WHEREAS, the Honorable Linwood A. Holton, Jr., the 61st Governor of Virginia, whose election ushered in a new era of competitive two-party politics in the Commonwealth, died on October 28, 2021; and

WHEREAS, a native of Big Stone Gap, Linwood Holton dreamed of becoming a public servant from a young age, and after graduating from Washington and Lee University in 1944, he joined many of the other young men of his generation in service to the nation as a member of the United States Navy during World War II; and

WHEREAS, Linwood Holton continued his military service during the Allied occupation of Japan, then attended Harvard Law School and returned to the Commonwealth to practice law in the Roanoke area; and

WHEREAS, Linwood Holton came to prominence in the Republican Party as a champion for school integration and the civil rights movement; after an unsuccessful run for Governor in 1965, he defeated William C. Battle in 1969 to become the first Governor of Virginia from the Republican Party since the Reconstruction era; and

WHEREAS, among his many achievements, Linwood Holton laid the foundation for the modern executive cabinet and increased hiring of women and minorities in state government; he also created the Virginia Governor's Schools Program, provided the first state funds for community mental health centers, and was a champion for the restoration and conservation of the Commonwealth's waterways; and

WHEREAS, Linwood Holton was a pioneer in school integration efforts and voluntarily enrolled his children in formerly all-Black public schools in Richmond; and

WHEREAS, after completing his term as Governor, Linwood Holton served as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs under the Nixon administration, then practiced law with the firm McCandlish Holton; and

WHEREAS, Linwood Holton also offered his leadership and expertise to the Center for Innovative Technology and Amtrak and played a role in the establishment of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority; and

WHEREAS, a man of deep and abiding faith, Linwood Holton was a member of Presbyterian churches throughout Virginia and often held leadership roles in his congregations; and

WHEREAS, Linwood Holton will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of 68 years, Virginia; his children, Tayloe, Anne, Woody, and Dwight, and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of the Honorable Linwood A. Holton, Jr., a former Governor of Virginia and highly admired community leader; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of the Honorable Linwood A. Holton, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.