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2012 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 315
Celebrating the life of Dr. Kermit H. Diggs, Sr.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 10, 2012
Agreed to by the Senate, February 16, 2012

 

WHEREAS, Dr. Kermit H. Diggs, Sr., a pioneering educator who played a pivotal role in the development of student affairs administration at what is now Norfolk State University, died on January 8, 2012; and

WHEREAS, a native of Mathews County, Kermit Diggs graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore, Maryland; attended Hampton Institute; received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Virginia State College; and earned a doctorate from Cornell University; and

WHEREAS, in 1941 Dr. Diggs began his distinguished educational career at Greensville County Training School as an agriculture teacher; he was also called upon to aid the war effort by training farmers to grow certain crops and maintain and repair their farm equipment; and

WHEREAS, after the war, Dr. Diggs worked for the Virginia Department of Education supervising veteran training before his appointment as head of secondary education and director of laboratory training at Fort Valley State College in Georgia; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Diggs returned to Virginia as director of the Division of Education and Psychology and director of the summer school at St. Paul’s College and then accepted a position as Dean of Students at Norfolk State College in 1964; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Diggs brought a wealth of experience to Norfolk State College and joined the college at a critical juncture in its development, helping establish the offices of the Dean of Men, the Dean of Women, Activities Supervisor, and planning the school’s first two dormitories and student activities building; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Diggs oversaw counseling services, health services, job placement services, financial aid, community housing placement, and athletics at Norfolk State College, ensuring that students had the resources they needed to succeed in their educational pursuits; and

WHEREAS, before retiring, Dr. Diggs spent several years in the School of Education, where his experiences as an educator benefited those about to embark on careers in the educational field; and

WHEREAS, highly regarded by his peers, Dr. Diggs was a valued member of the National Education Association, Virginia Education Association, Phi Delta Kappa Educational Society, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, Association for the Study of Higher Education, and American Association of University Professors; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Diggs took an active role in community affairs as a member of the Masonic Lodge 101, NAACP, National Urban League, American Red Cross, and Norfolk Area Human Relations Council; and

WHEREAS, a dedicated educator and college administrator, Dr. Diggs profoundly influenced generations of students over the course of his remarkable career; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife, Dr. Ruth Diggs, Dr. Kermit Diggs leaves behind to cherish his memory his sons, Kermit, Jr., and Charles, and their families; numerous other family members and friends; and those whose lives he touched; 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 admired educator, Dr. Kermit H. Diggs, Sr.; 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 Dr. Kermit H. Diggs, Sr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.