Marian McQuade Papers
Collection
Collection Number: A&M 3222
These records document Marian McQuade's efforts to establish and promote a national holiday honoring grandparents, to be called Grandparent's Day (established by Presidential Proclamation in
1979). Also included are records documenting centenarians in West Virginia collected by Marian McQuade. Finally, miscellaneous publications and artifacts relating to coal mining are included
from Joseph McQuade, Marian McQuade's husband, who was a leader in the coal industry in West Virginia.
Series include:
Series 1. Grandparents Day (1955-1995) [box 1/folder 1 - box 7/folder 15, box 11/folder 4 - box 12/folder 11, box 13/folder 23 - box 14; box 16/folder 19 - box 18].
Series 2. Centenarians (1959-1994) [box 7/folder 16 - box 11/folder 3, box 12/folder 12 - box 13/folder 22, box 15 - box 16/folder 7].
Series 3. Joseph McQuade Papers (1853-1872, 1917-1994) [box 16/folder 8-18, box 19 - 21].
English
No special access restriction applies.
Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.
Marian (Herndon) McQuade (1917/01/18–2008/09/26) was the founder of National Grandparents Day. She served on the West Virginia Commission on Aging and the Nursing Home Licensing Board. For many years, she helped with the Past 80 Party, which was held annually in Richwood, WV. Jim Comstock, editor of 'The News Leader' and the West Virginia Hillbilly, originated the Past 80 Party.
McQuade campaigned in West Virginia and later nationwide to set aside a day for grandparents. West Virginia became the first state with a special day to honor grandparents when Gov. Arch Moore proclaimed May 27, 1973 as Grandparents Day. In September 1978, the White House called McQuade to inform her that President Jimmy Carter had signed a bill designating the Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day beginning in 1979.
(Adapted from "Marian McQuade.” Marian McQuade – Wikipedia. March 25, 2020. Accessed November 12, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_McQuade.)
25 Linear Feet (24 ft. 11 1/2 in. (1 document case, 5 in.); (1 document case, 2 1/2 in.); (19 record cartons, 15 in. each); (1 small flat storage box, 3 in.); (1 tape box, 4 in.))
Much of this collection documents the efforts of Marian McQuade as the founder of Grandparents Day including information she collected on centenarians of West Virginia. There are also miscellaneous publications and artifacts belonging to her husband, Joseph McQuade, that pertain to coal mining.
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / Fax: 304-293-3981 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/
A signature of President Bill Clinton was separated to A&M 0435, Rare Signatures.
A copy of the book "Grandparent's Day and Marian McQuade" (1982) was separated to the non-circulating book collection of the West Virginia Collection.
Part of the West Virginia and Regional History Center Repository