Bill Text: VA HJR289 | 2014 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Roland Irvin Tapscott.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-02-27 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ289ER) [HJR289 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2014-HJR289-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Roland Irvin Tapscott, a civil rights pioneer and a hardworking public servant in Warrenton, died on January 7, 2014; and WHEREAS, along with many of the other young men of his generation, Roland Tapscott desired to serve his country during World War II; he became one of the first African Americans to join the United States Marine Corps; and WHEREAS, after receiving basic training at the segregated Montford Point Camp in North Carolina, Roland Tapscott served in the Pacific Theater and rose to the rank of corporal; and WHEREAS, returning to Warrenton after his honorable discharge in 1946, Roland Tapscott became a devoted public servant, working for 34 years as a supply officer for the Federal Housing Administration; and WHEREAS, Roland Tapscott also went on to become a dedicated and admired community and civil rights leader; he served for eight years on the Fauquier County Planning Commission and spearheaded efforts to integrate county schools and restaurants; and WHEREAS, cofounding the Fauquier Housing Corporation in 1970, Roland Tapscott helped low-income families find homes and supported numerous other civic causes; and WHEREAS, also serving his fellow veterans, Roland Tapscott was a past commander of American Legion Post 72 in Warrenton; and WHEREAS, along with other surviving members of the "Montford Marines," Roland Tapscott was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, recognizing his perseverance and courage in the face of adversity and discrimination; and WHEREAS, Roland Tapscott will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Adrian, Faye, James, Norman, and Geoffrey, and their families, and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Roland Irvin Tapscott, a civil rights leader and a respected member of the Warrenton community; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Roland Irvin Tapscott as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory. |