Gift Assists Ruth Ann Musick Library

A gift in memory of a former librarian and professor has allowed the Ruth Ann Musick Library to provide enhanced services to the students of Fairmont State University and Pierpont Community & Technical College.

Through the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc., Henry E. Hupp made a significant monetary gift in memory of his wife, Mary Alice Hupp, who passed away in May 2010. Mary Alice Hupp was employed for 17 years as a professor and coordinator of library services at Fairmont State. A graduate of Fairmont State College and George Peabody College (now Vanderbilt University), Mary Alice Hupp also was a librarian and teacher in Marion County Schools and at West Virginia University.

She was a member of Pleasant Hills Community Church and formerly a member of Central Christian Church in Fairmont, where she served as a deacon and an elder. Her volunteer activities included tutoring in reading and English as a second language. She was a trustee of the Marion County Library Board and Friends of the Library Board. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, West Virginia Educational Media Association and the West Virginia Library Association.

The donation from the Hupp family will fund future upgrades as needed for the Skylab and other Library initiatives. The Skylab, a computer lab and instructional area located on the third floor of the Library, was created in 2006 during a renovation and expansion project. The lab is open to classes across all disciplines and is open to students for individual projects and assignments when it is not in use by a class.

Harriet Bower, Library Technical Assistant II, worked with Mary Alice Hupp and remembers her as someone who always treated students well.

“Mrs. Hupp was a very good boss and kept in touch after she retired via e-mail, phone calls and annual Christmas cards,” Bower said.

A photo of Mary Alice Hupp and a commemorative plaque are on display outside of the Skylab. The plaque reads: “Mary Alice Hupp Skylab, In recognition of her many years of service to Fairmont State, Coordinator of Library Science and Periodicals Librarian, Associate Professor of Library Science.”

Ruth Ann Musick LibraryFairmont StateMary Alice HuppSkylabHarriet Bower