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2011 SESSION

11100771D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 601
Offered January 12, 2011
Prefiled January 11, 2011
Celebrating the life of Henry Theodore Northcott Graves.
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Patron-- Gilbert
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WHEREAS, Henry Theodore Northcott Graves, the admired chairman of the board of Luray Caverns Corporation who was a successful advocate for tourism in the Shenandoah Valley, died July 8, 2010; and

WHEREAS, a native of Maryland, Henry “Ted” Graves was born November 10, 1922, to the late Henry Walton Graves and Katherine Maria Northcott Graves; and

WHEREAS, Ted Graves graduated from Luray High School and attended the University of Miami before his studies were interrupted by World War II; and

WHEREAS, Ted Graves proudly served his country in the United States Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1945 before completing his studies and receiving his bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, on November 29, 1944, Ted Graves married the love of his life, Rebecca Beall Jackson, and they had seven wonderful children, Rebecca, Katherine, Elizabeth, Cornelia, John, James, and the late Harry; and

WHEREAS, in the early 1950s, Ted Graves became actively involved in the business operations of Luray Caverns, which his grandfather had purchased in 1905; he become president of the company in 1952, a position he held until 2008; and

WHEREAS, under the savvy leadership of Ted Graves, Luray Caverns grew to become one of the premier travel attractions in the eastern United States; and

WHEREAS, Ted Graves recognized that the availability of the automobile after World War II would lead to people traveling farther from home and that this posed an excellent opportunity for Luray Caverns to attract visitors and serve as an educational tool; and

WHEREAS, Ted Graves opened his collection of vintage and historic automobiles to the public in 1957 as the Car and Carriage Caravan and expanded the complex over the next several decades to include a restaurant, two motels, a golf course, and the recently completed Luray Valley Museum; and

WHEREAS, Ted Graves also donated land for the construction of the Luray Caverns Airport and operated the airport since it opened in the 1970s; and

WHEREAS, Ted Graves was a strong proponent of tourism in the Shenandoah Valley and across the state; he served as past president of the Virginia Travel Council, the National Caves Association, and the Southern Highlands Attractions; he also served on the board of the Shenandoah Valley Travel Association; and

WHEREAS, several Virginia governors appointed Ted Graves chairman of both the Virginia Board of Conservation and Economic Development and the Advisory Committee on Outdoor Advertising; he was also appointed to serve on the Virginia Cave Commission; and

WHEREAS, Ted Graves generously gave of his time and talents in the local community to various organizations, including as past president of the Luray Rotary Club, member of Christ Episcopal Church in Luray, member of the board of directors at Page Valley Bank, and member of the Page County School Board; and

WHEREAS, Ted Graves received numerous awards and accolades throughout his career, including the coveted Shenandoah Bowl, presented by Byrd Newspapers for outstanding service to the travel industry of the Shenandoah Valley; and

WHEREAS, Ted Graves will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of 66 years, Rebecca; his six surviving children and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and admirers; 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 an outstanding businessman and community supporter, Henry Theodore Northcott Graves; 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 Henry Theodore Northcott Graves as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.