Ronald Lewis, Historian, Papers
Collection
Collection Number: A&M 3882
This collection contains materials of various formats used and created by historian Dr. Ronald Lewis throughout his career. There are records and course materials from classes taught by Dr. Lewis at the University of Delaware and, primarily, at West Virginia University (WVU). It includes other documents relating to his work as a faculty advisor to graduate students in WVU’s history department. There is extensive documentation of his research, most of which was done on Appalachian history and West Virginia coal mining, including articles he has written, facsimiles of primary and secondary sources used in his research, and A/V materials like oral histories. Records generated from Dr. Lewis’s scholarly activities are included, such as book and article reviews and conference presentations. There are also materials relating to his other professional pursuits, such as his membership in historical organizations and correspondence with other professionals in the field. This collection provides a broad overview of the work of an historian in an academic institution.
The dates provided are reflective of material creation, except within the Welsh Miners and Scott’s Run subseries. These dates, listed in folder titles, reflect the content and were determined by the donor when he created and titled these files. Please be aware that the dates may not be accurate for every item within the folder/box but rather reflect the general timeframe of the subject matter.
Born digital and audiovisual materials exist within the collection as floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, and cassettes.
Addendum of 2024 May 29 includes similar materials but reflects Dr. Lewis's more recent work. There are materials relating to his work as a professor and faculty member, the development of two books and other publications, and documentation of his career. Common formats include lecture notes, facsimiles of research sources, and correspondence; digital materials exist within the addendum as floppy disks, zip disks, and CDs.
Content with student grades located in boxes 1 (folders 1-2, 10, 12, 15-24), 7, 21 (folders 1-2), and 23 must be closed for 75 years after the date of record creation. If interested in viewing restricted student records, please contact the West Virginia & Regional History Center at https://westvirginia.libanswers.com/wvrhc in advance. The reference department will need to assess these materials and protect sensitive content prior to granting access to researchers.
Content including social security numbers located in boxes 1 (folders 1-6, 9) and 21 (career materials subseries) will be restricted for 75 years after the date of record creation, but researchers may complete the Agreement for the Use of Sensitive Materials to request access to these materials prior to the expiration of the restriction. Please contact the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department in advance to request access.
Content including personnel files, like faculty evaluations and position appointments, located in box 21 (career materials subseries and folders 1-2) and box 26 (folder 4) must be closed for 75 years after the date of record creation. If interested in viewing personnel files, please contact the West Virginia & Regional History Center in advance. The reference department will need to assess these materials and protect sensitive content prior to granting access to researchers.
Researchers may access born digital materials by requesting to view them in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department. Some of these materials are not yet reformatted and must be requested in advance.
Audiovisual materials must be digitized for research access. Researchers must contact the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department in advance.
All or part of this collection is stored offsite. Please make an appointment prior to visiting.
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.
A professor emeritus of history at West Virginia University, Lewis received his PhD in American History from the University of Akron in 1974. He focused on regional studies, especially Appalachian history. His first teaching opportunity was at the University of Delaware as an assistant professor from 1974 to 1985, where he focused primarily on the intersection of race and labor in the United States. He was then hired in 1985 to teach West Virginian and Appalachian History at West Virginia University. He earned emeritus status in 2008. He has authored many books, earned several awards, and was a Fulbright-Hayes Commission Award Recipient.
33.46 Linear Feet (33 ft. 5.5 in. (1 document case, 5 in.; 1 document case, 4 in.; 1 document case, 2.5 in.; 26 record cartons, 15 in. each.))
4.46 Gigabytes (745 files, formats include .pdf, .wpd, .doc, .jpg, .tif, .xls, .ppt, etc.)
English
The original order established by Dr. Lewis has been retained in much of the collection. Series and subseries have only been imposed where they accurately categorize the initial physical arrangement, allowing for the majority of Lewis’s organization to remain intact. The imposed series — 1. Teaching, 2. Research and Scholarly Activity, and 3. Professional Service and Additional Career Materials — were chosen to represent the three main facets of university faculty work. Series 4 is comprised of an addendum received in 2024, and subseries have been imposed based on the existing series structure.
Many of the folder titles within this collection, including in the addendum, were created by Dr. Lewis and incorporated as-is during archival arrangement. He frequently utilized abbreviations and acronyms, especially in reference to academic institutions and professional organizations.
This collection includes a formerly separate WVRHC collection (A&M 3634, Ronald Lewis, Historian, Research Notes Regarding Timber Industry in West Virginia). It has been added to this collection in its entirety at the donor's request, so that his body of work can be represented together.
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/
Multiple gifts from Lewis, Ronald: 2008/07/25, 2012/12/20, and 2024/05/29
A group of bound dissertations has been separated at the donor's request. They were written from 1990-2009 and focus on West Virginia-related historical subjects. Dr. Lewis served on the dissertaion committee for each. These items were passed on, to be made available in the WVRHC main stacks.
Part of the West Virginia and Regional History Center Repository