HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 628 Offered January 10, 2007 Prefiled January 8, 2007 Celebrating the life of Carl W. Smith. ---------- Patron-- Tata ----------

WHEREAS, Carl W. Smith, a legendary supporter of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and one of its most beloved and generous benefactors, died on December 8, 2005; and

WHEREAS, a native of Wise and a University of Virginia (UVA) alumnus, Carl Smith and his beloved wife, Hunter J. Smith, supported a variety of initiatives at the university over the years; and

WHEREAS, Carl Smith received an athletic scholarship and was an exceptional scholar-athlete at UVA; he was a member of the football team from 1947 to 1951, a great asset to the Cavaliers as a starting offensive guard in 1949 and 1950, and a graduate of the School of Economics in 1951; and

WHEREAS, in 1961, Carl Smith founded his own firm, AMVEST Corporation, headquartered in Charlottesville, which specializes in coal mining, natural gas production, and finance, and served as executive director until retiring in 2004 as director emeritus; and

WHEREAS, in 1997, Carl Smith contributed $25 million to UVA, the largest single monetary contribution in the school's history, which went toward the expansion of Scott Stadium, as well as construction of a new football stadium at the University of Virginia's College at Wise; and

WHEREAS, a thoughtful and unassuming person, Carl Smith was especially proud when the area surrounding Scott Stadium was dedicated as the Carl Smith Center in his honor; his name is rightfully engraved in the stone of the clock tower that stands overlooking the stadium; and

WHEREAS, over the years, Carl and Hunter Smith's gifts have expanded and enriched the schools of architecture, law, medicine, and business; the Jefferson Scholars Foundation; and the Children's Medical Center; and

WHEREAS, Carl and Hunter Smith continually funded the University of Virginia marching band and have magnanimously endowed the university's future fine and performing arts center, which is under development as part of the Virginia 2020 strategic plan for the arts at UVA; and

WHEREAS, Carl and Hunter Smith founded invaluable athletic scholarship programs at both UVA and the University of Virginia's College at Wise; and 

WHEREAS, Carl Smith was profoundly devoted to the well-being of UVA and its students, faculty, and administration, and he was undoubtedly an exuberant fan of all of the school's athletic teams, but he always expressed his firm belief in the precedence of academic excellence over athletic might; and

WHEREAS, Carl Smith served as a member of the board of visitors of the University of Virginia from 1980 to 1988, chaired its Finance Committee, and was a two-term trustee of the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration Foundation; and

WHEREAS, committed to the preservation of Virginia's treasured architecture, Carl Smith served as chair of the Jeffersonian Restoration Advisory Board to oversee and preserve the University of Virginia's historic buildings; and

WHEREAS, Carl Smith served as a member of the boards of the National Mining Association and the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, a great philanthropist and visionary leader, Carl Smith's generosity and remarkable record of achievement have been an inspiration to the University of Virginia and the Charlottesville community; and

WHEREAS, Carl Smith will be greatly missed by his wonderful wife, three children, and grandson; his countless friends and admirers; and the UVA family; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly mourn the passing of an outstanding Virginian, Carl W. Smith; 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 Carl W. Smith as an expression of the respect in which his memory is held by the members of the General Assembly.