Bill Text: VA HJR289 | 2014 | Regular Session | Enrolled

Virginia House Joint Resolution 289 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Roland Irvin Tapscott.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Passed) 2014-02-27 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ289ER) [HJR289 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2014-HJR289-Enrolled.html

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 289 Celebrating the life of Roland Irvin Tapscott.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 21, 2014 Agreed to by the Senate, February 27, 2014

WHEREAS, Roland Irvin Tapscott, a civil rights pioneer and a hardworking public servant in Warrenton, died on January 7, 2014; and

WHEREAS, along with many of the other young men of his generation, Roland Tapscott desired to serve his country during World War II; he became one of the first African Americans to join the United States Marine Corps; and

WHEREAS, after receiving basic training at the segregated Montford Point Camp in North Carolina, Roland Tapscott served in the Pacific Theater and rose to the rank of corporal; and

WHEREAS, returning to Warrenton after his honorable discharge in 1946, Roland Tapscott became a devoted public servant, working for 34 years as a supply officer for the Federal Housing Administration; and

WHEREAS, Roland Tapscott also went on to become a dedicated and admired community and civil rights leader; he served for eight years on the Fauquier County Planning Commission and spearheaded efforts to integrate county schools and restaurants; and

WHEREAS, cofounding the Fauquier Housing Corporation in 1970, Roland Tapscott helped low-income families find homes and supported numerous other civic causes; and

WHEREAS, also serving his fellow veterans, Roland Tapscott was a past commander of American Legion Post 72 in Warrenton; and

WHEREAS, along with other surviving members of the "Montford Marines," Roland Tapscott was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, recognizing his perseverance and courage in the face of adversity and discrimination; and

WHEREAS, Roland Tapscott will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Adrian, Faye, James, Norman, and Geoffrey, and their families, and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Roland Irvin Tapscott, a civil rights leader and a respected member of the Warrenton community; 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 Roland Irvin Tapscott as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.