They Were Here
Over the years, Concord University has had a vast number of famous speakers from far and wide who have come to speak with students from this very campus. The following list is a comprehensive list of everyone who’s visited the campus from 1931 to today.
| 1931 | Beck, Cameron | Personnel Director, New York Stock Exchange |
| 1931 | Harding, A.M. | Noted Astronomer |
| 1932 | Zimmer Harp Trio | Internationally known |
| 1934 | Conley, Phillip | WV Historian, author, editor, publisher; originated the Golden Horseshoe Contest for 8th Graders |
| 1934 | Thomas, Lowell | American journalist, radio commentator, explorer, lecturer; best remembered for his association with T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) |
| 1936 | Earhart, Amelia | American aviation pioneer; first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic |
| 1937 | Durant, Will | American historian; author of The History of Civilization |
| 1937 | Gilliam, Strickland | American poet; most famous for ‘The Reading Mother’ |
| 1938 | Kubik, Howard | Concert Pianist; accompanied Muriel Dickson |
| 1938 | Fisher, Suzanne | 1st West Virginian to sing at the Metropolitan Opera; wife of Clifford Menz. This couple gave the wodden guest book to the Marsh family |
| 1939 | Dickson, Muriel | Scottish Soprano |
| 1939 | Sandberg, Carl | Poet, biographer, writer, editor; honorary Poet Laureate of America; Presidential Medal Of Freedom; winner of three Pulitzer prizes |
| 1939 | Bagley, William | American educator; author; credited as the founder of Essentialist Theory |
| 1940 | Hoback, Helen | Interpreter of Shakespeare |
| 1941 | Preston, Howard | ‘America’s singing actor’ Baritone with the Chicago Opera Company |
| 1941 | Guardsmen Quartet | |
| 1943 | Park, No Yong | Harvard scholar; lecturer on oriental questions. Called the Chinese Mark Twain. Topic of discussion was ‘How to lick the Japs’ |
| 1943 | Meadows, Clarence | Governor, West Virginia |
| 1944 | Carr, Robert K. | Professor at Dartmouth; Executive Secretary of President Harry Truman’s committee on Civil Rights |
| 1947 | Davies, Rhys | Member of British Parliament |
| 1948 | Chautemps, Camille | Premier of France (Reelected 4 times) |
| 1953 | Metcalfe, John | Former Washington diplomat; correspondent for New York Times and Time Magazine |
| 1953 | Joffrey, Robert | Robert Joffrey Theatre Dancers |
| 1956 | Harris, Ray | America’s Leading Symphonist |
| 1958 | Miller, Glen | The Glen Miller Orchestra |
| 1959 | Humphrey, Hubert H. | Senator Humphrey campaigns on campus |
| 1960 | Roosevelt, Eleanor | Campaigns on campus |
| 1960 | Kennedy, John F. | Campaigns on campus |
| 1960 | Kennedy, Robert | Accompanies brother on campaign |
| 1960 | Weaver, Charlie | Comedian; judge for Miss Pine Tree contest |
| 1961 | Robey, John | British diplomat – British foreign policy toward Communist China |
| 1961 | Mahood, Alex B. | Parisian trained architect; designed and built some of the most characteristic and stately structures in WV |
| 1962 | Barron, W. W. | Governor, State of West Virginia |
| 1963 | Cashmore, Thomas | Bishop of Dunwich, Church of England |
| 1965 | Byrd, Robert C. | U.S. Senator |
| 1965 | Hays, Brooks | Member of the U.S. House or Representatives from Arkansas |
| 1965 | The Kingsmen | Musicians |
| 1965 | Smith, Hulett C. | Governor of West Virginia |
| 1966 | The Chiffons | All girl band |
| 1969 | The Delmonicos | Doo Wop band |
| 1969 | The Four Seasons | |
| 1969 | Anthony and the Imperials | |
| 1969 | Chatfield, Hale | Poet |
| 1969 | Goralski, Robert | NBC news Washington correspondent |
| 1969 | Randolph, Jennings | U.S. Senator |
| 1969 | Classics IV | Performed at homecoming |
| 1969 | Levine, Irving R. | NBC news bureau chief, Rome |
| 1970 | West, Don | Fonuder Appalachian Folklife Center; activist, poet, minister, historian |
| 1970 | Commager, Henry | Historian, author, professor at Amherst |
| 1970 | Toffler, Alvin | Author of Future Shock |
| 1970 | Brooklyn Bridge | Singing group |
| 1970 | Hinderas, Natalie | Pianist; cultural ambassador U.S. Dept. of State |
| 1970 | Rostow, Walt | Advisor to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson |
| 1970 | Denver, John | Country Roads – Singer, Songwriter |
| 1970 | The Guess Who | |
| 1971 | The James Gang (Joe Walsh, later with The Eagles) | |
| 1971 | Buck, Pearl | WV author; Pulitzer Prize for Literature |
| 1971 | Ciardi, John | Poetry editor of Saturday Review magazine |
| 1971 | Friedan, Betty | Feminist; author of the Feminine Mystique; co-founder of the National Organization of Women |
| 1971 | Phillips, Channing | Minister, civil rights leader, social activist; First African American placed in nomination for President of U.S.; headed Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign in 1968 |
| 1971 | Salisbury, Harrison | American journalist; author; first regular New York Times correspondent in Moscow after World War II |
| 1971 | Davis, Mac | Singer & songwriter |
| 1972 | McNeill, Louise | Louise McNeill Pease – was first a student at Concord, later became a faculty member and still later was named Poet Laureate of West Virginia |
| 1972 | O’Keefe, Dan | Author; editor of Reader’s Digest. Creator of the Festivus Holiday made famous by the sitcom Seinfeld. His son was a writer for the show. |
| 1972 & 1974 | Taylor, Livingston | Singer & songwriter |
| 1974 | POCO | American country rock band |
| 1975 | The Earl Scruggs Revue | |
| 1975 | Rockefeller, Jay | West Virginia Secretary of State – candidate for Governor |
| 1975 | Westmoreland, William | United States Army General, most notably commander of the United States forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1968 to 1972. |
| 1975 | Anderson, Jack | Syndicated columnist; author |
| 1976 | Huff, Sam | Star, National Football League |
| 1976 | Burton, Patricia | Historian – specializing in Lord Dunmore’s War & Battle of Point Pleasant |
| 1976 | Hersh, Seymour | New York Times investigative reporter during Watergate |
| 1976 | Sprouse, James | West Virginia Supreme Court Justice; Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate |
| 1977 | Hatfield, Mark | Republican Senator from Oregon – Convocation keynote speaker |
| 1977 | Frederick, Pauline | Outstanding woman in journalism 1976 |
| 1978 | Ginsberg, Leon | Holocaust survivor |
| 1978 | Pure Prairie League | |
| 1978 | Herbie, Mann | Jazz musician |
| 1979 | Herman, Woody | |
| 1979 | Maltin, Leonard | American cartoonist, author, editor Disney |
| 1979 | Muddy Waters | Master of Blues |
| 1980 | Ehrlich, David | Concertmaster of the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra |
| 1980 | Duke, Paul | Reporter; PBS Washington Week in Review; Wall Street Journal; NBC News |
| 1980 | Lucas, William | Professional Singer |
| 1981 | Hal & Oates | American pop rock duo |
| 1981 | Mason, Dave | Top 40’s recording artist |
| 1982 | Hampton, Lionel | Jazz musician – played with Benny Goodman and his orchestra |
| 1982 | King, Evelyn | Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King singer, songwriter |
| 1982 | Pittsburgh Chamber Orchestra | |
| 1982 | Barter Theatre | |
| 1983 | Waterford, Helen | Survivor of Auschwitz |
| 1984 | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | |
| 1984 | Marshall Tucker Band | |
| 1984 | Jefferson Starship | |
| 1985 | Gannon, Frank | Producer of video memoir of President Richard Nixon; former Nixon aide |
| 1985 | Pure Prairie League | |
| 1985 | Klymaxx, Midnight Star, Shalamar | |
| 1985 | Gillespie, Dizzy | Jazz |
| 1986 | Hart, Corey | Musician; I wear my sunglasses at night |
| 1986 | Chabaku, Motlalepula | South African Activist |
| 1986 | Atlantic Star | Pop Rock Group |
| 1986 | James, Peter N. | Ex-spy CIA |
| 1986 | Osborne, Jeffrey | Pop singer |
| 1986 | El De Barge | Pop Singer |
| 1986 | Linville, Larry | Actor, played Major Burns on Mash |
| 1986 | Theatre West Virginia | |
| 1986 | Charleston String Quartet | |
| 1986 | Alexander, Dolores | Founder of Women Against Pornography |
| 1987 | Rockefeller, Jay | Former Governor of West Virginia |
| 1987 | Clark, Ramsey | Former United States Attorney General |
| 1987 | Joan Jett and the Blackhearts | |
| 1987 | Moore, Lloyd | Photographer |
| 1988 | Carlin, George | American comedian & actor |
| 1988 | Schlesinger, Arthur | Aid to President Kennedy; Author; Pulitzer prize for history |
| 1988 | Kirkpatrick, Jeane | Former U.S. Ambassador |
| 1988 | Doc Watson | Grammy award winner; folk, blues; contemporary bluegrass |
| 1988 | Carlin, George | Comedian |
| 1989 | Reaves, Sandra | The new Queen of Blues |
| 1989 | Kool and the Gang | |
| 1990 | Caperton, Gaston | Governor, State of West Virginia |
| 1990 | Dane, Taylor | Singer |
| 1990 | Kuntsler, William | World renowned lawyer speaks about equal justice under the law |
| 1991 | Vanilla Ice | American rapper |
| 1992 | Sinbad | Comedian |
| 1993 | Farmer, James | Civil Rights pioneer; founder of CORE Congress on racial equality |
| 1994 | Hentoff, Nat | Authority on First Amendment; jazz critic |
| 1994 | Tabscott, Robert | Recognized authority on Black history |
| 1994 | West Virginia Symphony | |
| 1995 | Johnson, Wallace | Libertarian candidate for Governor |
| 1996 | Pritt, Charlotte | Candidate for Governor |
| 1996 | Manchin, Joe | Politician, WV |
| 1996 | Miller, Jim W. | Poet, novelist, essayist |
| 1997 | Fitzsimmons, Greg | MTV Host, Comedian |
| 1998 | Karl, Jonathan | CNN correspondent, author |
| 1998 | McKinney, Irene | Poet Laureate of West Virginia |
| 1998 | Hutchinson, Barbara Bailey | 1996 Grammy Winner |
| 1998 | Rahall, Nick | Congressman |
| 1998 | Mountain Stage | |
| 1998 | West, Cornell | Author, Race Matters |
| 1998 | West Virginia Symphony | |
| 2002 | Giovanni, Nikki | Poet, educator, activist |
| 2002 | Compton, Mary Pearl | Delegate, WV |
| 2002 | Bluestone, Robert | Classical guitarist |
| 2003 | Settle, Mary Lee | Appalachian author; Winner National Book Award |
| 2003 | Rockefeller, Jay | United States Senator; former governor |
| 2003 | Gregory, Dick | Comedian; civil rights activist; author |
| 2004 | Wise, Bob | Governor, State of West Virginia |
| 2004 | Peltzer, Dave | Author, Inspirational speaker |
| 2004 | Douglas, Susan | Author; media critic |
| 2004 | Hechler, Ken | Former WV Secretary of State; author; opponent of mountain top removal |
| 2005 | Fitzhugh, Steve | Former NFL player |
| 2005 | Combs, Patrick | Motivational speaker; storyteller |
| 2005 | Savage, Jeff | Motigational speaker; author Millionaire by 40 |
| 2005 | Morriss, Reggie | Blues musician |
| 2006 | Birnbaum, Jeffery | Journalist, Washington Post |
| 2006 | Irizarry, Ron | Musician – opening act for N*Sync |
| 2006 | Browning, Joan | Civil Rights activist |
| 2007 | Georgia Guitar Quartet | |
| 2007 | Buckley, Geoff | Assistant Professor of geology at Ohio University; lecture ‘extracting Appalachia’ |
| 2007 | Strange Candy | New York based theatre company – bilingual adaptation of Beijing Opera |
| 2007 | de Grassi, Alex | World renowned guitarist |
| 2007 | The Princely Players | Programs on the enslavement and liberation of blacks |
| 2008 | Clinton, William J. | Former President, campaigning for his wife Hillary Clinton |
| 2008 | Jacobs, Bruce | Activist, author of Race Matters |
| 2008 | Giovanni, Nikki | Poet, writer, commentator, activist, educator |
| 2008 | Rahall, Nick | Representative Rahall guest of honor for dedication of Rahall Tech Center |
| 2009 | McIntruff, Paul | Federal Bureau of Investigation |
| 2009 | Huff, Sam | Played for the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, inducted into the Football Hall of Fame – Fund for Concord dinner |
| 2009 | Quartet San Francisco | |
| 2009 | Baltimore Consort | 16th and 17th century music |
| 2009 | Haskins, Dennis | Actor; played Mr. Belding, the principal on television show Saved by the Bell |
| 2009 | Casal, Rafael and Goode, John | Slam poets |
| 2009 | Myers, Sylvester | Author – From Coalfields to Oilfields and Beyond |
| 2010 | The Collegians | |
| 2010 | Sugo, John | Survivor of the 9/11 terrorist attack |
| 2010 | Kelly Bell Band | Infusion of funk and jazz |
| 2011 | Prism | Saxophone quartet |
| 2011 | Congdon, Jane | Author; Concord grad |
| 2011 | Ireland, Betty | WV Secretary of State – First female to hold position |
| 2011 | Giardina, Denise | West Virginia author; Mountain party candidate for governor |
| 2011 | Crabtree, Becky | Author |
| 2012 | Murphy, Landau | Winner America’s got talent – CU benefit dinner |
| 2012 | Quink | Dutch acapella group |
| 2012 | Schnellenberger, Howard | Coach – Offensive coordinator on the NFL’s only undefeated team, the 1972 Miami Dolphins |
| 2013 | Four Pals Productions | |
| 2013 | Badfish | Rock Group |
| 2014 | Harshman, Marc | Poet Laureate of West Virginia |
| 2014 | Liverpool Legends | Beatles tribute band |
| 2015 | Wickline, Cody | Contestant on The Voice |
| 2015 | Quillen, Rita | Appalachian poet, author |
| 2015 | Raney, Bill | President West Virginia Coal Association |
| 2015 | Davis, Ed | Appalachian author |
| 2016 | Giovanni, Nikki | Poet, writer, commentator, activist, educator |
| 2016 | Chomsky, Noam | Via Skype – renowned linguistics professor, author, activist |
| 2016 | Marlon & Saburo Masada | Japanese Americans who were placed in internment camp in 1941 |
| 2016 | Tennant, Natalie | West Virginia Secretary of State |
| 2016 | Lynn, Jennifer | Transgender speaker |
| 2016 | Kozol, Jonathan | Prominent author and speaker on the topic of America’s public education system |
| 2016 | Wilkinson, Richard | Nationally acclaimed epidemiologist and inequality scholar |
| 2016 | Goodwin, Amy | Mayor of Charleston (2019) former Commissioner of West Virginia Division of Tourism; Former Deputy Secretary of Commerce |
| 2017 | Pitts, Leonard Jr. | Pulitzer Prize winning syndicated writer |
| 2017 | Inglis, Bob | Former Congressman from South Carolina |
| 2017 | Browning, Joan | Albany Freedom Rider |
| 2018 | Swope, Chandler | State Senator |
| 2018 | Bassett, John III | Author and entrepreneur |
| 2018 | MLK Jr. Male Chorus | |
| 2019 | Duncan, Arne | United States Secretary of Education from 2009 through December 2015 |
