It is well known that for more than three decades, A.L. Philpott was an enduring political force in the General Assembly and a powerful influence in many aspects of life in Southside Virginia and beyond

Terry, Mary Sue

English

University of Richmond

University of Richmond Law ReviewVolume 26 | Issue 4 Article 61992Tribute to A.L. PhilpottMary Sue TerryFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.richmond.edu/lawreviewPart of the Legal Biography CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law School Journals at UR Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion inUniversity of Richmond Law Review by an authorized editor of UR Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contactscholarshiprepository@richmond.edu.Recommended CitationMary S. Terry, Tribute to A.L. Philpott, 26 U. Rich. L. Rev. xvii. (1992).Available at: http://scholarship.richmond.edu/lawreview/vol26/iss4/6TRIBUTE TO A.L. PHILPOTTThe Honorable Mary Sue Terry*It is well known that for more than three decades, A.L. Philpottwas an enduring political force in the General Assembly and apowerful influence in many aspects of life in Southside Virginiaand beyond.A.L. Philpott was also a personal friend, a political guide, and amentor to me. I can recall working the polls in Patrick County forA.L. long before I was even old enough to vote. And in 1977 I hadthe honor of being his running mate in what was then a multi-member House of Delegates District.While I was always impressed with his political acumen, his in-tegrity, and the stature he brought to the many issues he felt wereimportant, it wasn't until I was in the General Assembly that Ifully appreciated the depth of his commitment and vision in forg-ing public policy in the Commonwealth.His knowledge of Virginia's criminal code was legendary and hismastery of the legislative process was a key to the respect and in-fluence that he earned to become Speaker of the House in 1980.How influential was he?In 1974, Senator Stanley Walker from Norfolk was asked aboutthe prospects of the State Crime Commission backing a piece oflegislation it then had under study. Said Senator Walker: "Well,there are thirteen members on the Commission and there aretwelve in favor of it. But I just talked to Mr. Philpott and hedoesn't like the bill. So you ought to be able to count by now. It'stwelve to one, the bill is dead."While A.L.'s trademark scowl often spelled the demise of legisla-tion before the House of Delegates, A.L. worked hard to bring peo-ple to his way of thinking and he sought to ensure that the work-ings of government were marked by civility, respect, andsometimes a little humor.I remember in 1981, a resolution was introduced in the Housecommending the University of Virginia's basketball team for earn-ing the number one national ranking. The Senate amended the billto read the "first men's basketball team," noting that Old Domin-* Attorney General of Virginia. B.A., 1969, Westhampton College, University of Rich-mond; M.A., 1970, J.D. 1973, University of Virginia.ion University's women's team had also earned the top ranking."The Senate," said Speaker Philpott, "would amend the Lord'sPrayer."Those of us in the political and legislative arena miss A.L. Phil-pott. But his service and contributions to the Commonwealth willlive on for many years. Those of us in the legal profession can seehis enduring impact on the Commonwealth every time we open theVirginia Code - a standing tribute to his love of the law and therights of his fellow Virginians.And yet there are other tangible signs of A.L.'s presence thatare, in many respects, even more meaningful. This summer I hadthe honor of being part of a celebration which marked the openingof a refurbished and upgraded facility at the Smith Mountain Lake4-H Center. The upgrade will help the camp accommodate handi-capped and disabled children who have previously not been able tobe part of the 4-H experience.The guiding hand behind the new facility was A.L. Philpott.

Tribute to A.L. Philpott

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Tribute to A.L. Philpott

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