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1997 SESSION
WHEREAS, Richard E. Buckley, the director of the Southside Virginia Training Center in Dinwiddie for 22 years, died on February 17, 1997; and
WHEREAS, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, Richard Buckley began his professional career as a minister in Mississippi during the civil rights movement, where he developed a profound sensitivity to social issues and where he sharpened his desire to improve the quality of life for others; and
WHEREAS, in 1969, Richard Buckley earned his doctorate in psychology and subsequently taught graduate and undergraduate psychology courses, from which he gained an understanding of the shaping and management of human behavior; and
WHEREAS, in 1972, Dr. Buckley was appointed superintendent of Partlow State School and Hospital in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a residential facility for over 2,000 persons with mental retardation; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure in Alabama, Dr. Buckley overcame extremely adverse conditions of overcrowding, insufficient staff, and limited resources and ensured the implementation of court-ordered standards to improve the quality of life for the residents; and
WHEREAS, his achievement earned Dr. Buckley a national reputation as a competent and effective leader in the field of mental health and mental retardation; and
WHEREAS, in 1975, Dr. Buckley's national reputation was a primary factor in his selection as director of the Southside Virginia Training Center in Dinwiddie; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Buckley initiated major improvements in living conditions at the center, successfully and compassionately reduced the resident population from 1,479 people to its current census of 557, and instituted numerous active treatment programs and training methods; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Buckley's relentless emphasis on dignity and respect, individual choice, human rights, and the highest possible quality of life for each person was reflected in the many staff members who admired him, who learned from him, and who recognized him with a gala celebration of his twentieth anniversary at the training center in 1995; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Buckley made himself available to his staff as a director and mentor, gave his time and attention to families and volunteers, and, most importantly, devoted his life to persons with mental retardation who required his care and concern for their well being; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly recognize and honor the dedication and extraordinary achievements of Richard E. Buckley in Virginia and throughout the nation; 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 Richard E. Buckley as an expression of the General Assembly's profound appreciation for his 22 years of service to the Commonwealth and to its citizens with mental disabilities.