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The Christopher A. Dorrance collection consists primarily of original autographs of important and/or famous people of the United States of America from its founding to the early 21st century. The subjects of the autographs include presidents and first ladies, government officials, political and military figures, musicians, authors, actresses and actors, athletes, reformers and civil rights era activists, foreign leaders and celebrities, flyers and people associated with aviation and aeronautics, etc. The autographs in this collection are written on various mediums including, framed posters, official documents, photographs, books, cards, letters, and various forms of paper ephemera. The series titles reflect what the donor prescribed to his collection. The one change made at the discretion of the archivist was to change the word "foreign" to "international." The signatures were originally housed in three ring binders. The order established by the donor has been maintained. Several signatures are part of larger manuscript pieces, such as letters or ephemeral items such as programs.

Papers of Harley M. Kilgore, U.S. Senator from West Virginia. Contains material on the Senate Judiciary Committee and its various subcommittees including the anti-monopoly, internal security, and immigration groups. Other papers deal regard the Special Committee Investigating the National Defense Program (also known as the Truman Committee), West Virginia elections, and the National Guard. There is one box of campaign materials and various speeches.

Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904. The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well. His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads. Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material. Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically. The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.

Correspondence and other papers of politician and industrialist Henry Gassaway Davis (November 16, 1823 - March 11, 1916), a Democrat who served in the West Virginia Legislature, 1866-1871, and the U.S. Senate, 1871-1883. Davis was also the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 1904. A reel of microfilm includes two private account books (1867-1915) and a letter book (1898-1916), which mentions several state and national Democratic leaders including Stephen B. Elkins and John T. McGraw. There is information on the congressional election of 1900 and the candidacy of Colonel T.B. Davis. The microfilm also includes miscellaneous clippings, newspapers, letters, and printed items relating to Davis' business affairs, the Davis Child Shelter, and the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Celebration. An addendum of 1996/09/27 contains an H.G. Davis letter book (January 4 - March 16, 1914) and three of his scrapbooks of clippings. Scrapbook subjects include railroads and coal trade (1883-1893); WV politics (1868-1883); and railroads, national politics, and national economy (1872-1883).

Papers of the fifteenth governor of West Virginia who was a newspaper publisher in Romney, an orchardman, lawyer, and counsel for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. There are a few papers of W.B. Cornwell. The collection includes: personal and business correspondence, 1896-1953; correspondence as governor, 1916-1922; legal papers, ca.1843-1916; and material relating to "Cornwell Day," 1931; Baltimore and Ohio and other railroads; Romney Orchard Company, ca. 1916-1919; South Branch Development Company, ca.1913-1926; newspaper publishing; and other subjects. Box 100 includes papers regarding women's suffrage, including a proclamation by Governor Cornwell to extend the legislative session of 1920 in order to address the suffrage amendment, among other legislative concerns.

This collection consists of a typescript of a speech delivered at Martinsburg, West Virginia (January 4, 1905); law license (1895); statements of assets (1904-1917); correspondence, and a legal document for the purchase of real estate (1898-1930).