MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A West Virginia University construction manager who helped restore the holiday lighting at historic Woodburn Hall after more than a decade without it has received a university award for his work.
Adam James, a three-time university graduate and construction manager for WVU Planning, Design and Construction, received a WVU Impact Award for leading the project. He also represented university staff during the October 15 inauguration of WVU President Michael T. Benson.
“At Woodburn Hall, he saw what restoring a tradition could mean for generations of Mountaineers and trusted people across the university and community to make it happen,” James said of Benson during the inauguration.
The project brought nearly 8,000 lights to Woodburn Hall, one of the university’s most recognizable landmarks. Hundreds of spectators gathered in Woodburn Circle on December 2, 2025, to watch the building illuminated for the first time in more than 10 years.
The lighting ceremony had once been an annual holiday attraction for students, alumni, and Morgantown residents. Its return was among the campus-beautification initiatives undertaken during Benson’s presidency.
Restoring the lights
James managed the installation, which began November 14, 2025. WVU Facilities Management personnel worked with outside contractors, including March-Westin and Three Rivers Lights, to prepare the historic building for the display.
The installation required coordination among university electrical and mechanical crews to provide power for the lights.
“It was a university effort, especially with our electrical shop and our mechanical shop, to get all of the power sources needed tied together,” James told WVU in a December 2025 interview. “Really a group effort to make it happen.”
Huntington National Bank and Northeast Natural Energy sponsored the project, with additional support from March-Westin, Three Rivers Lights, and United Rentals.
Built in 1876, Woodburn Hall is the second-oldest building on WVU’s Morgantown campus. Its clock tower and distinctive architecture have made it a familiar symbol of the university.
A November 2025 West Virginia Explorer report examined the building’s history and plans to restore its lighting.
The December ceremony drew hundreds of spectators. Nine-year-old Kinsey Wolfe, a patient at WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital, joined Benson for the ceremonial lighting.
“It symbolizes our community,” James said that evening. “It symbolizes the strength of WVU and all those who embody what it is to be a West Virginian.”
Recognition at presidential inauguration
James’s recognition was highlighted during Benson’s formal inauguration as WVU’s 27th president at the Canady Creative Arts Center on October 15.
Speaking on behalf of university staff, James compared his work as a construction manager with Benson’s responsibilities as university president, describing both as builders.
He cited the Woodburn Hall project to underscore the importance of giving university employees opportunities to contribute their expertise.
“That is the future I hope we keep building—a WVU where students from anywhere find both an open door and the support to succeed, where staff has the trust and opportunity to contribute their ideas, and where our traditions make room for the next generation,” James said.
The lighting project involved university employees, contractors, and private sponsors. Their work culminated in the December ceremony, when the lights above Woodburn Circle were turned on for the first time in more than a decade.