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2001 SESSION

017708608
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 870
Offered February 7, 2001
Commemorating the lifetime achievements of Kathryn H. Stone.
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Patrons-- Almand, Brink and Darner; Senators: Howell, Ticer and Whipple
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WHEREAS, Kathryn H. Stone is a legendary figure in the history of Arlington County and the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, a member of the House of Delegates from 1954 to 1966, Kathryn Stone was the first woman elected to the General Assembly from Northern Virginia and the first in 20 years to serve in the General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, during Kathryn Stone's 12-year service in the House of Delegates, she was at the forefront of many of the struggles that characterized and defined the era and that still reverberate today; and

WHEREAS, Kathryn Stone crusaded to keep public schools open during the time of massive resistance and to begin compliance with the Supreme Court's orders to desegregate the public schools; and

WHEREAS, Kathryn Stone was one of the very few with the courage to defend the NAACP when it filed desegregation suits in court; and

WHEREAS, in the early 1960s, Kathryn Stone was active in the resistance to mal-apportionment and became a plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that forced reapportionment and gave Northern Virginia and other urban areas their fare share of representatives in Richmond; and

WHEREAS, Kathryn Stone introduced legislation to establish a State Commission on the Status of Women, a commission established by Governor Albertis Harrison despite the General Assembly's rejection of her legislation; and

WHEREAS, Kathryn Stone, who had earlier established a reputation for expertise on local government issues, served as a citizen member and later as a member from the House of Delegates on Virginia's first regional planning commission, which later evolved into the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments; and

WHEREAS, during the Kennedy administration, Kathryn Stone served on the National Commission on the Status of Women, and she later led the fight for more state funding for education, health, and mental health services; and

WHEREAS, a pioneer in many areas, Kathryn Stone leaves a legacy of extraordinary service to the citizens of Arlington County, the Northern Virginia area, and the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commemorate the lifetime achievements and contributions of Kathryn H. Stone; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Arlington Commission on the Status of Women so that they may honor Kathryn H. Stone during Woman's History Month of the Arlington Bicentennial Year.