SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 346 Offered January 10, 2007 Prefiled January 8, 2007 Celebrating the life of Frank McCormick Lacy. ---------- Patrons-- Reynolds; Delegate: Armstrong ----------

WHEREAS, Frank McCormick Lacy of Martinsville, a respected community benefactor and retired textile executive, died on October 19, 2006; and

WHEREAS, a native of Halifax, Frank McCormick Lacy was born on February 20, 1909, to Margaret McCormick and Edward Slate Lacy; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lacy was the founder of Lacy Manufacturing Corporation, which was a leading textile producer at the height of the industry's prominence in Martinsville; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lacy graduated from Halifax High School in 1926 and received a bachelor's degree from the University of Richmond in 1930; and

WHEREAS, after college, Frank Lacy moved to Martinsville, where he coached, taught high school, and served as principal; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lacy returned to Halifax for a short time to help at his father's car dealership until manufacturers, during World War II, turned from making automobiles to supplying tanks; and

WHEREAS, in 1942, Frank Lacy founded Lacy Manufacturing Corporation with businessman E.A. “Mike” Sale by buying a few old sewing machines, renting space in the Martinsville Coca-Cola building, producing zippered jackets, and learning the textile industry along the way; and

WHEREAS, in 1945, Frank Lacy expanded company production, adding men’s swimwear and moving the business to a building on Adele Street that once was a silk mill; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lacy was always considerate of his employees, and, because of his principled business practices, the Lacy Manufacturing Corporation grew to become a leader in Martinsville's textile industry, increasing the number of swimwear lines and jobs and opening its Roy Street plant; and

WHEREAS, by 1970 Lacy Manufacturing Corporation employed 450 employees in the two plants, with sales exceeding $6.5 million, and by 1980 sales topped $12 million; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lacy and his wife Mary Lou Pannill Lacy, a daughter of William Letcher Pannill of Pannill Knitting, sold controlling interest of the company to five company officers in 1975;  and

WHEREAS, committed to improving the quality of life of his fellow citizens, Frank Lacy generously gave his time and talents to numerous civic organizations, serving as a board member of the Piedmont Trust Bank, as well as serving on the board of directors of the Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County and the Martinsville School Board, in both capcities for 14 years with eight of those years as chairman; and

WHEREAS, Frank and Mary Lou Lacy established the Lacy Foundation, which supports humanitarian causes worldwide; local projects in Martinsville, Henry County, and neighboring Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and specific organizations, including the YMCA, Piedmont Arts Association, Adult Day Care, Salvation Army, MARC Workshop, Virginia Museum of Natural History, Citizens Against Family Violence, and Stepping Stones; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lacy was a faithful member of First Presbyterian Church, where he was an elder and headed the building committee when the new church was built on Patrick Henry Avenue; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lacy will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his family, his numerous friends and admirers, and the citizens of Martinsville; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly mourn the passing of a generous community benefactor and outstanding Virginian, Frank McCormick Lacy; and, be it

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