He Can Fly the Group of You Down to See Me

Postmarked 2 October 1941
Institute, West Virginia

POSTCARD CAPTION:

The Old Man of the Canyon on Route 19 and 21 near Chimney Corner, New River, W. Va.

MESSAGE:

Dear Maggie; / Got any more new jokes? How's that S.H. of yours. It's great down here but to hot. The college is very large and they have a very large and beautiful campus. Tell Frank that there is a very large airport right next to the college so he can fly the group of you down to see me. / Lovingly, Frannie

Aerial View of Montgomery, West Virginia

Postmarked 21 August 1954
Meadville, PA

POSTCARD CAPTION:

FRONT: Aerial View of Montgomery, W.Va. on the Kanawha River, showing buildings of West Virginia Institute of Technology, C&O Railway and Route 60

 BACK: Montgomery, Fayette County, W, Va. is the home of W. Va. Tech

MESSAGE:

Hi Lois and Martha / Saw this. / Had a wonderful time / Love, Elaine

I wonder what part of the postcard Elaine meant by "this." While the West Virginia Institute of Technology has a long history, its addition to the WV University system is new:

WVU Tech has had a long and rich tradition in the Kanawha Valley and has been here longer than the State Capitol. WVU Tech was founded at the sub-college level as Montgomery Preparatory School of WVU in 1895. In 1917, WVU Tech was separated from WVU and renamed the West Virginia Trade School. Next, in 1921, WVU Tech reached the junior college level as the New River Trade School. Tech became a four-year college as New River State College in 1931 and was renamed the West Virginia Institute of Technology in 1941.

In 1996 the college became the largest regional campus of West Virginia University and is separately accredited from the main campus. On July 1, 2007, WVU Tech became a full division of WVU. While several departments on campus report directly to WVU, oversight of all academic areas remains on Tech’s main campus. (City of Montgomery website)

According to the city's website, Montgomery has a population of approximately 2,000. It's unique in that the town's boundary crosses two counties. It looks like a lovely town.