2007
Harley and Betty Jolley

Dr. Harley E. Jolley, also known as “Mr. Blue Ridge Parkway,” taught history at Mars Hill College from 1949 through 1991. His wife, Betty Jolley, came to the college in 1949 as an assistant librarian, but she quickly began teaching humanities and history courses. For over four decades, they formed the backbone of the history department of Mars Hill College, and they were integral to the life of both the college and the town of Mars Hill. Harley was a recipient of North Carolina’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine. He authored many books and articles including, “The Blue Ridge Parkway: The First 50 Years,” “That Magnificent Army of Youth and Peace: The Civilian Conservation Corps in North Carolina, 1933-1942,” and “Along the Blue Ridge Parkway.”