Appointment of Marie Foster Gnage to the West Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission

Parkersburg, W.Va. 6/20/11 – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced Friday the appointment of five individuals to the West Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission. Of those five is West Virginia University at Parkersburg President Marie Foster Gnage, Ph.D.

The mission of the West Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission is to promote awareness and celebrate the unique creation of the State of West Virginia, the role of its citizens during the Civil War era, and the continuing effect of the war on our people. The 13-member commission is comprised of representatives from the Legislature, key state agencies, historians and scholars.

“It’s an honor to represent our community in this commission to preserve the state’s Civil War heritage,” said Gnage. "The war played a significant role in the development of our Parkersburg, and it is important to continue educating people about our unique history.”

Gnage brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the commission with an extensive background in American literature and a research emphasis on early Southern African American writers. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from Alcorn A&M College, a master's degree in English from University of Southwestern Louisiana and doctoral degree in English from The Florida State University. Gnage became the sixth president of WVU Parkersburg in 2004.

Marie Foster Gnage, Ph.D.

Always taking an active role in the community, she serves on various boards, including the Parkersburg Art Center; the Economic Roundtable of Ohio Valley; the West Virginia Humanities Council; the Black Diamond Girl Scouts; the United Way of the Mid-Ohio Valley; and the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley. She has authored several publications including “Voice, Mind, Self: Mother and Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s Fiction,” in Women of Color, UP Press (Fall 1996), A Bio-bibliography of Southern Black Creative Writers, 1829 – 1953, Greenwood Press, Inc., (1988), and “Reconfiguring Self: A Matter of Place in Selected Novels by Paul Marshall,” in Middle Passages and the Healing Place of History: Migration and Identity in Black Women’s Literature, The Ohio University Press (2006).

CONTACT: Patsy Bee, executive assistant to the president, 304-424-8200

For additional information, contact: Katie Wootton WVU Parkersburg Director of Marketing and Communications 304-424-8203 E-mail