CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — A West Virginian accepted the nomination for President of the United States 100 years ago and that nomination is being marked with events Sunday in Clarksburg.
Clarksburg-native John W. Davis remains the only West Virginia native to be nominated by a major political party to run for president.
Cyrus Vance Jr.
His nomination came out of a nearly three-week long Democratic Party Convention in New York City in 1924, the longest convention in history.
On Aug. 11, 1924, Davis accepted the nomination at a rally on Goff Plaza in Clarksburg. Reports said there were more than 70,000 people there. It was also broadcast live on KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh. Davis lost to incumbent President Calvin Coolidge a few months later.
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The John W. Davis Centennial Commemoration will be held at the Waldomore Mansion in downtown Clarksburg beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The special guest for the event, Cyrus Vance Jr., is the son of Clarksburg native, former lawyer, politician, and diplomat Cyrus Vance who had a close connection with Davis.
“John W. Davis was a lawyer and a person who came in and out of government and hugely impacted my father. Interestingly, I think some of that career choice passed on down to me, and I feel very lucky to have a connection with Clarksburg and with John W. Davis,” Vance said Friday during an appearance on MetroNews “Talkline.” “It’s great to be back here where I visited often as a child.”
When John Vance, Cyrus Vance’s father, died in 1922 unexpectedly, Davis took him in and adopted him. This was after Davis, who was born in Clarksburg in 1873, had served as the ambassador to Great Britain and was a presidential candidate for the first time in 1920.
“My dad was born in West Virginia, and at the age of 5, he lost his dad, and John W. Davis became his surrogate father,” Vance said. “John W. Davis, as you know, had an extraordinary career as a lawyer and also in public service.”
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Cyrus Vance Sr. went on to serve as Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter. He resigned in protest in 1980 following the failed covert attempt to free the American hostages in Iran. Vance also served as Deputy Secretary of Defense, General Counsel of the Department of Defense, Secretary of the Army, and Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
“It was clear to me and all of us in our family that John W. Davis was a huge influence and a positive one on my father’s life and career,” Vance said. “That’s the message I got as a child.”
Cyrus Vance Jr. has served as the Manhattan District Attorney and Assistant District Attorney and supervised grand jury investigations, including those involving the Trump Organization. He now works with the law firm Baker McKensie, specializing in corporate cybersecurity matters.
Davis also had significant work as an attorney later in life, including presenting more than 100 cases in front of the United States Supreme Court, still more than any other American attorney.
The West Virginia Mountaineers (10-3) welcome the Maryland Terrapins (10-5) to Kendrick Family Ballpark Tuesday afternoon the first encounter between the two programs since 2023 and the first meeting in Morgantown since 2018. The first pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.
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The Mountaineers captured their fourth consecutive series of the season after taking two of the three games from Columbia over the weekend. West Virginia sophomore Matt Ineich and senior Brodie Kresser both blasted grand slams during the series. Ineich lifted WVU in game two with a walk-off grand slam in the 10th in game two, and Kresser ignited a 16-1 rout, capping a six-run second inning in the series finale.
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Gavin Kelly leads West Virginia at the plate with a .436 batting average with a Big 12 leading nine doubles. Ineich and senior Paul Schoenfeld has raked in a team-leading 16 RBI apiece, while senior Matthew Graveline has clubbed a team-high three home runs.
On the mound, West Virginia is expected to start sophomore David Hagen. The right-hander has made four appearances on the season, including one start. He last started in the home-opener against Ohio where he pitched two scoreless innings and recorded a strikeout to collect his first win of the season. He holds a 1.00 ERA with five strikeouts on the season.
After starting 3-4, Maryland is 7-1 in its last eight games. The Terrapins won two of three at UNC Wilmington in the season opening series, followed by a midweek win against Georgetown before getting swept at Louisiana. The Terps bounced back with a pair of midweek wins versus Delaware and swept a one-win Wagner team.
Junior Brayden Martin is batting a team-best .443 to go with four doubles and 12 RBI. Redshirt freshman Ryan Costello leads the Terps in home runs (9) and RBI (21) and is third in batting average at .328, while freshman Ty Kaunus has a team-high seven doubles and has .269 batting average.
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Maryland is scheduled to start freshman Nic Morlang. The right-hander has four appearances on the season, including four starts. He allowed five earned runs in his appearances, coinciding with his two starts, in six innings of work. In his last two appearances in relief, He’s allowed one earned run on five hits.
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West Virginia leads the all-time series 8-5, including a five-game winning streak over Maryland.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to a series of parties in Morgantown over the weekend.
Morgantown police officers, West Virginia University Police and state police responded to reports of overcrowded parties, underage drinking, physical altercations and multiple injuries.
Morgantown Communications Director Brad Riffie said several citations were issued for open containers and underage consumption.
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Two large parties were dispersed and six arrests were made without incident.
None of the reported injuries are believed to be serious or life-threatening.
The Morgantown Fire Department assisted in the operations.
Hancock County, WV — A Weir High School senior has been recognized as the 2026 West Virginia Student Journalist of the Year.
Hailey Hans was selected for the statewide honor after building a journalism portfolio since her freshman year. She also serves as the staff manager of Weir Student Media, where she oversees articles and is in charge of deadlines.
“When I was a freshman I was placed in the journalism one class, and I actually tried to get pulled from the class. But, then after I sat in the class and I learned a little bit, that’s where my love grew and then from there I continued to take classes, I helped pass a law, and I got to these national conventions. Where it just lit a fire inside me,” Hans said.
Hans is planning to attend West Liberty University in the fall to study education with a minor in journalism, with the goal of becoming a journalism teacher. She will now submit her portfolio for the national-level contest.
