Underwood dies at 86

Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald Reporter

November 24, 2008 10:17 pm

— In 1956, Cecil Underwood parlayed a youthful zest, a break from the politics of the past, and Hollywood-handsome looks to the maximum, making history as the youngest governor ever elected in West Virginia history.
Fully four decades later, on his 74th birthday, he carved another niche in state history when voters picked him as the oldest chief executive.
In his death Monday, exactly a day after he was admitted to Charleston Area Medical Center, former aides and political leaders paid tribute to the two-time Republican governor, former Bethany College president and Island Creek Coal Co. executive, not only for his skills in piloting the ship of state, often in troubled times, but for such personal attributes of honesty, candor and an abiding sense of humor.
As for the latter, Underwood’s serious expression often belied a man who was swift with the one-liner.
When the Republicans needed a token opponent to run against hands-down favorite Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., in the 1976 gubernatorial race, he quipped, “I’m becoming the Harold Stassen of West Virginia.” He had carried the banner in another bleak campaign, the 1964 one, when Beckleyan Hulett C. Smith easily took the top prize.
In the final hours of the 1996 race, when he defeated Democratic rival Charlotte Pritt, and the element of age crept into the campaign, Underwood stopped off in Beckley to tell a cheering crowd, “You got to admit I look pretty good today. I stopped off at the undertaker’s and had my face waxed.”
“Gov. Underwood was an honorable man whose administration, I thought, was probably under-appreciated,” reflected Dan Page, editor of The State Journal and Underwood’s press secretary his second time around as governor.
“He had a vision for West Virginia that sort of transcended generations. He knew where we had been. He knew where we were at the time and he knew where he felt we could be. He believed West Virginia certainly was capable of having a more robust economy and providing opportunities to young families.”
As a Republican in a state with a Democratic voter registration edge of 2-1, Page said, Underwood realized his ability to govern was couched in his skill at compromise and getting along with the other party.
From a personal vantage, Page remembered his former boss as “a kind, fine gentleman.”
“I felt more fondly about him after I left the administration than I did when I started,” said Page, former editor of The Register-Herald.
“My experience with him on a personal level was very gratifying. I learned a lot from him. I felt he was a fine human being and someone I grew to respect. He wasn’t perfect, but he was a good man.”
For more than a century, Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., and his wife Erma were friends with Underwood and former first lady Hovah Underwood.
“They were both wonderful people,” Byrd said. “I fondly remember my 80th birthday at the governor’s mansion with the Underwoods. A devoted public servant, Cecil’s many contributions to the great state of West Virginia will never be forgotten. Those of us fortunate enough to call him a friend will always remember his engaging personality and personal warmth. Today, my thoughts are with the Underwood family and with all West Virginians who are mourning the passing of a great and decent man.”
Sen. Vic Sprouse, R-Kanawha, was Senate minority leader in Underwood’s second term and, although the two at times sparred over issues, remembers him as “a good guy.”
“We were like family,” Sprouse said. “We argued and we got along.
“As I look through my political career, I don’t know anyone who meant more to me than Cecil Underwood did. He just had a good heart. And even if you didn’t necessarily agree with him all the time, he only cared about one thing, and that was making West Virginia a better place. There was no other agenda when it came to Cecil Underwood. He was a true gentleman — a guy we battled and argued and fought like every family does. At the same time, we had a mutual respect for each other.”
Professional photographer Steve Brightwell snapped upward of 6,000 photographs in the days before digital cameras as Underwood’s photographer in his most recent term.
“He was a wonderful man,” Brightwell said. “He always had a smile on his face, even in troubled times. He was a people person. He liked to get out and meet every one. I think to this day he was the most accessible governor, just because he would listen to folks and they would approach him about different things.”
Brightwell recalls instances of Underwood’s humor during staff meetings called to celebrate an employee’s birthday.
“Gov. Underwood was one of the best loved individuals in the state,” said Gary Abernathy, a Republican consultant in Charleston. “Everyone appreciated his class and humility. He was always willing to do anything asked of him by the Republican Party. I enjoyed many personal visits with him at his home in Charleston in recent years and loved hearing his stories of his life and times. His passing is a great loss to West Virginia and to all who knew and loved him.”
In a statement, Gov. Joe Manchin called Underwood’s death “a very sad day for all of West Virginia.”
“We have lost a governor who, through two separate terms, served our state and its citizens with honor and dignity and, most importantly, class. We have also lost a dear friend.
“Gov. Underwood was loved as a father, grandfather, and husband, and when he lost his beloved wife Hovah, we all knew that things would never be the same for him. They’ve now been reunited and I’m sure that I speak for all West Virginians in sending out thoughts and prayers out to the entire Underwood family.”
Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., used the holiday celebration to make his point.
“During this week of Thanksgiving, West Virginians are indeed thankful for the service of native sons such as Cecil Underwood, who literally dedicated his lifetime to serving others,” Rahall said.
“He was our youngest and oldest governor for good reason. He could always see a new horizon for our state and its people whom he loved.”
Underwood was “a true servant” of the state, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said in a statement.
“As an educator and a first-class leader, he put our state first and touched the lives of countless West Virginians. We can all celebrate, honor and remember his commitment to public service and to the people of West Virginia.
“While I am saddened to hear of his passing, I take solace in knowing that he has joined his wife Hovah. My heart goes out to the Underwood family and I know that West Virginians across our state will be keeping them in our prayers.”
Rockefeller called him “a man of profound faith, a forward-looking leader, and a public servant in the truest sense.”
“He’ll be remembered as someone who dedicated his entire life and career to the causes of people around him,” the senator said. “I always enjoyed working with him on opportunities to move our state forward.”
State Republican Chairman Doug McKinney portrayed Underwood as a visionary, whose 1998 tax study was “well ahead of its time,” one that has been validated often by additional research.
“His soft-spoken manner and an ever ready joke were his trademarks, which gained one’s attention to hear his thoughtful and erudite messages,” he said. “They also earned him the respect which allowed him to pass his legislative agendas in spite of overwhelming Democrat majorities in the Legislature during his terms in office. Success in business, education and politics did nothing to change his friendly, humorous demeanor, nor his ability to communicate with the public on all levels.”
Even with health failing him, the GOP chairman said Underwood never turned down an invitation to appear at a party function.
“He was one of a kind and will be long remembered as an outstanding figure in West Virginia’s colorful political history,” McKinney added.
— E-mail:
mannix@register-herald.com

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