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The late Dr. John Spears was honored with songs and stories on April 8, 2005 at a gala that raised nearly $25,000 for programs that will further memorialize the colorful political operative, educator, and high technology business strategist.
More than 150 people attended the black tie event in Morgantown that featured musical entertainment by famed vocalist Bobby Nichols and short talks by the persons who knew and worked with Spears during his 30 years of service to West Virginia in a variety of public-oriented vocations.
U.S. Rep. Alan B. Mollohan was the keynote speaker who recalled his experience with Spears dating back to his very first political campaign - a race for president of the Young Democrats of West Virginia University in the late 1960s. Spears remained a loyal friend to Mollohan for the rest of his life running two of the Congressman's successful campaigns for Congress and contributing ideas and advice on a range of public affairs activities.
Spears' work with the West Virginia AFL-CIO was recalled by that organization's former President Joe Powell. Craig Hartzel of Azmith in Fairmont told about his friendly political arguments with the irrepressible Spears. Jim Estep, current president of the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation, told the audience about Spear's work as the first director of that organization and his mentoring presence in successive years. Former West Virginia Del. Billy Burke talked about his early political associations with Spears and Gerry Griffith told campaign trail stories about Spears from Mollohan's 1982 run for Congress. Spears' cousin John Pyles, a Monongalia County Commissioner, served as master of ceremonies and read a letter of greeting from Spears' long-time best friend, Jimmy Huggins of Washington, D.C. Grafton's John Mings provided comic relief in his introduction of Congressman Mollohan.
In the near term, plans call for the establishment of a John Spears Scholarship Program that will enable a designated West Virginia young person to pursue higher education. A special committee will investigate other appropriate ways to honor Spears in addition to the scholarship.
Spears, who was 56 when he died in July 2001, was long associated with WVU but also served as dean of then Salem College and was a guest lecturer at every institution of higher learning in the state. He also served as director of economic development for the West Virginia Senate.
As a believer in the development of the high technology sector in West Virginia, Spears served as the first executive director of the West Virginia High Technology Consortium and later as associate director for the Concurrent Engineering Research Center at WVU. At the time of his death, Spears was active on the Technology Advisory Board of the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation and West Virginia Director of DSD Labs of Sudbury, MA.
Spears had also served as executive director for education for the Appalachian Council AFL-CIO and, in addition to Congressman Mollohan, campaigned for U.S. Senators Robert C. Byrd, Jay Rockefeller and the late Congressman Robert H. Mollohan.
Pyles said that Spears helped thousands of West Virginians through his generosity of spirit, personal kindness and focused attention to the needs of others.
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