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February 1998 Programs February 2, 1899: Birth of WV Poet Laureate Karl Myers Only six individuals have had the distinction of serving as West Virginia's Poet Laureate. The West Virginia Legislature created the position in 1927 to honor the state's leading poet. Governor Howard Gore appointed Karl Myers, who was born in Tucker County on February 2, 1899, as the state's first poet laureate. Unable to walk and weighing less than 60 pounds, Myers overcame tremendous physical difficulties to write two books of poetry. In 1937, Governor Homer Holt replaced Myers as poet laureate with a young Beckley sports editor who had just been elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates. Roy Lee Harmon served as poet laureate three different times for a total of 38 years. In addition to writing six books, Harmon founded the West Virginia Poetry Society. James Lowell McPherson was the youngest of West Virginia's poets laureate. In 1943, while serving in the Army, the 23-year-old McPherson won a poetry competition to earn the title. He was succeeded in 1946 by Harmon, who continued in the post until 1960. Cabell County's Vera Andrews Harvey served a brief one-year stint before Harmon's final appointment. | |
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