UVA Center for Politics

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

Sixth Annual Virginia Governors Project
L. Douglas Wilder
Governor of Virginia 1990-1994

2003 Governors Project Sponsorship Opportunities

Current Sponsors

Overview

In 1998 the University of Virginia Center for Politics initiated the Virginia Governors Project. The primary purpose of this project is to record for posterity the history of Virginia governors in order to apply the hard-learned lessons of the past to the challenges faced by today's Commonwealth. The project has proven successful because the topic of Virginia governors is of perennial interest and genuine importance, and the Center has shown itself to be particularly well-qualified to organize events of this type.

Starting with an examination of the two terms of Gov. Mills E. Godwin, Jr., the Virginia Governors Project has proceeded chronologically through the administrations of A. Linwood Holton, John N. Dalton, Charles S. Robb, and Gerald L. Baliles.

The focus of the 2003 Conference was L. Douglas Wilder, the 66th governor of Virginia and the first and only African American elected governor in the United States.

The University of Virginia Center for Politics was pleased to partner with the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, the Community Idea Stations (WCVE Richmond PBS and WHTJ Charlottesville PBS) and numerous corporations, foundations, and individual donors.

Annual Conference

There are several components of the Virginia Governors Project. First, the annual conference brings together cabinet secretaries, staffers, prominent journalists, key legislators, notable historians and others to objectively discuss the life, administration, and legacy of one of Virginia's recent former governors.

Over the past six years, the annual conference has emerged as one of the premier political gatherings in the Commonwealth. The annual conference is open to the public and no registration fees are charged. The estimated attendance is 500 persons.

Each year's conference is videotaped and deposited in the University of Virginia's Alderman Library, the Library of Virginia, and the Virginia Historical Society. Transcripts are posted on the University of Virginia Center for Politics website.

This year's conference was held at the Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia on July 17-18, 2003.

No Higher Honor

Another component of the Virginia Governors Project is No Higher Honor. Every year, the University of Virginia Center for Politics collaborates with the Community Idea Stations (WHTJ Charlottesville PBS and WCVE Richmond PBS) to produce an hour-long documentary on the featured governor. Archival research (photographs, newspaper articles, video footage, campaign commercials, etc.) is done throughout the year and interviews are conducted during the annual conference.

Given the historic importance of Wilder's election and governorship, the Wilder documentary may be aired on PBS stations across the country during February 2004 Black History Month programming. National figures that can comment on Wilder's place in American political history will be interviewed in addition to those that were interviewed at the annual conference.

Website and Other Publications

Each year the University of Virginia Center for Politics develops and maintains a website dedicated to the Virginia Governors Project. The website includes extensive reference material for the current conference as well as transcripts and photos from previous conferences. Conference registration is also conducted via this website.

In order to preserve the lessons of the Virginia Governors Project a special edition of the Cooper Center's The Virginia News Letter will feature the governor's Keynote Address and a chapter will be written for a book on Virginia's modern governors to be published upon the series' conclusion.

2003 Virginia Governors Project Sponsors

Governor's Level Sponsors:
University of Virginia

Platinum Level Sponsors:
Dominion
Morison-Knox Holden Melendez & Prough, LLP
State Farm
Virginia Commonwealth University
Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service

Gold Sponsors
WestGroup

Silver Sponsors
Lawrence and Anita Roberts

Bronze Sponsors
H. Benson Dendy
Lawrence H. Framme, III
Richard F. Norman
John Rasmussen and Krittika Onsanit
S. Buford Scott
Ukrop's
Ernest J. and Gwen Thabet
Wachovia
Loren W. Hershey

Local Sponsors
Cavalier Pipe & Tobacco
Glo
Rebecca's Natural Food Store
Wonderful Things
The Virginia Company