For 156 years (and hopefully 156 to come) West Virginia University has served as the shining light of economic hope in West Virginia.
Feb. 7, 1867 was the day West Virginia University (then known as the "Agricultural College of West Virginia") was founded in Morgantown. The university has grown from one building at its founding (Martin Hall) to now serving as the educational and economic hub not only of Morgantown but also all of West Virginia.
Much obviously has changed over the past 156 years.
Today, nearly 30,000 students from all over the world are enrolled at WVU. The university employs thousands of educational and support staff and offers 141 undergraduate majors and 267 graduate majors.
Professors at the school not only educate the next generation, they also help shape economic policy in the state and provide insight and perspective into a variety of issues. And work within WVU's Statler College of Engineering in recent years uncovered the Volkswagen emissions scandal.
The growth and prominence of WVU as an academic institution has increased sharply over the past few decades, with the university in recent years attaining the status as a Carnegie R1 Research Institution, one of only 146 in the nation.
President E. Gordon Gee is among a group of leaders in recent years that have elevated WVU in the national conversation while keeping the university true to its roots.
Happy (belated) 156th birthday, West Virginia University.
Mountaineers will always remain proud and free under your watch.