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2024 SESSION

24102328D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 51
Offered January 19, 2024
Celebrating the life of James Marlin Patton.
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Patrons-- Locke; Delegate: Ward
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WHEREAS, James Marlin Patton of Newport News, a longtime employee of The College of William and Mary in Virginia and a consummate educator who helped enhance diversity and equity in higher education, died on June 17, 2023; and

WHEREAS, James Patton grew up in Kentucky, where he attended Catholic schools, then earned a bachelor’s degree from Kentucky State University and a master’s degree from the University of Louisville; he subsequently received a doctorate from Indiana University; and

WHEREAS, James Patton began his 40-year career as a special education teacher, then transitioned to higher education, first as a faculty member at Hampton University, then as a faculty member, department chair, interim dean, and assistant to the vice president of academic affairs at Virginia State University; and

WHEREAS, James Patton worked for the Department of Education as director of teacher education for three years, before he joined The College of William and Mary in Virginia as a professor of education; and

WHEREAS, James Patton taught undergraduate and graduate level courses related to curriculum and instruction and educational policy planning and leadership; he inspired hundreds of teachers at the institution by leading the introductory social foundation course and supervising the culminating student teaching experience; and

WHEREAS, James Patton co-authored or directed several grant applications to design and evaluate inclusive educational programs, and as an associate dean at The College of William and Mary School of Education from 1991 to 1999, he helped build a more diverse and welcoming community through his committee assignments and proactive leadership; and

WHEREAS, James Patton reshaped higher education in the Commonwealth and beyond through his insightful research into the needs of diverse student bodies and practices to more effectively educate all learners; his publications and presentations addressed the overrepresentation of Black students in special education programs and their underrepresentation in gifted programs; and

WHEREAS, highly admired in his field, James Patton was appointed by the governor to the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities; he served on a commission to assess the impact of certain court cases on higher education in the Commonwealth and offered his leadership and expertise to the board of An Achievable Dream; and

WHEREAS, a man of deep and abiding faith, James Patton enjoyed fellowship and worship with the community as a devout member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church; and

WHEREAS, James Patton will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Asha and Ade, and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, colleagues, and former students; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of James Marlin Patton, a distinguished educator who touched countless lives over the course of his exceptional career; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of James Marlin Patton as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.