UVA Center for Politics

Center for Politics
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P.O. Box 400806
Charlottesville, VA 22904
Tel: 434.243.8468
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About

The University Center for Governmental Studies and the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service hosted the inaugural Governors Conference on July 17 and 18, 1998. The conference focused on the two terms of Governor Mills E. Godwin, Jr., bringing in important figures in Virginia politics, past and present, to examine important aspects of the Godwin administrations.

As the first Governor in the United States to serve as both a Democrat and a Republican, Godwin adhered to an underlying political philosophy which defied contemporary classification. He combined the ideals of a fiscal conservative with a belief that through progressive programs, state government could positively impact the lives of its citizens. His undeniably lasting legacy truly transcends partisan ideology. Historians and politicians alike rank Governor Godwin among Virginia's most influential and successful chief executives. During dynamic and tumultuous times in Virginia's history, Governor Godwin effectively and decisively led the Commonwealth to secure a bright future. Through it all, Mills Godwin was able to define governorship both in the eye of Virginia's public and for those who followed in his footsteps as the state's highest elected office.

Panels included discussions on:

The Pre-Gubernatorial Career and the 1965 Campaign for Governor
The Events and Legacy of Godwin's First Term
Governor Godwin and the General Assembly
The Election Called Armageddon - The Campaign of 1973
The Events and Legacy of Godwin's Second Term

Distinguished panelists included former and current legislators: Hunter Andrews, Ray Ashworth, John Chichester, Elmon Gray, Alson Smith, Jr., Stanley Walker, Alan Diamonstein, and Selwyn Smith. Also, journalists Dana Hamel, Margaret Edds, Margie Fisher, Frank Callaham, and Jim Latimer were featured. The Governors Conference also included "The First Lady's Luncheon" and a Dome Room dinner in the Rotunda, where former Governor Gerald Baliles delivered the keynote address.