MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University graduate and former state lawmaker Doug Skaff was known for being a Mountaineer to the core. Following his tragic passing, his family is honoring his legacy with a scholarship gift to benefit future students at the WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics.
The Douglas J. Skaff Jr. Mountaineer Spirit Scholarship will be awarded to West Virginia resident undergraduate students enrolled in Chambers College programs. Preference will be given to students involved with the Mountaineer Maniacs or the Student Government Association.
Support for the scholarship comes from memorial gifts made by family and friends following his death in a crash crash on Interstate 79 in Lewis County June 10.
“That our loved ones remember us is important — how they remember us, even more so,” Josh Hall, Milan Puskar Dean of the Chambers College, said. “The Skaff family’s gift in honor of Doug speaks to his commitment to West Virginia and WVU. The students who benefit from this scholarship may never have a chance to meet him, but they will know what he stood for and what he meant to his family, whose generosity we are incredibly grateful for.”
Skaff, a native of South Charleston, enrolled at WVU in the late 1990s and was certainly a leader on the Morgantown Campus. He was the founder of Mountaineer Maniacs, a spirit group that supports WVU Athletics and remains the University’s largest student organization today. Skaff also co-founded WVUp All Night, a very popular late-night weekend program that offers free activities for students.
Skaff served as president of the Student Government Association from 1999-2000 and was voted Mr. Mountaineer that same year in recognition of his academic achievements and extracurricular activities. He also belonged to Delta Tau Delta fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity and Mountain Honorary.
Doug’s sister, Teresa, said WVU was a way of life for her brother from an early age, when he attended football games and cheered for the Mountaineers alongside his parents, grandparents, siblings, uncles and cousins.
“When it came time for Doug to apply to colleges, he only had one on the list — WVU,” she said. “He found that same passion for cheering on the Mountaineers in student government and fraternity life. He came up with Mountaineer Maniacs idea hoping the passion would spread throughout all students at WVU. He prevailed in all aspects of college life, and when he graduated, he kept that passion and tried everything he could to instill the Mountaineer spirit in everyone he encountered.”
Skaff earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing in 2000 and a master’s degree in industrial and labor relations and business management in 2001.
Post-graduation, Skaff spent several years working for Owens Corning, where he gained valuable experience in human resources, distribution, marketing, management and more. Like many, he began his career outside of the state and found a way to land a job back in his home state and return.
Upon his return, he ran for a won the House of Delegates seat to represent Kanawha County in 2008 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2023. He was the House Minority Leader from 2020 until he resigned in 2023 to run for Secretary of State. He had announced his intention to run for the state Senate in 2026.
Skaff was the president of HD Media, the operator of the Charleston Gazette-Mail and The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington. Before his death, he partnered with others to purchase Fazio’s, a beloved Italian restaurant in Charleston.
Skaff was also known as a reliable volunteer and philanthropist and worked on the WVU Alumni Association Board of Directors and at the time of his passing, he was interim executive director of the West Virginia Press Association.
Skaff’s all Mountaineer, all the time.
“He wanted the world to know that WVU was the dominant university in the state and entire country,” Teresa Skaff said. “He’d find a way to slip in WVU in every conversation. If there was no conversation and he was just passing by a fellow Mountaineer, he’d yell ‘Let’s Go, Mountaineers!’ with a number one held high in the air. His passion was that of a true Mountaineer.”
Gifts to the Douglas J. Skaff Jr. Mountaineer Spirit Scholarship can be made online. All gifts are made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
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