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Original newspapers documenting historical events. Topics include deceased Presidents and political events of the United States, space flight, and the American Civil War, among others. Some of the newspapers were published in West Virginia; some are from the United Kingdom. Abbreviations used in the contents list includes F/P (front page), B/P (back page), and FSO (front section only).

Collection of photocopied correspondence and documents relating to William Short (1759-1849).

Correspondence, speeches, and newspaper clippings of a West Virginia Republican chairman, U.S. senator (serving in 1958), and member of the 1960 Republican National Convention platform committee.

Two legal documents from members of the Stanford family of Abbotts Salford, located in the county of Warwickshire, England. Includes an indenture, 1639, made between John Stanford and William Courteen for a piece of land called Honyham. The indenture was for a period of 7 years. The collection also contains a legal patent for William Stanford dated 1720. Documents are fragile.

The papers of A. E. Dick Howard reflect his academic and professional endeavors. The archives have received five installments of papers from Professor Howard, plus an entire collection: The Papers of A. E. Dick Howard for the Virginia Commission for Constitutional Revision, received in 1981, MSS 81-4. Papers related to the nomination of Judge Robert Bork to the Supreme Court: these files consist of some reports and statements in relation to the nomination of Judge Robert H. Bork to the Supreme Court. Professor Howard was a commentator on the McNeil/Lehrer NewsHour during the confirmation hearings. Bill O'Brien, a student assistant, helped him to collect all of the information. Addendum [a]: Central and Eastern European New Constitutions: these files relate to Howard's involvement on the writing of new constitutions in Central and Eastern Europe at the collapse of the Soviet Union. The files were processed trying to convey their original organization and consist of correspondence, memoranda, working papers and numerous printed materials.

The Thruston family commonplace book (1604-1925; 0.03 cubic feet) documents the family history of the Thruston family of Bristol and Virginia, with early records concerning Martin's Hundred, Virginia, a plantation on the north shore of the James River, first settled in 1638. The manuscript opens with an "Epistle dedicatory" dated 25 October 1628 by Abell Louering, addressed to Robert Rogers, Esq., whose wife was present at the baptism of John Thruston's son John. The manuscript then passes to John Thruston, Chamberlain of Bristol (1606-1675), son of Malachais Thurston of Wellington. Thurston had 16 children with his first wife, Thomasine Rich. Their various births, deaths, and marriages are recorded here, including the birth of son Edward in 1638. Dr. Edward Thurston began writing in the book in 1666, and his entries contain the first reference to Virginia in the manuscript.

The Ephemera Collection contains material primarily acquired for teaching. It includes material in various formats, most of which have been previously published. The collection is currently being processed and new items will be added on an ongoing basis. For this reason, the indicated date range is approximate at this point.