Celebrating Women’s History Month
Poet Louise McNeill, the daughter of Douglas (”G.D.”) and Grace McNeill, was born January 9, 1911 on the Thomas McNeill farm at Buckeye, West Virginia. She married Roger W. Pease, of Ashfield, Mass. in 1939 and they had one son, Douglas McNeill Pease. She received her education at Edray District High School, Concord College and Miami University of Ohio. She received her PhD at West Virginia University in 1959.
Dr. Pease began her teaching career in Pocahontas County. She taught at Potomac State College, Concord College, Fairmont State and Davis and Elkins College.
She began her writing career selling short poems to the Saturday Evening Post. Her first collection, “Mountain White” was published in 1931. She went on to publish six other collections with her best-known work, “Gauley Mountain” being published in 1939.
In 1979, Gov. Jay Rockefeller named Louise McNeill West Virginia’s Poet Laureate, a title that she held until her death on June 18, 1993. (Preserving Pocahontas Archives; ID: PHP008047)
Access the “Preserving Pocahontas” Digital Library at www.pocahontaspreservation.org or www.preservingpocahontas.org
If you have historical records or photographs to be scanned for the county Historical Archive contact Preservation Officer B. J. Gudmundsson at 304-799-3989 or email info@pocahontaspreservation.org Prints of photographs are available.