History
Biology students started coming to what is now the Core Arboretum by the 1920s.
The land, remarkably undisturbed compared to other sites near Morgantown, was then part of a
family farm.
WVU acquired the farm in 1948 as the location for the Evansdale campus. Biology
Chair Earl Core easily persuaded President Irvin Stewart to set aside the
biologically rich hillside and flood plain as an arboretum. WVU established official boundaries
and an endowment for the Arboretum in 1998.
Faculty and students have used the Arboretum extensively for instruction and
research. Classes are held there. 10 advanced degrees, much externally funded research, and a
number of articles in scientific journals have been based on work done in the Arboretum.
The name "Core Arboretum" honors the memory of founder and distinguished
botanist Earl L. Core (1902-1985).
Core earned A. B. and M.S. degrees from WVU in 1926 and 1928, and a Ph.D. from
Columbia in 1936. He was on the Biology Department faculty from 1928 to 1972. During his tenure
as Chair (1948-1967), a survey of national leaders in higher education ranked WVU's botany program
among the top 3 in the nation.
Charges
There are no charges for admission, parking, or use of the Arboretum.
Donations are always welcome. Donated money goes into an endowment fund
specifically earmarked for the Core Arboretum. Make checks out to "WVU Foundation" and write
"Core Arboretum" on the memo line. Mail checks to:
Core Arboretum, WVU Dept. of Biology,
PO Box 6057, Morgantown, WV 26506-6057.