Bill Text: VA SR69 | 2018 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Sol Waite Rawls, Jr.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2018-03-09 - Bill text as passed Senate (SR69ER) [SR69 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2018-SR69-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Sol Waite Rawls, Jr., a beloved father and a respected business leader who gave generously of his time and talents in service to the City of Franklin and the Commonwealth, died on January 28, 2018; and
WHEREAS, born in 1919 in Franklin, Sol Rawls earned a chemistry degree from Virginia Military Institute in 1940 and then served in the United States Army during World War II, rising to the rank of major and winning the Army Commendation Medal; and
WHEREAS, following his military service, Sol Rawls forged a successful career at his father's business, S.W. Rawls, Inc., an oil distributor that included service stations as well as Franklin's first automobile dealership; he became the company's president in 1964 and held that position until 1994; and
WHEREAS, a lifelong supporter of the Franklin community, Sol Rawls worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life and economic development in the city, including serving as founder and president of the Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce and Southampton Memorial Hospital; and
WHEREAS, Sol Rawls also held leadership or board positions with the Camp Foundation, Raiford Memorial Hospital, the Franklin-Southampton Alliance, the Old Dominion Area Boy Scouts of America, Franklin Southampton Charities, the Southeast Virginia 4-H Educational Center, and the Virginia Horse Center Foundation; and
WHEREAS, after Hurricane Floyd brought devastating flooding to Franklin in 1999, Sol Rawls played a leading role in establishing the Franklin Flood Fund, which raised over $4 million in aid for local businesses and residents; and
WHEREAS, a proud Virginia Military Institute graduate, Sol Rawls served as president of the Institute's alumni foundation and as a longtime member and president of its Board of Visitors; and
WHEREAS, Sol Rawls also served as chairman of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia from 1964 to 1966 and as vice president of the Eastern Virginia Medical School Foundation from 1970 to 1980; and
WHEREAS, Sol Rawls received numerous honors and recognitions for his dedication to his hometown, including the 1966 First Citizen of Franklin award and the 1998 Business Person of the Year award from the Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce; and
WHEREAS, in 2000, Sol Rawls was presented with Virginia Military Institute's New Market Medal, the Institute's highest honor; he was also the recipient of its 1990 Distinguished Service Award; and
WHEREAS, Sol Rawls will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his children, Ann, Betsy, Patricia, and Sol III, and their families, as well as numerous other family members, friends, and Franklin residents; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of Virginia hereby note with great sadness the loss of Sol Waite Rawls, Jr., a dedicated citizen who provided outstanding service to the Franklin community and the Commonwealth; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Sol Waite Rawls, Jr., as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's respect for his memory.
