William A. Neal Museum of the Health Sciences

07/14/2026

As the United States celebrates 250 years, we're highlighting how West Virginians have paved the way for innovations in medicine and healthcare throughout our nation's history.

"Mountaineers Go First: 250 Years of Medical Innovation in West Virginia," is now open, showcasing how West Virginia has been a leader in health sciences education, research, surgery, rural healthcare, and advancing the medical professions.

Visit the William A. Neal Museum of the Health Sciences to discover how West Virginians and WVU have helped transform healthcare in our state, across the nation, and around the world. The exhibit runs from July 2026 through August 2027, with topics rotating every two months.

The first installment, on view through August 2026, explores innovations in rural healthcare, the impact of the WVU Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, and medical history from before West Virginia gained statehood.

06/29/2026

A major milestone in WVU history came in 1960, when the School of Medicine became a full four-year program. The Class of 1959 was the last class required to leave West Virginia to complete their medical education.

Thanks to the generosity of donor H. Dale Sponaugle, the Neal Museum now preserves materials from that historic class. Now on display at the Neal Museum in the WVU Health Sciences Center are Sponaugle's 1957 Medical Center Student Handbook and a photograph of the Class of 1959.

06/24/2026

Did you know West Virginia was an early adopter of a statewide vaccination campaign against polio in 1957? Or that scientists once mistook influenza for a bacterial infection? You might also be surprised to learn that two beloved children's movies have ties to pediatric vaccines.

Visit our new exhibit in the lobby of WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital to explore the development of pediatric vaccines from the first vaccine against smallpox in 1796, to the familiar vaccines of the modern pediatric vaccine schedule.

Read more about the exhibit ➡️ https://ow.ly/RfOW50Zgfav

WVU Medicine Golisano Children's

05/27/2026

Lorilla Frances Bullard, a graduate of the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, served as an assistant physician at the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane from 1896 to 1901.

Check out our new temporary exhibit, “Lorilla F. Bullard: Female Physician at the WV Hospital for the Insane,” which highlights a collection of Bullard’s papers and clothing from her time at the hospital.

You'll also find materials from the West Virginia & Regional History Center on display, including letters of recommendation for her hospital position, research papers, and photographs of the hospital dating to her years there.

Visit the exhibit in the Health Sciences Center Pylons Commons or learn more about the exhibit.➡️ nealmuseum.wvu.edu/

05/07/2026

New artifacts and stories are now on display in the Neal Museum, highlighting two important chapters in West Virginia healthcare history.

The museum’s new exhibit, “Ohio Valley General Hospital School of Nursing,” explores the legacy of Wheeling City Hospital and its Training School for Nurses, founded in 1890 as the first nursing school in West Virginia. Thanks to a donation from the Ohio County Public Library, the exhibit now includes an original Wheeling City Hospital nurse’s cap and pin, connecting visitors directly to the generations of nurses trained there.

Also newly on exhibit are materials related to WVU’s transition to a full four-year School of Medicine in 1960. Donated by H. Dale Sponaugle, the collection includes a 1957 Medical Center Student Handbook and a class photograph from 1959, the final WVU medical class that completed part of its education out of state.

To celebrate the opening of the nursing exhibit, the Neal Museum will host a screening of “Beacon Light: A History of Ohio Valley General Hospital and Ohio Valley Medical Center” this Saturday at 5 p.m. in the Patteson Auditorium of Health Sciences Center North. We hope to see you there! ➡️wvu.libcal.com/calendar/events/beacon-light

04/29/2026

Welcome, Dean Paris!

We are excited to welcome Mark Paris as Dean of WVU Libraries and Press!

As Dean, Paris serves as the chief administrator and strategic leader of WVU Libraries, the West Virginia & Regional History Center, the William A. Neal Museum of the Health Sciences, the WVU Humanities Center, and the West Virginia University Press.

Throughout his career, Paris has focused on positioning libraries and their allied units as strategic partners in advancing research excellence, student success, and the public mission of higher education.

We look forward to the future and continued growth of WVU Libraries! 💙💛

Read more about Dean Paris: exlibris.lib.wvu.edu/news/2026/04/27/wvu-libraries-welcomes-dean-mark-paris

04/15/2026

We are excited to share that we have recently acquired a ceremonial shovel from the groundbreaking ceremony of WVU's Medical Center on December 9, 1952!

This shovel was owned by Dr. Carl Lemley Kennedy of Montgomery, West Virginia who was a leader in dentistry and influential in the WVU Medical Center and establishment of WVU School of Dentistry.

The shovel was donated by his son, Dr. Carl L. Kennedy who still runs the family dental practice in Montgomery. Visit the Neal Museum located at the WVU Health Sciences Center, next to the iconic pylons, to see this important piece of WVU history in person.