treasurer, and Herbert H. Henderson, attorney/secretary.

Attorney Herbert Henderson was assigned the responsibility of acquiring corporate status for the organization. The hard, long, pro-bono legal work of Mr. Henderson gained corporate status for the National “W” Club in 1978. The incorporators were Dr. Frank E. Enty, Rupert Curry, Herbert B. Thompson, William L. Lonesome, and Herbert Henderson.

Washington, D.C. was selected as the home base for the National “W” Club.

The “W” Club has two chapters, the Institute Chapter and the Shenandoah Chapter which is located in Martinsburg, W.Va. Both chapters are instrumental in the success of the National “W” Club.
Herbert Thompson wrote the first by-laws for the National “W” Club.

In 1979, at a “W” Club Homecoming meeting, Mr. Glover Smiley proposed the establishing of an Athletic Hall of Fame. It was voted on and passed by the membership.

The first Hall of Famers were inducted in 1980. They were Chester A. Burris; Mark H. Cardwell; Samuel A. Gamble; Vasco D Hale; Adolph P. Hamblin; Louis R. W. Johnson; Earl Lloyd; Floyd Meadows; Roderick L. Price, and Marvin H. Richardson.

Former presidents of the National “W” Club are Dr. Frank Enty, Rupert Curry, Vandy Miller, Madison Broadnax, and Henry R. Bellinger. In 1998, Cornelious Jones was elected to the presidency.

The WVSC Sports Hall of Fame, located in the Canty House on the campus of WVSU, was dedicated to Mark H. Cardwell, Sr. on October 13, 1990. This facility showcases academic and athletic triumphs of West Virginia State College athletes.

On April 7, 2004, Gov. Bob Wise signed House Bill 448, which granted university status to West Virginia State; thus, the new name became West Virginia State University.

• Cornelious Jones ~ 2000 – 2007
• Frank Enty ~ 1999
• Hank Bellinger ~ 1991 – 1997
• Madison Broadnax ~ 1987 – 1990
• Vandy Miller ~ 1983 – 1986
• Rupert Curry ~ 1980 – 1982 & 1998