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Governor Barron Campaign Button
William Wallace "Wally" Barron was West Virginia's 26th Governor. He was born and raised in Elkins, West Virginia, and received his law degree from West Virginia University in 1941. He served as mayor of Elkins, a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, and as West Virginia Attorney General. He was elected governor in 1960, beating Republican opponent Harold Neely by 86,110 votes. Barron survived an allegation that he had offered $65,000 to an opponent to stay out of the race. The governor took the oath of office secretly at 12:02 a.m. so that he could immediately sign a 1 cent sales tax that predecessor Governor Underwood had declined to sign. Barron supported Sen. John F. Kennedy in the Democratic primary in West Virginia that year, and in return, President JFK spoke at West Virginia's centennial ceremony in Charleston on June 20, 1963, to a crowd of 10,000 people. Barron focused on job programs, started the successful West Virginia Youth Science Camp, and in 1964, issued a $200 million bond for highway construction. Barron claimed 14 economic records that year. Barron left office in early 1965 and was considering running in the 1968 election. However, in February 1968, in what became known as the"Valentine Day's Massacre," Barron and five others were indicted by the federal grand jury on bribery-conspiracy charges relating to alleged "dummy corporations." The judge considered acquittal on the basis that Barron acted routinely in signing agreements without intent of wrongdoing. The jury deliberated for 18 hours, and the verdict was Barron innocent and the five others guilty. In the Summer of 1970, stories began to circulate in the media that the jury had voted 11 to 1 in favor of convicting Barron. The lone holdout was jury foreman Ralph Buckalew. In February of 1971, the federal jury indicted Mr. And Mrs. Barron on charges of bribing the foreman of the jury. The allegation was that Mrs. Barron gave Mrs. Buckalew $25,000 in a brown paper bag as a pay-off. Mrs. Barron was dropped from the indictment, and Barron pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years. He served 4 years.
Jay Rockefeller for West Virginia
This is a gubernatorial campaign poster for Jay Rockefeller. Although it does not have a year listed, it only reads "Jay Rockefeller for West Virginia," indicating that Jay had some name recognition at this point in his career, possibly from a prior term as governor. This poster is similar to a campaign poster for Ted Kennedy, a Democratic candidate who lost the 1980 presidential nomination to Jimmy Carter. Both have very simple wording and a black and white image. The bottom of the poster reads, "Paid for by Friends of Governor Rockefeller." This indicates that Rockefeller was already governor of West Virginia at the time of its printing. This poster was most likely from Jay Rockefeller's re-election campaign in 1980.
Vote for Jay
John "Jay" Rockefeller IV was elected to be governor of West Virginia for two terms, in 1976 and 1980. This poster does not have a year, but it does say "Vote for Jay You know he'll work for you!" a simple, yet effective campaign slogan. It also says "Democrat for Governor," indicating that it may be from his first race when a Republican, Arch Moore, had just completed two terms as governor. The poster itself is also very similar in design to Jimmy Carter's 1976 presidential campaign poster. Looking closer at the poster, at the very bottom, there is a "Paid for by the Rockefeller for Governor Committee" stamp.
Make Jay Rockefeller Senator
John D. Rockefeller IV, better known as Jay, had a very active career in politics, one that is represented and seen through this poster calling for his election to the Senate. Rockefeller was very active in United States politics while serving his state in the Senate. During his 30 years in Congress, Rockefeller proposed several bills. In 1997, he co-authored the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), to help cover medical costs for low-income children. In 2009, he introduced the Cybersecurity Act. He served as the senior U.S. Senator from West Virginia for five years. With one picture of the candidate in the middle of this poster, surrounded by red , white, and blue, and the political slogan, this poster is reminiscent of President Reagan's re-election posters. Without a date, it isn't possible to say for certain which year this poster is from, considering that Rockefeller served in the Senate from 1985 to 2015. However, this poster does not call for Jay Rockefeller's re-election; it says, "Make Jay Rockefeller Senator." This indicates it is from his first senatorial race in 1984, which he won narrowly as a Democrat when the Republican incumbent President Reagan easily won West Virginia. Combined with the similarities between this poster and other posters in of that year, it is quite possible that this poster is from 1984. The slogan, "Make Washington Work for West Virginia," is also effective. It plays on alliteration with the usage of W's to make it memorable.
Re-Elect Your Senator Harley Kilgore
Harley Martin Kilgore was born on January 11, 1893, in Brown, West Virginia, a state that he would spend a majority of his life serving. After earning a law degree from West Virginia University in 1914, Kilgore went on to form the first high school in Raleigh County, WV, where he would serve as the first principal. With the outbreak of World War I, Kilgore joined the army and served as an infantry officer until 1920. Following his service in the Great War, Kilgore organized the West Virginia National Guard in 1921. He would return to Raleigh County in 1933 to serve as the criminal court judge until being elected to the United States Senate in 1940 as a Democrat with the support of Senator Matthew Mansfield Neely. Kilgore served the state of West Virginia as a senator from 1941 until his death on February 28, 1956. He was re-elected to his position in 1946 and 1952. While in Congress, he chaired the Subcommittee on War Mobilization of the Military Affairs Committee, otherwise known as the Truman Committee, which oversaw U.S. mobilization efforts during World War II. Kilgore continued to act as a U.S. senator until his death, after which he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This poster displays newspaper headlines behind a picture of Senator Kilgore. These headlines show the various positive acts that Kilgore accomplished while in the office of the Senate. It reads "Re-elect your Senator Harley Kilgore," indicating that this poster was from either 1946 or 1952, despite the fact that there is no date on the poster. This poster is reminiscent of Adlai Stevenson's campaign poster for Governor of Illinois in the 1940s. The imagery and the layout show that these campaign posters came from roughly the same time period. Although the political slogan isn't very catchy, it does get the point of the poster across, and the design of the image over the positive newspapers is eye-catching.
Vote for Neely
Matthew Mansfield Neely was a native of the state of West Virginia, born on November 9, 1874, in Doddridge County. During the Spanish-American War, Neely served with the First West Virginia Volunteer Infantry. Following the war, he attended West Virginia University to get a law degree. In 1907, Neely was elected Mayor of Fairmont, West Virginia, the beginning of his political career. From 1913 to 1921, Neely began his career in the federal government with four terms as West Virginia's 1st District Representative in the House of Representatives. Following his experience in the House, he began the first of two terms as United States Senator from 1923 to 1929. Neely would eventually again serve in both the Senate and the House of Representatives following his term as West Virginia Governor from 1941 to 1945. Neely died in office on January 18, 1958. This poster for Neely is undated. Neely ran for a Senate seat many times throughout his political career, being successful in 1922, 1930, and 1948. Because it isn't possible to determine exactly which campaign this poster is from, it is necessary to look at other posters from those time periods. Herbert Hoover's presidential re-election campaign posters are of largely the same style as this Neely poster. The gubernatorial campaign poster for Franklin D. Roosevelt in the state of New York is also very similar to Neely's senatorial poster. Based on the common styles of the time period, it is possible that this poster is from one of Neely's campaigns in the 1930s.
Arch Moore for Congress
Arch A. Moore, Jr. ran for a Congressional seat seven times, winning six of those and serving as a U.S. Representative from 1957-1969. He also ran for a U.S. Senate seat in 1978, but was unsuccessful. Because this sign does not have a date, it could potentially be from any of those elections, or his failed congressional campaign of 1954. The slogan is not very exciting, despite the eye catching colors of the banner. There is no direct comparison to this banner with any other campaign banner of that stretch of time.
More of Moore '64
In 1962, Arch Moore's 1st Congressional district was merged with the 3rd District of longtime Democratic incumbent Cleveland M. Bailey; Moore won the seat by just 762 votes. He would go on to win re-election in 1964, the year in which this campaign banner was used. Although there is not much wording on this banner, it is comprised of two contrasting colors, black and yellow, and designed to catch peoples' eyes. The slogan, "More of Moore in '64" is an excellent use of rhyme and meter to make it memorable. Much like the famous slogan of President Eisenhower, "I like Ike," the catchy slogans tend to be the most memorable. The similarities between Eisenhower's slogan and Moore's slogan is not too surprising; Eisenhower was President when Moore ran his first successful campaign.
Moore Campaign Poster
Much can be learned about Arch Alfred Moore from this U.S. Representative campaign poster. He was born in Moundsville, West Virginia, on April 16, 1923. He served and was wounded in combat during World War II. In 1954, Moore lost a very close congressional race to Democratic incumbent Bob Mollohan. This poster, from his successful congressional campaign in 1956 after Mollohan stepped down from his position, portrays all the positive aspects about why Arch Moore was a solid candidate for the office. This poster is unique in that there is no direct comparison to any other political poster of the 1950s. It is rather wordy, does not have a catchy slogan, and is sketched out instead of having an image of the candidate, as was common. Despite that, it offers a lot of information on the candidate, emphasizing Moore's loyalty to the nation and his state.
Arch Moore Campaign Button
Campaign button from Governor Arch Moore's political campaigns. Arch Alfred Moore Jr. was born into Republican politics in Moundsville, WV, on April 16, 1923, the grandson of the mayor and the nephew of a minority leader in the House of Delegates. He attended Lafayette College in Pennsylvania before being drafted into the Army in World War II. He was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart after being wounded in Europe. After the war, he graduated from West Virginia University and its law school and joined the family law firm. Moore is the only West Virginia governor to serve three full terms, beginning in 1969, and the first sitting governor of the state to be formally charged with a crime. He was one of two Republicans to be elected governor of West Virginia in more than 80 years. A constitutional amendment passed in 1970, allowing him to become the first West Virginia in a century to succeed himself. In 1978, Mr. Moore challenged incumbent senator, Jennings Randolph. Moore was outspent 5 to 1, but lost by fewer than 5,000 votes. He ran again for governor in 1980, losing to incumbent John D. Rockefeller IV, but regained the office four years later, defeating Democrat Clyde M. See Jr. His tenure as governor was notable for road and bridge building projects, raises for teachers, improved benefits for welfare recipients and designation of black lung disease as a mining disability.
"J" Campaign Button
Campaign button from one Senator Rockefeller IV's political campaigns. Senator Rockefeller served six-terms as senator, and much of the items in this exhibit focus on this time. However, Rockefeller also served two terms as West Virginia's governor. In January 1972, Rockefeller announced his candidacy for governor and overwhelmed his two opponents in the primary, setting up a fierce contest against popular incumbent Arch Moore. In the general election Moore defeated Rockefeller by 73,355 votes. Governor Arch Moore was not allowed to run for a third consecutive term, and in 1976, Rockefeller carried every county but Barbour and Monroe. During his first term , large segments of state government were reorganized to include the state Department of Health, the Department of Culture and History (now Department of Arts, Culture and History), and the creation of a state Department of Economic and Community Development. Rockefeller’s establishment of the position of special assistant to the governor for economic and community development was his attempt to fulfill a campaign promise to give priority to economic development. Among his achievements was the location of a $500 million coal liquefaction demonstration plant in Morgantown. However, ht also had to deal with heavy snowfalls across the state, acute fuel shortages, floods, and 111 day coal strike. In 1980, Rockefeller faced Arch Moore again. This time, Rockefeller outspent Moore 12 to 1, and won with 64, 500 votes. The state went into a recession during his second term, and in 1984 he started his U.S. Senate career.
Jay Rockefeller Campaign Button
Campaign button from one of Senator Rockefeller IV's political campaigns.
Jay "Star" Campaign Button
Campaign button from one of Senator Rockefeller IV's campaigns for re-election to the U.S. Senate.
Seniors for Jay
Campaign button for seniors from one of Senator Rockefeller IV's campaigns. Senior citizens are an important voting block. For almost 40 years, voters aged 45 and over have turned out far more than younger Americans. In the 2016 presidential election, 71 percent of Americans over 65 voted. For much of Senator Rockefeller's career, he focused on improving America's healthcare system. As part of the Finance Committee, he worked to ensure that Medicare health insurance premiums were affordable for senior citizens. While senior citizens surely look at issues other than "senior issues," such as Medicare and Social Security, in many of Senator Rockefeller's campaigns, he highlighted his record for fighting for affordable healthcare.
Women for Rockefeller '96
Campaign button for women from U.S. Senator Rockefeller IV's 1996 re-election campaign. Senator Rockefeller won his 1996 re-election bid easily. In the Democratic primary, he easily beat janitor Bruce Barilla with roughly 84 percent of the vote. In the general election, he was challenged by McDowell County resident, Betty Burks. She admitted it was a 'little odd' for her to run against the two-time incumbent, but that she wanted to make sure that no one forgot about 'them'. Her campaign slogan was 'We Love Where We Live – Let's Make it Better!". Senator Rockefeller easily won the general election with over 75 percent of the vote. The Women for Rockefeller committee highlighted Rockefeller’s initiatives to improve health care, provide opportunities for children, and bring economic opportunity to West Virginia. They also highlighted how he expanded veterans' benefits to account for the special health needs women veterans face, and that he would continue to fight for higher salaries and less expensive training for traditionally female professions, like teaching and nursing. This committee was present in most of Senator Rockefeller's campaigns.
Jay Campaign Button
Campaign button from one of Senator Rockefeller IV's campaigns. Why "Jay"? Senator Rockefeller is not the only person to use a first name, or nickname on the campaign trail. For example, former President Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower's campaign slogan while running for president was the popular "I Like Ike". Former United States Secretary of State, and 2016 Democratic Presidential Nominee, Hillary Clinton, has used her first name for campaigning since launching her political career with her campaign for Senator of New York in 2000. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush's campaign used "Jeb!" as the campaign logo in Florida elections as well as his bid for president in 2016. Similarly, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul's campaign logo consists of his first name. One theory is that all of these politicians (except for Ike) come from political dynasties, and use their first names to separate themselves from their family name or reputations. Hillary Clinton's husband, Bill Clinton, was president from 1993-2001. Jeb Bush's brother, George W. Bush, and father, George Bush were also United States presidents. Senator Rand Paul's father, Ron Paul, was Congressman for the state of Texas for 23 years, was a presidential candidate, and has a very large libertarian base. Senator Rockefeller is the great-grandson and namesake of John D. Rockefeller, founder of the Standard Oil Company and patriarch of one of America's most famous dynasties. His uncle, Nelson Rockefeller served as governor of New York and vice president of the United States.
Rocky IV Campaign Button
Campaign button for one of Senator Jay Rockefeller IV's campaigns. Date is unknown, but may have come from Rockefeller's first campaign for U.S. Senator in 1984 against Republican businessman John Rease. This was the year leading up to the release of the popular movie Rocky IV.
Jay 2002 Campaign Button
Campaign button from Senator Rockefeller IV's 2002 re-election campaign against Republican businessman Jay Wolfe. Senator Rockefeller won the general election with 63 percent of the vote. On October 28, 2002, the Martinsburg Journal released an article endorsing Senator Rockefeller for the 2002 West Virginia U.S. Senate Election. The article credits Senator Rockefeller for thousands of dollars of economic development in the Eastern Panhandle alone, with the Tiger and Sino-Swearingen aircraft companies anchoring the industrial park at the Eastern Regional Airport. The article also deemed him responsible for keeping the General Motors plant in Martinsburg. The article highlighted the Toyota engine manufacturing plant that was secured in Buffalo, WV, and how he had led a marketing team to Japan, selling West Virginia to Japanese investors. The article also mentioned his tenure on the Veterans' Affairs Committee and how he had looked out for West Virginia veterans and the VA Medical Center in Martinsburg. His high ranking spot on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and his support for education and research at that state’s schools of higher education, was also mentioned before urging Martinsburg residents to "return Rockefeller to the U.S. Senate for another term for the good of West Virginia." The Charleston Gazette released an article endorsing Rockefeller for the U.S. Senate seat. The article admitted that he would easily win the election, and didn't need their support, but they wanted to recommend him anyway. The article discussed how, despite Rockefeller’s wealth, he worked tirelessly for the interests of "little people," and highlighted how he was instrumental in persuading Toyota to open the Buffalo plant.
j08 Campaign Button
Campaign button from Senator Rockefeller IV's 2008 re-election campaign against Republican businessman Jay Wolfe. During the 2008 campaign, Senator Rockefeller endorsed Barack Obama for president in West Virginia. He was quoted by the Herald Dispatch on October 25, 2008, "We can win West Virginia for Barack Obama and Joe Biden; McCain has nothing to offer us". Rockefeller reportedly made this statement at a monthly Cabell County Democratic Women's Club Meeting. Rockefeller won re-election with 67.3 percent of the votes. However, Senator John McCain won West Virginia with 55.7 percent of the votes. The Democrats gained 7 Senate seats in the 2008 election, increasing the Democratic majority to 58 Democrats and 41 Republicans. The voter turnout in the United States was 61.6 percent, the highest turnout rate since 1968. Turnout increased for the third straight general election. In West Virginia, the voter turnout was 57.9 percent, which was roughly a 3 percent increase from 2004, and over 10 percent increase from 2000.
Jay '08 Campaign Button
Campaign button from Senator Rockefeller IV's 2008 re-election campaign against Republican businessman Jay Wolfe. U.S. Senator John D. Rockefeller (D) ran for re-election in 2008 against Republican business owner Jay Wolfe. Senator Rockefeller focused on his successful record as Senator on a number of issues during his campaign. For example, he pointed to added jobs and economic growth in West Virginia. Most notably, Toyota's decision to locate an engine plant in Buffalo, West Virginia. By this time, the plant had expanded 6 times in the past decade, and created 1,300 jobs. The Senator also touted his co-authorship of the State Children and Health Insurance Program, passed in 1997, and his long-term leadership as a Senior Democrat on the Veterans' Committee. He vowed to continue to fight in the Finance Committee to keep Medicare premium costs affordable for seniors, and to stand with coal miners to pass legislation that kept miners safe and saved health care benefits for when they retired.
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