West Virginia Highlands Voice

By Lovell Greathouse

This is more than an obituary. It gives a summary of “Joe” Hutchison’s involvement in the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy.

Joseph McKee Hutchison III, 76 of Morgantown died on July 26, 2008 at his home.

Joe was one of the original six leaders for the West Virginia Highlands Coalition in 1964 through 1966. These original six were:
Joseph Hutchison, Professor of Recreation at WV University;
Lovell R. Greathouse, State Planner Natural Resources & Commerce;
A.Lee Maynard, Chief Communications Dept of Natural Resources;
Robert Harrigan, Canoe Cruisers Association of America;
M. Rupert Cutler, Assistant Director the Wilderness Society;
Robert Broughton, Duquesne University Law Professor.

Their leadership provided the basic future concept for the West Virginia Highlands Region and involved many other leaders from West Virginia and the surrounding states outdoor organizations. In 1967 the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy was originally formed with Tom King as first President, and has now been ongoing for forty one years.

Robert Broughton preceded Joe Hutchison in death. On the bottom of page 7 of the book Fighting to Protect the Highlands by David Elkinton is the defined value and meaning of wilderness by the Psalmist that the original six coalition members all shared.

Joseph Hutchison was an unusually good professor of recreation. His concept of recreation ranged from neighborhood “tot lots” in cities to wilderness in our national forests and parks. He was a graduate of Muskingum College in Ohio in 1953. He received a masters degree from West Virginia University in 1957. He taught Recreation and Parks Administration at West Virginia University for 40 years, first in the School of Physical Education, and later in the Division of Forestry within the School of Agriculture. He twice served as President of the West Virginia Parks and Recreation Association. He consulted on the first WV Statewide Outdoor Recreation Plan and the Highlands Region.

He was a member and past president of both Phi Kappa Phi and Gama Signa Delta agriculture honor societies. Joe was also treasurer of the West Virginia Botanic Garden and was active in that organization from its beginning.

Here are summaries of Joe’s leadership in the first Highland Weekend Review with Senator Byrd; his teaching in the out of doors; and, his leadership in the National Youth Science Camp.

The first Highlands Weekend Review

Older Highlands Conservancy Members will remember Joe as one of the original planners of first WV Highlands Weekend Review in October 1965. This special event included approximately 500 registered guests in all day outdoor activities on Spruce Knob, Huckleberry Trail and Seneca Creek. (Ref. page 11 of Fighting to Protect The Highlands.)

After dinner that evening above Spruce Knob Lake, Senator Robert Byrd spoke to a group of about 400 in what became known as the “The Sermon on The Mount.” Senator Byrd was the special speaker, but he followed five conservation speakers. Joe Hutchison, calm and thoughtful was preselected to chair this meeting. His students had helped set up the large circus tent and manned
the generator and the light, that temporally failed, after the senator started speaking.

Senator Byrd’s good humor at this event made friends with all those present, and he later abandoned the Allegheny Parkway Bill he had introduced in Congress. This outcome was greatly appreciated by outdoor loving people of WV and the surrounding eastern states. It greatly increased the confidence of the WV Highlands Conservancy Members. They now extend throughout the nation, even in Alaska.

Teaching His Students In the Outdoors

Joe was experienced in camping, hiking and canoeing. He canoed with Robert Harrigan on the Yougiheny and with the Lou Greathouse on the South Branch.

He taught his students in the out of doors basic knowledge and skills for the protection and enjoyment of the natural environment. These primary learning areas were at the Sinks ofGandy, Spruce Mountain and Seneca Creek. They learned and taught others the “Leave No Trace Ethic”.

Joe taught his students of Camping Administration and Camp Counseling—in the out of doors what could only best be learned there. He took a new group each year to a base camp site at the mouth of the Sinks ofGandy. They never left evidence anyone camped there.

On the second day they would go to Spruce Knob for an overnight on Seneca Creek, they traveled North on the Huckleberry Trail then west and descended into Seneca Creek below Judy Springs. As they descended the high steep, open meadow down the mountainside you could hear shouts of joy. The students were elated with their Seneca Creek experiences.

After an outdoor cook out dinner, campfire discussions were held on: What are the natural characteristics of this resource? What is its best use for management? What did the experience mean to them, and how did they recommend it be managed? (These questions were typed on a one page outline and given to each student for later response.) The discussion extended to the topic of Wilderness. Lou Greathouse often acted as the resource person, but Joe Rieffenberger and Don Gasper each acted on separate trips. The students would ask questions until 10 p.m.

By 1966 Professor Hutchison had a notebook 1 ½ inches thick filled with one page Student Evaluations and Recommendations for Wilderness Management of Seneca Creek. It is unfortunate these student evaluations, over a period of a dozen years, were not printed in book form so that every WV Congress person and Senator could realize why the Seneca Creek drainage basin should be designated wilderness.

The National Youth Science Camp

Joe became assistant director and later director, of the National Youth Science Camp which he helped start as a part of West Virginia’s Centennial Celebration in 1963. The camp is still operating today, in its 45th year. Joe later became chairman of the National Youth Science Foundation and held the post until recently.

The 50 states selected their top high school science seniors who base camped at the 4-H Camp on the East Fork of the Greenbrier River north ofDurbin. They had a full camp program, a computer in camp, and they studied at the “Big Ear” National Observatory.

Several remote natural area and wilderness trips were planned in the WV Highlands Monongahela National Forest. About every two weeks, small groups of the science campers selected overnight trips into these wild areas. It was very interesting to see the positive reactions of campers from states like Alaska, Washington, Montana and Wyoming. They had not realized West Virginia had areas like this.

Joseph McKee Hutchison Ill’s parents and his immediate family:

He was bom December 4, 1931 in Cambridge, Ohio but spent most of his early years in Charleston, WV. He was the son of the late Joseph McKee and Gladys Oliver Hutchison.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years Ann R., Hutchison. Their children are Suzanne; Joseph “Jay” McK-ee Hutchison IV, a petroleum oceanographer; and Mary Katherine “Kate”. All three of their children are married; Joe has six grandchildren.

Joe served as a trustee and ruling elder for the First Presbyterian Church ofMorgantown where he has been a member for fifty years. In memory of Joe, his family suggests donations
be made to the:
National Youth Science Foundation,
P.O. Box 3387
Charieston,WV 25333.