Here are more letters to Governor Manchin of West Virginia concerning the dismissal of the Director of archives and history at the State Capitol, Fred Armstrong:

November 12, 2007


The Honorable Joe Manchin III
Governor, State of West Virginia
1900 Kanawha Boulevard,
East Charleston, West Virginia 25305

Dear Governor Manchin:

As a native West Virginian, a historian, and a graduate of WVU, I write to you from a personal and a professional perspective about the abrupt dismissal of Fredrick Armstrong from his long-time position as Director of Archives and History while you were on a trade mission to China. From a personal perspective, I have known Fred since he, George Menas of Farmington (whose mother Eva worked in Papa Joe’s supermarket), and I attended graduate school together in history at WVU in the early 1970s. Having known Fred well the past 35 years, I can truthfully say that I have never encountered anyone who was more honest, devoted, and hard-working at any job assigned to him. Given a responsibility to execute, Fred always goes “way beyond the call of duty” and strives to produce the best product with the resources at hand. He willingly, uncomplainingly has given countless uncompensated hours of time and labor to help people, whether they be poor folks needing home repairs in Clay County, or local officials needing assistance with the acquisition and preservation of historical documents. From my 45-year career as a teacher, veteran, research analyst, communications director, and congressional affairs officer, I have never seen anyone give his all to the mission at hand as has Fred Armstrong. By every account, that unstinting dedication has been a hallmark of his service as West Virginia’s Director of Archives and History.

From a professional standpoint, Fred has been a superb director. Under his expert leadership and management, the archival collections have more than doubled in size, the photographic repository has expanded from one filing cabinet to more than 85,000 images, the audio-visual collection was begun and is now acquiring tapes of news broadcasts by major radio and television stations, veterans’ records from the Civil War through the Vietnam War have been made accessible on-line, the files of former corporations have been preserved, the Mining Your History Foundation was established for genealogists to volunteer time and raise funds to supplement the limited budget of Archives and History, workshops have been held with churches on the keeping of religious archives, and initiatives to preserve and protect historic documents were launched with officials in every county (this year, the legislative auditor gave a perfect evaluation of the county records preservation program under the auspices of Archives and History). While overseeing these major efforts, Fred–often on his own time–has personally talked to thousands of West Virginians about where to find information on the history of their families. Not surprisingly, as an active member of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference and the Society of American Archivists, he is highly respected by his peers and has represented the State of West Virginia in an exemplary manner.

Sir, in your capacity as Governor, I appeal to you to reconsider Commissioner Reid-Smith’s ill-advised decision to fire Fred Armstrong without cause and to restore him to the position he so ably and conscientiously filled. Doing so will correct a gross injustice and clearly signify the compassion you said you expected to be extended to a loyal, long-serving state employee.

Sincerely,

Charles Emerson Walker, Ph.D.
West Virginia University, 1973

From: “Duke.Talbott”
Sent 11/12/2007 11:06:11 PM
To: Governor@WVGov.org

Dear Governor Manchin:

I would like to speak up on behalf of Fred Armstrong who has so effectively served as State Archivist. I have known Fred for over 35 years as a fellow graduate student, professional colleague, and friend. He is an outstanding individual who has been highly committed in his dedication to the people and to the state of West Virginia.

As a historian, I know that at any time that I needed help, I could call on Fred. On several occasions, he guest lectured to students in my “West Virginia History” classes at Glenville State College on utilizing the state’s many archival resources to learn about our history.

As I have conducted research on West Virginia’s history over the years, Fred has been available to provide help in locating the original sources which are so necessary for achieving results. My current research is on ethnic diversity in West Virginia, including the many different immigrant groups which contributed to building our great state. Fred has been an invaluable resource in helping locate the proper documents, as well as in identifying individuals to interview.

His dedication and devotion to building the archives over the years has earned him the respect of historians and researchers throughout West Virginia, as well as throughout the United States. He has been a true asset to our state.

I urge you to review the unfortunate decision of the administrator in charge of the Department of Culture and History and reinstate an individual who has made such a significant contribution to the study of West Virginia’s history and families. Justice and fairness will truly be served by such an action.

Sincerely Yours,

Duke Talbott, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus