Joe Brumble earned a BA in English from Randolph-Macon College in 1968. After serving in the medical corps in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, he earned an MA in English at Old Dominion University, where he subsequently taught as a member of the English Department.  He earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Delaware, specializing in the British Romantic and Victorian writers (poetry in particular), and he has been a member of the WJU English Department since 1981. He served as Chair of the department for 13 years, is a past-President of the West Virginia Association of College English Teachers, and currently splits his time between teaching and serving as Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Brumble still delights in introducing students to the wonders of literature, especially the poetry of John Keats, Tennyson, and the works of Shakespeare. He sails, skis, travels, and is a capable carpenter/woodworker who sometimes enjoys renovating houses.