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2015 SESSION

15104547D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 815
Offered February 12, 2015
Commending Herbert Ridgeway Collins.
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Patrons-- Fowler, Orrock, Peace and Ransone; Senator: McDougle
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WHEREAS, Herbert Ridgeway Collins, a respected historian and generous member of the Caroline County community, has dedicated his life to protecting and preserving the unique history and culture of the region and the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, a native of Caroline County, Herbert Collins grew up in and still owns a home that was built in 1711; now a personal museum known as Green Falls, the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and

WHEREAS, Herbert Collins previously served as a curator at the Smithsonian Institution; among his many accomplishments there, he founded the National Postal Museum, established the security system for the National Philatelic Collection, helped establish the National Museum of the American Indian, and was executive director of the National Museum of American History; and

WHEREAS, while working at the Smithsonian, Herbert Collins visited former United States President Harry S. Truman to acquire items for his exhibit at the museum and helped assemble a period-accurate military uniform for President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s funeral; he also toured the country to raise money for a museum honoring President John F. Kennedy; and

WHEREAS, Herbert Collins served as president of the Arlington Historical Society and as a member of the Arlington County Historical Commission; deeply respected in his field, he is also a founding member and past president of the Virginia Genealogical Society and a life member of numerous other historical societies throughout the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, in his native county, Herbert Collins founded the Caroline County Historical Society, established the first Caroline County Museum and has led numerous historical preservation projects, including the restoration and relocation of Judge Edmund Pendleton’s plantation overseer’s house from 1740; and

WHEREAS, Herbert Collins proposed and placed numerous historical markers and monuments throughout Caroline County, including the Golansville Quakers meetinghouse state marker, which he funded personally; and

WHEREAS, generous with his time, wisdom, and knowledge, Herbert Collins has helped countless Caroline County residents learn their heritage, and he has donated artifacts, portraits, and documents to the Counties of Caroline and Essex and the Towns of Bowling Green and Port Royal worth hundreds of thousands of dollars; and

WHEREAS, a prolific author, Herbert Collins has published dozens of local, state, and national history books; his latest offering, Country Crossroads: Rural Life in Caroline County, VA, will be the most complete history of Caroline County ever written, with information on families, houses, sayings, folklore, schools, and maps dating back to the 1600s; and

WHEREAS, Herbert Collins has received many awards and accolades for his good work, including the Community Builder’s Award from the Kilwinning-Crosse Masonic Lodge 2-237; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Herbert Ridgeway Collins for his lifetime of service to the residents of and visitors to Caroline County as a historian and preservationist; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Herbert Ridgeway Collins as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his mission to preserve Virginia history and culture for future generations.