Charlene
J. Marshall never intended to seek public office, but was persuaded to
do so after being slighted by her city council representative in Morgantown,
W.Va. She had approached her councilman about some housing issues in her
community, and he acted "as if he could care less," recalls
Marshall. "That infuriated me."
With the encouragement of her community and faculty
members at West Virginia University, Marshall became a candidate for the
Morgantown City Council in 1991. She won. Upon assuming her seat, fellow
council members elected her mayor, making her the first African-American
woman to be elected mayor in the state. She led the city until 1998, and
holds the record in Morgantown for serving the longest tenure as mayor.
She recalls several times being asked to remove her
name during one run for office.
Charlene J. Marshall
"They thought I couldn't be elected and said I would
'mess up,' the vote from the ballot," Marshall says. "I said, 'Yes,
you’re right. I plan to mess up the vote.'"
Marshall, who was born in Osage, W.Va., looks back with
pride on her record as mayor, noting major accomplishments that included eliminating
a deficit and purchasing new police and fire equipment.
After serving as mayor, Marshall became a member of the
West Virginia House of Delegates, and has represented its 44th District for
four terms.
After serving as mayor, Marshall became a member of the
West Virginia House of Delegates, and has represented its 44th District for
four terms.
"We
must learn constantly in every way possible and share that knowledge
with everyone we encounter."
A graduate of Monongalia High School, Marshall studied at
Bluefield State College and is a retired data technician. She says she has
long believed that in order to bring about change, one must be involved. "We
must learn constantly in every way possible and share that knowledge with everyone
we encounter," she says.
She has been involved at the local and state level, having
served on the boards of the Valley Health System, Boys and Girls Club of America,
and the Morgantown Theater Company. She is a former advisory board member of
the West Virginia University School of Nursing, former chairwoman of the West
Virginia Human Rights Commission, and past president of the Morgantown NAACP.
Her honors include the 1994 Mayor of the Year Award, 2006
Public Citizen of the Year Award, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s
Exceptional Service in the Public Interest Award, and the 2006 Mountain State
Bar Award for Outstanding Citizen.
