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2023 SESSION

23103774D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 578
Offered January 23, 2023
Celebrating the life of Charlene Adele Curtis.
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Patrons-- Rasoul; Senator: Edwards
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WHEREAS, Charlene Adele Curtis, an esteemed basketball player and coach who made history as the first African American to serve as head coach of a women’s basketball team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, died on August 18, 2022; and

WHEREAS, Charlene Curtis excelled at academics, music, and sports from a young age, graduating with honors from William Fleming High School in Roanoke in 1972, becoming the first African American to perform with the Roanoke Youth Symphony, and leading her high school basketball team to win the city-county championship her senior year; and

WHEREAS, Charlene Curtis attended Radford University, where she scored 1,043 career points as a member of the women’s basketball team and became the first basketball player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points; and

WHEREAS, Charlene Curtis graduated with honors and earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Radford University in 1976 and later earned a master’s degree in secondary education administration from the University of Virginia in 1982; and

WHEREAS, following graduation from Radford University, Charlene Curtis served as a teacher, coach, and band director at Staunton River High School in Bedford County, where she contributed greatly to the maturation and success of her students; she was also notably the first African American teacher or coach in Staunton River High School’s history; and

WHEREAS, Charlene Curtis would go on to hold assistant coaching positions at the University of Virginia, Georgetown University, and the University of Connecticut and to serve as head coach at Radford University, Temple University, and Wake Forest University; and

WHEREAS, while head coach at Radford University, Charlene Curtis’ teams went 121–53 and captured several Big South Conference titles, earning her Big South Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1988 and 1990; and

WHEREAS, upon taking the reins at Wake Forest University, Charlene Curtis became the first African American women’s basketball head coach in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC); and

WHEREAS, beyond college basketball, Charlene Curtis served as an assistant coach to the Charlotte Sting of the Women’s National Basketball Association and as a television analyst and also had several stints on the coaching staff for USA Basketball; and

WHEREAS, at the culmination of her storied career in women’s collegiate basketball, Charlene Curtis served as supervisor of women's basketball officials for the ACC, as well as coordinator of women's basketball officials for the Southern Conference, the Big South Conference, and the Colonial Athletic Association; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of her accomplishments as a player and coach, Charlene Curtis was inducted into the Radford University Hall of Fame and the Big South Conference Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, guided throughout life by her faith, Charlene Curtis was a lay leader at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she served as a member of the Church Council and the Committee on Finance, as well as a Sunday school teacher and GriefShare leader; and

WHEREAS, Charlene Curtis will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by her loving partner of 24 years, Sharolyn; her sister, Millicent, and her family; and numerous other family members and friends; 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 Charlene Adele Curtis, a trailblazing basketball player and coach whose legacy will inspire others for generations to come; 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 Charlene Adele Curtis as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for her memory.