“By means of their thoughtful and sustained contributions, Charles B. and Mary Jo Locke Hedrick transformed their personal gratitude into a legacy of opportunity that would surely make their father proud. They ensured that the spirit of Dr. Charles E. Hedrick—a spirit of boundless intellectual curiosity, unwavering academic rigor, and profound dedication—would be woven into the very fabric of Marshall University for generations to come.”
When Dr. Charles E. Hedrick arrived at Marshall College in 1919, he wasn’t stepping onto the manicured lawns of a prestigious, ivy-draped university. Instead, he was joining a spirited, growing institution, one still carving out its identity from the hills of West Virginia. A place of potential, not yet of recognition. Over the next three decades, Hedrick would do more than just teach history; he’d become an architect of Marshall’s future, helping to build a legacy of scholarship that continues to define the university today.
Hedrick was born on April 13, 1881, in Hurricane, West Virginia. His parents, John A. Hedrick and Nancy L. (Booth) Hedrick were devoted Baptist farmers, and thereby young Charles was raised with his hands in the soil, though his mind was on higher things. His values of diligence and faith, as well as his profound respect for education, carried him on a remarkable academic journey that took him far from home. After earning his diploma from Marshall College in 1904,2 he pursued knowledge relentlessly, securing degrees from Lebanon University (A.B, 1908), the University of Chicago (M.A., 1915), and finally, a hard-won Ph.D. from George Peabody College in 1927. Along with his master’s in history, Hedrick minored in political science and education, sparking a career devoted to visionary academic leadership.
Before returning to the institution that had nurtured his early education, Hedrick honed his skills as a principal at several local high schools and later as a professor and Vice President at Glenville State Teachers College. He even answered the nation’s call during World War I, contributing to military education at Camp Humphreys.4 Still, his return to Marshall in 1919 truly defined his career and left an indelible mark on the university he loved.
A Historian, A Leader, and A Visionary
Dr. Hedrick was a passionate and animated historian enflamed by an inquisitive devotion to the American experience. His 150-page dissertation, Social and Economic Aspects of Slavery in the Transmontane Prior to 1850, was a pioneering examination into the complex history of slavery in Appalachia, a region often overlooked in national narratives. His character shines through in its dedication and acknowledgments to both his wife Emma and supporting colleagues. “It would not be possible to make an acknowledgment of my indebtedness to all who have assisted me in my study,” he wrote, “Inspirations and constructive criticism have been invaluable.”5
His scholarly contributions became a cornerstone of the university’s intellectual life. When Marshall began publishing the Marshall Review in 1938 to commemorate its centennial, it was fitting that Hedrick’s article, John Marshall and the West, graced the pages of its very first issue.6 He also regularly published articles in the West Virginia School Journal on topics like the pedagogy of citizenship and history, demonstrating his commitment to shaping not just the study of history, but its instruction as well.
His influence was felt most profoundly during one of the nation’s most trying times: the Great Depression. As economic hardship cast a long shadow, entertainment for Marshall’s students became simpler. As historian Charles H. Moffat noted, they spent their time listening to the radio, playing bridge, and enjoying picnics in Ritter Park. The weekly assembly programs in the Old Main auditorium were a free diversion, but their quality was notoriously uneven.7 Moffat described the student consensus of one faculty play as “nothing short of a histrionic fiasco.”8 As actors, the professors’ dramatization of George Bernard Shaw’s Candida was a mockery, and there is no indication that the professors ever repeated such a travesty. In stark contrast, he wrote that Dr. Hedrick’s lecture on Abraham Lincoln following the faculty play “received tumultuous applause!”9 In a time of great uncertainty, Hedrick’s passion and storytelling had the power to inspire.
Perhaps his greatest and most lasting contribution was his vision for Marshall’s academic destiny. He understood that for the college to evolve, it needed a serious graduate program. In 1941, he spearheaded the establishment of Marshall’s Graduate School10, building it on an unshakeable foundation of excellence. As Moffat detailed, Hedrick insisted on the most rigorous standards: “the graduate faculty must possess a doctorate, and the candidates for a master’s degree were required to earn a ‘B’ average in every course. Furthermore, each student was obliged to submit an original thesis and to defend it orally before a graduate committee.”11 For Hedrick, a graduate degree wasn’t just a piece of paper, it was a testament to a student’s ability to contribute original, meaningful work to their field. By the time he retired in 1947, he had forever cemented his place as one of Marshall’s foundational leaders.
A Family’s Love for Marshall: The Legacy Continues
Dr. Hedrick’s reach didn’t end with his passing in 1952. It was carried forward, with even greater momentum, by his son, Charles B. Hedrick, and daughter-in-law, Mary Jo Locke Hedrick. Charles B. was an alumnus of the Teachers College, class of 1942, now known as the College of Education and Human Services. Mary Jo, an alumna of the Teachers College, class of 194412, graduated with honors; her name appears in the 1944 commencement program alongside only a handful of others who graduated Magna Cum Laude that year.13 This personal connection meant they remembered their time on campus not for its buildings or its budding prestige, but for the life-changing impact of its “wonderful teachers,” as Charles B. Hedrick himself stated.14 That profound admiration for the educators who had shaped their own lives became the guiding principle of their philanthropy.
The establishment of the first two awards honoring the Hedrick Legacy was announced in a Parthenon article on January 28, 1998. The Charles E. Hedrick Outstanding Faculty Award annually honors an exceptional faculty member, and the Charles B. and Mary Jo Locke Hedrick Scholarships are “awarded to undergraduate students from West Virginia who excel academically.”15
The Hedrick Outstanding Faculty Award is notably the most prestigious honor recognizing faculty excellence at Marshall University. The first recipient of this award was Marjorie McInerney, Professor of Management/Marketing, for the 1997/98 academic year.17
The Charles B. and Mary Jo Locke Hedrick Scholarship is awarded to students in the Honors College who demonstrate academic excellence, much like Mary Jo herself.
Marshall University also offers the Hedrick Faculty Teaching Fellow program. This fellowship provides a $5,000 award to a full-time faculty member who engages in a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project, collaborates with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), and contributes to faculty professional development initiatives. 21 The first recipient of the Hedrick Faculty Teaching Fellow Award was Kateryna Schray, Professor of English, for the 2015/16 academic year, as noted in the 2016 commencement program23.
The Hedrick Legacy and Us
Harris Hall’s favorite Medievalist, Dr. Laura Michele Diener, is the inaugural Charles E. Hedrick Professor of History. Her work under this professorship is centered on writing a book and operating a website on Medieval Scandinavia, featuring posts and illustrations from Marshall undergraduates and graduates. The website, cleverly named Norse By God, is a play on West By God, Virginia, and features profiles of numerous Norse adventurers like Harald Hardrada, Anne Stine Ingstad, and Gudrid – one of the first women to step foot in Vinland. You can also learn about traditional burials and bog burials of the Iron Age and enjoy the amazing illustrations that accompany each post.
By means of their thoughtful and sustained contributions, Charles B. and Mary Jo Locke Hedrick transformed their personal gratitude into a legacy of opportunity that would surely make their father proud. They ensured that the spirit of Dr. Charles E. Hedrick—a spirit of boundless intellectual curiosity, unwavering academic rigor, and profound dedication—would be woven into the very fabric of Marshall University for generations to come.
Bibliography
Diener, Laura Michelle. “NorseByGod!!!.” Substack. Accessed June 7, 2025. https://substack.com/@norsebygod.
“Diener Named the Inaugural Charles E. Hedrick Professor of History.” Marshall University News, April 19, 2024. https://www.marshall.edu/news/2024/04/diener-named-the-inaugural-charles-e-hedrick-professor-of-history/.
“Hedrick Faculty Teaching Fellow.” Marshall University, Center for Teaching and Learning. Accessed June 7, 2025. https://www.marshall.edu/ctl/faculty-awards-and-grants/hedrick-faculty-teaching-fellow.
“Hedrick Outstanding Faculty Award.” Marshall University, Center for Teaching and Learning. Accessed June 7, 2025. https://www.marshall.edu/ctl/faculty-awards-and-grants/hedrick-outstanding-faculty-award.
“Hedrick Scholarship.” Marshall University, Honors College. Accessed June 7, 2025. https://www.marshall.edu/honors/scholarships/.
Hedrick, Charles Embury. “Social and Economic Aspects of Slavery in the Transmontane prior to 1850.” Dissertation, Nashville, Tenn.: George Peabody College for Teachers, 1927.19
Marshall University. “Commencement, 1944.” Marshall University Commencement. 117. 1944. https://mds.marshall.edu/commencement/117.
Marshall University. “Commencement, 1998.” Marshall University Commencement. 34. 1998. https://mds.marshall.edu/commencement/34.
Marshall University. “Commencement, 2016.” Marshall University Commencement. 54. 2016. https://mds.marshall.edu/commencement/54.
Marshall University. “Personnel Record of Charles Embury Hedrick.” September 22, 1943. Marshall University Special Collections, Huntington, WV.
Marshall University. “The Parthenon, February 25, 1938.” The Parthenon. 5661. 1938. https://mds.marshall.edu/parthenon/5661.
Marshall University. “The Parthenon, January 28, 1998.” The Parthenon. 3900. 1998. https://mds.marshall.edu/parthenon/3900.
Moffat, Charles H. Marshall University : an institution comes of age, 1837- 1980. 1st ed. Huntington: Marshall University Alumni Association, 1981.20