HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 1000 Offered February 19, 2007 Commending Ralph Hambrick. ---------- Patron-- McClellan ----------

WHEREAS, Dr. Ralph Hambrick, a longtime professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and an avid conservationist, is recognized for his dedication to the environment and his stewardship of the beautiful James River; and

WHEREAS, a knowledgeable and enthusiastic James River conservationist, Dr. Ralph Hambrick serves as chairman of the Falls of the James Scenic River Advisory Committee; and

WHEREAS, created under the Scenic River Act in 1972, the advisory committee monitors any changes in the James River as it flows through the Richmond area in order to preserve the river and its banks and islands in their natural state; and

WHEREAS, a native Virginian, Dr. Ralph Hambrick spent much of his teen years in Sarasota Florida, received a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and a doctoral degree from Syracuse University, and between college and graduate school spent two years in Nepal with the Peace Corps; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Ralph Hambrick was a professor for six years at Texas A & M University and one year at the University of South Carolina, before moving to Richmond to teach at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 1978; and

WHEREAS, influenced by a natural enjoyment of nature and the beauty of its rivers, Ralph Hambrick first went canoeing with his grandfather, an outdoorsman, who shared his great love of the New River with his grandson; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Ralph Hambrick began mentoring young people in his own right as a professor at Texas A&M, taking a group of students on canoe trips down the Rio Grande, and when he came to Richmond, he served as a guide for the Richmond Rafting Association; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Ralph Hambrick taught public policy and administration at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University until his retirement in 2006; he was also invaluable in the establishment of the school's Capital Semester Program in which students intern with the executive branch, the General Assembly, and other state agencies that are involved with the legislative process; and

WHEREAS, in the 1990s, Dr. Ralph Hambrick also began teaching environmental policy at VCU, which led to his active involvement with the James River, by teaching canoeing skills, leading canoeing trips on Virginia's rivers, and being an active participant on a number of river conservation organizations such as The James River Outdoor Coalition, Friends of the James River Park, the Coastal Canoeists, and the Virginia Scenic River Board; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Ralph Hambrick jokingly says his most notable achievement is having spotted the first, and maybe only, manatee ever seen in the James River in Richmond; and

WHEREAS, a wonderful teacher and mentor of young people and all nature enthusiasts, Dr. Ralph Hambrick's stewardship and preservation of the James River is worthy of praise and emulation by Virginia's citizens; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend Dr. Ralph Hambrick for helping to safeguard the environment as a member of the Falls of the James Scenic River Advisory Committee and sharing his knowledge and love of the environment with Virginians, especially its young people; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Dr. Ralph Hambrick as an expression of the General Assembly’s appreciation for his stewardship of the beautiful James River