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1998 SESSION

982997717
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 73
Offered January 20, 1998
On the death of J. Hugo Madison.
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Patrons-- Robinson, Jones, J.C. and Melvin
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WHEREAS, J. Hugo Madison, a prominent Norfolk attorney whose record of service includes the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s and the establishment of Norfolk State University, died on July 26, 1997; and

WHEREAS, a native of Dinwiddie, Hugo Madison graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, earned his undergraduate degree from Howard University, and received his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in New York; and

WHEREAS, following honorable service with the U.S. Army, Hugo Madison returned to Norfolk as the youngest of the very few African-American lawyers practicing in Hampton Roads at that time; and

WHEREAS, Hugo Madison soon became deeply involved in the civil rights movement, leading the fights for the desegregation of Norfolk's public schools and defending students arrested at lunch counter sit-ins; and

WHEREAS, Hugo Madison continued to build a pioneering legal career, becoming the first African-American commissioner in chancery for the Norfolk Circuit Court and serving as divorce commissioner for the Virginia Beach Circuit Court; and

WHEREAS, in 1969, Hugo Madison became the first rector of the newly independent Norfolk State College (now University) and served on the Norfolk State University Board until his death; and

WHEREAS, well-known as a mentor and role model for young attorneys and civic leaders in the Norfolk area, Hugo Madison was instrumental in the earlier careers of numerous prominent Norfolk politicians; and

WHEREAS, always dedicated to his community, Hugo Madison served on many civic, legal, and service organizations, including the United Way, the Boy Scouts of America, the YMCA, the NAACP, and the Virginia, National, Old Dominion, and South Hampton Roads Bar Associations; and

WHEREAS, a local leader of substantial, widespread, and beneficent influence, Hugo Madison leaves a lasting legacy of service to his community, the Commonwealth, and the nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly mourn the death of J. Hugo Madison, a Virginian of surpassing integrity, commitment, and achievement; 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 J. Hugo Madison as an expression of the General Assembly's great respect for his lifetime of exceptional service.