Bill Text: VA HJR992 | 2017 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Rouhollah K. Ramazani.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-02-23 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ992ER) [HJR992 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2017-HJR992-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Rouhollah K. Ramazani, a former professor at the University of Virginia and a respected expert on international relations, the Middle East, and Iran who advised American presidents and other leaders, died on October 5, 2016; and
WHEREAS, Rouhollah "Ruhi" K. Ramazani was born in Tehran, Iran, and emigrated to the United States with his wife, Nesta, in 1952; seeking to finish his education, he settled in the Commonwealth and attended the University of Virginia; and
WHEREAS, while pursuing a doctorate in international relations and international law, Ruhi Ramazani taught the University of Virginia's first course on the politics of the Middle East; he was hired by the university in 1954 and inspired more than 8,000 students over the course of his 45-year career as an educator; and
WHEREAS, while at the University of Virginia, Ruhi Ramazani served two terms as chair of what is now the Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics and became the university's premier expert on Middle Eastern issues, authoring more than 100 articles and 10 books; and
WHEREAS, holding a deep respect for the writings and teachings of University of Virginia founder Thomas Jefferson, Ruhi Ramazani was proud to take the oath of United States citizenship; and
WHEREAS, throughout Ruhi Ramazani's life and career, he worked to build mutual respect and understanding between countries and cultures, especially the United States and Iran; he was an advisor to many prominent officials, including President Jimmy Carter during the Iranian Revolution and American hostage crisis in 1979; and
WHEREAS, after his well-earned retirement from the University of Virginia in 1998, Ruhi Ramazani continued to share his wisdom through publications and lectures; he received countless awards and accolades for his insights, and the Rouhollah K. Ramazani Professorship in Arabian Peninsula and Gulf Studies is named in his honor; and
WHEREAS, Ruhi Ramazani will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Nesta; his four children, and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; 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 Rouhollah K. Ramazani, a distinguished educator and a respected expert on international relations; 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 Rouhollah K. Ramazani as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.
