SJ 337 — Earl Hamner, Jr., Day; designating as July 10, 2023, and each succeeding year thereafter.

SESSION INTRODUCEDENROLLED 23106819D I SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO.

337 OfferedE February 15, 2023 N Designating July 10, in 2023 and in each succeeding year, as Earl Hamner, Jr., Day in Virginia.TVirginia. Patrons––Obenshain and Dunnavant;

Delegates:N R Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 23, 2023 O WHEREAS, Earl Hamner, Jr., a luminary author and television producer, inspired generations of L Americans with his depictions of a wholesome mountain lifestyle in Virginia's Blue Ridge region L thrWHEREAS, Earl Hamner was born on July 10, 1923, in Schuyler, a small mining community in E Nelson County;

Avoli, Campbell, E.H.

and Runion R –––––––––– Unanimous consent to introduce O –––––––––– D Referred to Committee on Rules –––––––––– U WHEREAS, Earl Hamner, Jr., a luminary author and television producer, inspired generations oC Americans with his depictions of a wholesome mountain lifestyle in Virginia's Blue Ridge region thrWHEREAS, Earl Hamner was born on July 10, 1923, in Schuyler, a small mining community in E Nelson County;

and D WHEREAS, Earl Hamner learned to read by the age of four and developed a passion for the written word;

his first work, a poem titled "My Dog," was published on the children's page of the Richmond Times-Dispatch,TimWHEREAS, whenEarl heHamner attended the University of Richmond on a scholarship, then during his sophomore year was justdrafted sixand yearsjoined many of age;the other young men of his generation in service to the nation during World War II as a member of the United States Army;

and WHEREAS, Earl Hamner attended the University of Richmond on a scholarship, then during his sophomore year was drafted and joined many of the other young men of his generation in service to the natWHEREAS, after his honorable military service, Earl Hamner completed his education and graduated fromJ the University of Cincinnati, where he interned at a local radio station, then went to wor3 as a radio writer for NBC in New York City;

andande 7interned at a local radio station, then went to work as a 3 WHEREAS, Earl Hamner published his first book Fifty Roads to Town in 1953 and wrote scripts for E The Twilight Zone in the 1960s;

his semi-autobiographical novel Spencer's Mountain was adapted into a R feature film in 1963, and his book The Homecoming became a Christmas television special, both of which served as precursors to his hit television show, The Waltons;

and WHEREAS,Hamner's setreal-life inexperiences theand fictionalfollowed Jeffersonthe County,daily Virginia,life Theof WaltonsJohn wasWalton, basedJr., onbetter manyknown ofasarl Earl John-Boy, as well as his parents, grandparents, and siblings on Walton's Mountain over a 37-year period, which included the Great Depression, World War II, the Kennedy assassination, and the moon landing;

and WHEREAS,introduction Earland Hamnerpostscript voicedto theeach wise,episode; reassuring narrator of The Waltons, providing an :

35in introductionwhat andbecame postscriptan iconic ending to each episode;episode, the Walton family members bid each other good night, and the phrase "Good night, John-Boy" is now remembered as a beloved expression of the strong family values evoked by The Waltons;

inand whatWHEREAS, becamethrough anthe iconichopeful endingand toheartwarming eachstories episode,of theThe 36Waltons, WaltonEarl familyHamner memberscrafted bida eachwork otherof goodtimeless night,Americana andthat captivated audiences around the phrasecountry "Goodand night,the John-Boy"world iswith nowits 37optWHEREAS, rememberedThe asWaltons built a belovedloyal expressionfollowing ofand theultimately strongproduced family221 valuesepisodes evokedover bynine Theseasons Waltons;and six movie specials;

and 38 WHEREAS, through the hopeful and heartwarming stories of The Waltons, Earl Hamner crafted a optimism and sentimentality for life's simple pleasures;

andthe country and the world with its WHEREAS, The Waltons built a loyal following and ultimately produced 221 episodes over nine seasons and six movie specials;

and WHEREAS, possessing a wide range as a writer, Earl Hamner wrote and produced Falcon Crest, a show inspired by the story of a family ancestor, Anthony Giannini, an indentured servant from Fibbialla, Italy, who came to Virginia in 1773 to grow a New World wine industry, and became Thomas JefWHEREAS,Jefferson's nevergardener losing his affection for folkways, old stories, and afriend senseat ofMonticello; community and tradition, Earl Hamner produced adaptations of Heidi and Charlotte's Web, in addition to several other movies and television series after The Waltons and Falcon Crest;

and WHEREAS, never losing his affection for folkways, old stories, and a sense of community and tradition, Earl Hamner produced adaptations of Heidi and Charlotte's Web, in addition to several other movWHEREAS, Earl Hamner earned many awards and accolades for his work, including five Christopher Awards, the 1972 George Foster Peabody Award, a Primetime Emmy Award for The Waltons, and the Frederic Ziv Award for outstanding achievement in telecommunication from the University of Cincinnati in 2004;

and WHEREAS,affirmation throughoutof histhe life,innate Earlgoodness Hamnerof heldthe truehuman tospirit, histhe personalimportance visionof forlearning mediafrom asthe anpast, and the power of childhood imagination and hopefulness;

andrit, the importance of learning from the past, and the SJ337 2 of 2 WHEREAS, Earl Hamner died on March 24, 2016, and he is fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of 61 years, Jane;

now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly designate of 2 July 10, in 2023 and in each succeeding year, as Earl Hamner, Jr., Day in Virginia;