Public invited to view traveling exhibit at Canaan Valley Resort during WVPA Convention, Aug. 3-5
DAVIS, W.Va. – The annual convention of the West Virginia Press Association (WVPA) is hosting the display of the traveling exhibit celebrating the life and career of Senator Robert C. Byrd from Aug. 3-5 at the Canaan Valley Resort.
Honoring the 100th Anniversary of the longest-serving U.S. Senator in history, the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education has created a major traveling exhibit, “Robert C. Byrd: Senator, Statesman, West Virginian.” The exhibit is touring the state of West Virginia to culminate with a celebration of Senator Byrd’s 100th birthday in November at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston.
The annual WVPA convention brings together media leaders, industry experts and other stakeholders to examine major issues and challenges facing citizens and leeaders of the Mountain State. “West Virginia: Adapting to Marketplace Changes” is the theme of the 2017 gathering. Dr. Jay Wyatt, director of programs and research at the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education, will be attending and participating in convention activities.
Don Smith, executive director of the WVPA, said, “To residents of the Mountain State, Sen. Robert C. Byrd is the epitome of a statesman, scholar, gentleman and West Virginian. We are thrilled and honored to have the traveling exhibit celebrating Sen. Byrd’s life and career at Canaan for the WVPA Convention. We know this exhibit will be a highlight for our attendees and the other guests at Canaan Valley.”
The exhibit is based on documents and photographs from Senator Byrd’s extensive archive of 60 years of public service and includes images as widely varied as Senator Byrd’s childhood drawings to photographs of him meeting with presidents, said Wyatt.
“For any West Virginian who remembers Senator Byrd, the exhibit will bring back memories of what he has done for this state and the nation,” Wyatt said. ““One of the most popular features of the exhibit is a large map of West Virginia showing all the federal projects Senator Byrd helped to bring to the state. We are still adding up the amount of funding for federal projects Senator Byrd brought to West Virginia, but so far it exceeds 10 billion dollars for roads, highways, schools, flood control projects, coal miner benefits, and federal agencies.”
“Everywhere we have taken the exhibit thus far we have heard personal and heartfelt stories from those who had encounters with Senator Byrd or who remember how he impacted their lives,” Wyatt added.
“The Byrd Center thanks the many West Virginia media outlets for their support of the exhibit and our our mission. We hope that the approaching centennial of Senator Byrd’s birth prompts print and broadcast media in West Virginia to reflect on the many ways that his efforts positively effected the state as well as the counties and communities they serve.”
The exhibit is open to guests of the Canaan Valley Resort and to local citizens from Thursday, Aug. 3 to Saturday, Aug. 5. More information about the traveling exhibit is available at http://www.byrdcenter.org/traveling-exhibit.html.
# # #
About the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education: The mission of the Robert C. Byrd Center is to advance representative democracy by promoting a better understanding of the United States Congress and the Constitution through programs and research that engage citizens in the history of Congress. The Center is the home of the Robert C. Byrd Archive containing the papers and records of the Senator’s long career. More can be found at http://www.byrdcenter.org/
