Carter G. Woodson, a nationally celebrated figure also known as "The Father of Black History," developed Negro History Week in 1926.
Carter was born in New Canton, Virginia to former slaves. At the age of 17 he moved to Huntington, WV in hopes to attend Douglass High School. His education was postponed as he was forced to earn his living as a miner in the Fayette County Coal Fields.
In 1895 at 20 years of age Carter finally attended Douglass H.S. and received his diploma in less than 2 years. From 1897-1900 he taught in Winona, Fayette Co., and returned to Huntington to become the principal of Douglass H.S.
He continued his education and received a Bachelor Degree in Literature from Berea College in Kentucky, his M.A. from the University of Chicago, and finally his Ph.D in History, from Harvard University.
The Carter G. Woodson Memorial, in Huntington, features a statue of the educator on Hal Greer Boulevard, facing the location of the former Douglass High School.
Truly a Nationally Celebrated figure with strong ties to our very own West Virginia.