HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 198 Offered January 9, 2008 Commending Charles F. Bryan, Jr. ---------- Patron-- Howell, W.J. ----------

WHEREAS, Charles F. Bryan, Jr., will retire at the end of 2008 as the esteemed president and chief executive officer of the Virginia Historical Society after two decades of outstanding service; and

WHEREAS, a native of Tennessee, Charles Bryan graduated from the Virginia Military Institute, the University of Georgia, and the University of Tennessee, and he served his country as an officer in the United States Army; and

 WHEREAS, Dr. Bryan served as the director of the East Tennessee Historical Society and the St. Louis Mercantile Library Association before being chosen in 1988 to lead the Virginia Historical Society (VHS) at a crucial turning point in the institution’s history; and

WHEREAS, through Dr. Bryan's exceptional leadership, the VHS has been greatly augmented as the central repository for unique collections of books, manuscripts, and museum objects documenting Virginia’s long and distinguished past; and

WHEREAS, with eloquence, determination, and heartfelt persuasion, Dr. Bryan has given voice to the need for greater education and knowledge of Virginia's rich history by all of the citizens of the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Bryan has initiated statewide educational programs that take Virginia history to students in their classrooms; and

WHEREAS, with prescience and vision, Dr. Bryan has been instrumental in the establishment of the first and only comprehensive museum exhibition that explores all aspects of Virginia history; and

WHEREAS, although a private institution, the VHS under Dr. Bryan's watch has achieved recognition as Virginia’s official state historical society; and

WHEREAS, through the creation of the Reynolds Business History Center, Dr. Bryan has led the VHS in the establishment of the first state-level business history center on the East Coast; and

WHEREAS, under Dr. Bryan's direction, the VHS has contributed greatly to scholarly, as well as popular knowledge of Virginia’s past through landmark publications and programs; and

WHEREAS, during Dr. Bryan's tenure, the VHS has built an innovative partnership with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources; has become the lead historic resource for planning the sesquicentennial of the Civil War in Virginia; and has been recognized by peer institutions around the country as a model for the management of historical societies; and

WHEREAS, through his exemplary custodianship, Dr. Bryan and the VHS have raised the standard of responsible stewardship of historical artifacts; and

WHEREAS, the VHS, under Dr. Bryan's guidance, has contributed greatly to the rejuvenation of its neighborhood through four projects to expand and renovate the beautiful and historic VHS building on the Boulevard in Richmond; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Bryan has served as a board member of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and as president of the Independent Research Libraries Association and the American Association of State and Local History; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Bryan is the distinguished author and editor of numerous historical works, including Eye of the Storm and Images from the Storm; and

WHEREAS, the VHS, under Dr. Bryan's inspirational leadership, has become one of the leading historical organizations in the nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend and congratulate Dr. Charles F. Bryan, Jr., for his outstanding service to the Virginia Historical Society and the citizens of the Commonwealth; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to Charles F. Bryan, Jr., and to the Virginia Historical Society as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude for his many contributions to the preservation of Virginia's rich and diverse history and best wishes for a long and fulfilling retirement.