HD32 - Report of the Virginia 350th Anniversary Commission

  • Published: 1958
  • Author: Virginia 350th Anniversary Commission
  • Enabling Authority: Chapter 449 (Regular Session, 1954)

Executive Summary:
The Jamestown Festival, which ended on November 30, 1957, was the most effective worldwide dramatization of Jamestown's role in history ever attempted. From every point of view, it was a success.

Millions of people to whom Jamestown had been no more than a name learned what it stood for.

The American nation was made more deeply conscious than ever before of the importance of the Virginia settlement as the first permanent establishment of English civilization in North America.

The essential unity of the English-speaking peoples was brought home forcefully to the people of the United States and the British Commonwealth of Nations.

The principles and achievements of the Commonwealth of Virginia during its 350 years were powerfully depicted and communicated to the nation.

The priceless physical heritage of the Jamestown-Williamsburg-Yorktown area was protected and enriched by approximately $25,000,000 spent by the United States, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and cooperating agencies for preservation and development.

Many additional millions were placed in circulation in Virginia by those who attended the Festival.

Through careful management, the Commonwealth's expenditures of tax funds were limited to $2,430,312.60 over a four-year period. From this outlay, the State treasury regained a net $619,000 from the Festival operation, in addition to its ownership of the $2,500,000 Jamestown Festival Park.

These achievements are described in greater detail in the report which follows.

The General Assembly of Virginia began to consider plans for the 1957 anniversary at its session in 1952. At that time, a resolution was introduced by Delegate Lewis A. McMurran, Jr., providing for a preliminary commission to prepare tentative plans. This was passed, and a commission consisting of Delegates John Warren Cooke, Paul Crockett, Felix Edmunds, Lewis A. McMurran, Jr., and W Ray Rouse, plus Senators Lloyd C. Bird and Harry F Byrd, Jr., (1*) was appointed to study the matter and present recommendations to the 1954 General Assembly. Delegate Crockett, who represented the Williamsburg-York County constituency, was elected chairman and Senator Bird vice-chairman.

On the basis of this Commission's conclusions, the General Assembly created the Virginia 350th Anniversary Commission (Chapter 449, Acts of Assembly, 1954) and appropriated to it the sum of $200,000 for planning and development for the biennium July 1, 1954-June 30, 1956.

Seventeen members were appointed to the Commission. Named by the Governor were Miss Ellen Bagby, chairman of the Jamestown Committee of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities; Vice-Admiral Alvin Duke Chandler, president of the College of William and Mary; Verbon E. Kemp, executive director of the Virginia State Chamber of Commerce; Allen R. Matthews, (*2) executive vice-president of the Jamestown Corporation, and Carlisle H. Humelsine, executive vice-president of Colonial Williamsburg. Named by the President of the Senate were Senators Lloyd C. Bird, Edward L. Breeden, Jr., H. F Byrd, Jr., and W. Marvin Minter. Appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates were Delegates Russell Carneal, Hale Collins, John Warren Cooke, Edmund T DeJarnette, Felix Edmunds, Lewis A. McMurran, Jr., W Tayloe Murphy, and Fred Pollard.

The Commission promptly organized, naming Delegate McMurran as chairman and Senator Bird as vice-chairman. An executive committee consisting of Messrs. Breeden, DeJarnette, Edmunds, Humelsine, and Pollard was named, with the chairman and vice-chairman serving ex-officio. In accordance with the Act, the Commission named an executive director, obtaining from that office the services of Parke Rouse, Jr., on leave from the staff of Colonial Williamsburg for the duration of the Commission.

On recommendation of the preliminary commission, the Virginia representatives in the Congress of the United States introduced legislation providing for the creation of a Federal commission to assist in the development of plans for the proposed celebration.

Congress enacted this legislation, Public Law 263, 83rd Congress (1st session, Chapter 433), on August 13, 1953, and it was subsequently signed by President Eisenhower. The President of the United States Senate named Senators Harry F. Byrd and A. Willis Robertson from the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives named Representatives E. J. Robeson, Jr., and Richard A. Poff from the House. The President of the United States named Robert V Hatcher of Richmond chairman, Samuel M. Bemiss of Richmond vice-chairman; Bentley Hite, Christiansburg; Winthrop Rockefeller, Little Rock, Arkansas; Frank Boyden, Deerfield, Massachusetts, and David E. Finley, Washington, D C. The Federal Commission organized on April 27, 1954, and met jointly with the State Commission for the first time on May 10, 1954, in Williamsburg.

On December 1, 1954, in conformity with the act creating the Virginia Commission, a nonprofit corporation, the Virginia 350th Anniversary Celebration Corporation was created. The executive committee of the Virginia Commission was named as the board of directors, with Delegate McMurran as president and Senator Bird as vice-president. The board was subsequently enlarged to include Messrs. Hatcher, Bemiss, Hite, Rockefeller, Burress, and Rouse, and the corporation reorganized with Delegate McMurran as chairman and General Burress as president.

In further conformity with the act, the Commission created a non-profit corporation, the Virginia 350th Anniversary Celebration Corporation. As chairman it chose Delegate McMurran and as president Lieutenant General Withers A. Burress, U.S.A., Ret., former commanding general of the First Army. On General Burress' conclusion of his services on June 30, 1956, the Corporation elected Delegate McMurran as president and Robert V Hatcher, chairman of the Federal government's Jamestown-Williamsburg-Yorktown Celebration Commission, as chairman.

Heading a statewide Finance Committee, to assist m obtaining the support of Virginia business and industry, the Commission named John S. Alfriend, president of the National Bank of Commerce, of Norfolk. An advisory committee of citizens and eight committees of specialists were appointed to assist m the programming.

The State Commission staff began its operation on July 9, 1954, in the Brafferton Building of the College of William and Mary. Before the end of 1954, however, the use of the Travis House in Williamsburg was obtained from Colonial Williamsburg, and the State and Federal staffs began Joint operations there. With Mr. Hatcher as chairman and Colonel H. K. Roberts, U.S.A.F., Ret., as administrative director, the Federal Commission has worked m full collaboration with the State.

At the 1956 session of the General Assembly, the Virginia Commission presented its completely formulated Festival concept. With the full support of Governor Stanley and his Budget Advisory Committee, the Commission made a request of the Legislature for $2,206,330. Of this sum, $1,466,840 was for construction and other permanent improvements and $763,472.60 for operations and maintenance. These funds were voted and became available for the biennium beginning July I, 1956. Nine months later, on April 1, 1957, the completed Festival facilities were opened. Of the eight exciting Jamestown Festival months which followed, a full account is included m the following pages.

Although this whole report constitutes an acknowledgment to all those who made the Festival a success, the Commission would like to express its particular gratitude here to its colleagues of the Jamestown-Williamsburg-Yorktown Celebration Commission. (*3) Without their cooperation and the support of such important allies as the National Park Service, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, the College of William and Mary, Colonial Williamsburg, and the various departments of the State and Federal governments, this Commission could never have realized its ambitious concept of the Jamestown Festival.
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(*1) Senator Byrd succeeded Senator Raymond Guest, who resigned from the Senate on February
4, 1953
(*2) Died July 26, 1957
(*3) The report of the activities of the Federal Commission will be published in 1958 under the title, “The 350th Anniversary of Jamestown 1607-1957 Final Report to the President and Congress by the Jamestown-Williamsburg-Yorktown Celebration Commission.”