ALUMNI “WALL OF HONOR” The West Liberty University Alumni Board of Directors instituted a project in 1990 to demonstrate to current students, visitors, and friends that the college has some very successful graduates. This project, known as the “Alumni Wall of Honor,” is a dramatic way to honor some of the college’s most distinguished alumni and display pride in the accomplishments of its graduates. The concept was suggested by then Associate Professor of Physics Robert W. Schramm, who is a 1958 graduate of the college and a 2002 Alumni Wall of Honor inductee. The Alumni Wall of Honor is housed in the south end of the Union known as the Alumni Lounge.
Kenneth K. Kadar was a life long resident of the Ohio Valley. He enjoyed a successful career in the radio and television broadcasting industry. He was also an accomplished amateur tennis player. Kadar was an advocate of higher education and passionately served his community through leadership positions in the Upper…
Senator Jeff Kessler earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Economics and Political Science at West Liberty, then went on to earn a Juris Doctor degree from WVU College of Law in 1981. A founding partner in the Moundsville firm of Berry, Kessler, Crutchfield, Taylor and Gordon, he served…
Fred T. Kinder, a native of Glen Dale, West Virginia, is a 1968 graduate of West Liberty State College with bachelor’s degrees in both chemistry and math. Fred began his career as an engineer for an electronics company in Erie, Pennsylvania. Eventually, he made his way to Northern California’s Silicon…
Herman “Bucky” R. Kopf graduated West Liberty State College in 1964 and went into business creating Kopf Construction with very little capital. Under his leadership, Kopf Builders has become one of the largest homebuilders and developers in the Greater Cleveland area. Kopf currently serves as chairman of American National Bank, a…
Bob Kuckuck was raised on Wheeling Island and graduated from Wheeling High School. After receiving a B.S. degree in physics from West Liberty in 1960, he went on to earn an M.Sc. in physics from The Ohio State University and a Ph.D. in physics/applied science from the University of California.…
A native of Wheeling, West Virginia, Barbara “Barb” Laifer is a 1975 graduate of West Liberty State College with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in music, speech and theatre with a minor in speech therapy. She holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Austin Peay State University and…
A Wheeling native, Lary Loew earned a B.S. degree in economics from West Liberty State College in 1975. After graduating he started his 35-year association with The Equitable Life Assurance Society (now AXA Financial). He led the Mountaineer Agency in sales on several occasions, received numerous awards from Equitable and…
Zachary Loughman is a graduate of WLU, where he earned a bachelor’s in biology in 2002. After West Liberty, Loughman earned a master’s degree in biology at Marshall University focusing in herpetology, and earned his doctoral degree in evolution and ecology from Indiana State University in 2011. His professional tenure…
Richard A. “Rich” Lucas, a native of Wellsburg, West Virginia, graduated from West Liberty State College in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in accounting, and passed the Certified Public Accounting Exam in 1990. He began his accounting career with S R Snodgrass, CPAs, in 1986 and worked…
Henry R. Marockie was appointed West Virginia State superintendent of schools in 1989. Prior to the appointment, his entrepreneurial spirit as superintendent in Ohio County led to numerous recognitions and awards, including one of America’s Best and Brightest School Executives. His leadership as state superintendent transformed the education landscape in…
James G. Marsh established the major underpinnings for the discipline of satellite geodesy and the use of satellite observations for studies of the solid earth. His major accomplishments were realized while employed by the Goddard Space Flight Center in the Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics. Marsh has received awards from NASA…
Toni Jo Mason graduated from West Liberty State College in 1960 with a B.A. degree earned in social studies and English, with a minor in speech. She earned her master’s degree from Marshall University in 1964 and a Ph.D. in administration/supervision with emphasis in teacher education and special education from…