SR 65 — Celebrating the life of John Benjamin Graham, Jr.

SESSION INTRODUCEDENROLLED 24106555D I SENATE RESOLUTION NO.

65 OfferedE February 9, 2024 N Celebrating the life of John Benjamin Graham, Jr.

TN Patrons––DiggsAgreed andto McDougleby the Senate, February 15, 2024 R ––––––––––O WHEREAS, John Benjamin Graham, Jr., a former employee of the National Aeronautics and Space O Administration who played an important role in early space exploration and who as a business owDerowner madeL numerousmadWHEREAS, contributionsJohn toGraham Hamptongraduated Roads,from diedPoquoson onHigh JanuarySchool, 25,where 2024;he was a talented L multisport athlete and was elected as senior class president;

and E WHEREAS, John Graham graduatedwas froma Poquosonfour-time Highletterman School,and wherea hetwo-time wascaptain aof talentedthe Ufootball multisportteam athleteat andRandolph-Macon wasCollege, electedfrom aswhich seniorhe classearned president;a bachelor's degree in physics;

andhe Cwas WHEREAS,a member of D LamWHEREAS, John Graham wasjoined athe four-timeNational lettermanAeronautics and aSpace two-timeAdministration captain(NASA) at thend height of the footballspace teamrace atand Lambdaworked Chialongside Fraternitythe asseven anoriginal undergraduateAmerican astronauts on Project Mercury and latermade joinedvital thecontributions Boydtonto SocietyProject alumniGemini group;and Project Apollo;

and WHEREAS, John Graham joinedwas theresponsible Nationalfor Aeronauticsreconstructing andimages Spacewhich Administrationwere (NASA)taken atfrom thedeep Dfrom height of the spacemoon's racesurface; and worked alongside the seven original American astronauts on Project Mercury and made vital contributions to Project Gemini and Project Apollo;

andurposes, and he was the first person to ever view a photograph of the earthS WHEREAS, in 1973, John Graham washad responsiblebeen forselected reconstructingas imagesthe whichmission wereoperations takenmanager fromfor deepthe spaceR forViking orbitalprogram trackingto purposes,land andprobes heon wasMars, thewhen firsthe personlearned tothat everhis viewfather ahad photographpassed ofaway, leaving the earthE fromstate of the moon'sfamily surface;business in doubt;

and WHEREAS,R inRollins 1973,Seafood JohnMarket; Graham had been selected as the mission operations manager for the state of the family business in doubt;

andn he learned that his father had passed away, leaving the WHEREAS, John Graham ultimately retired early from NASA and assumed ownership of Graham & R Rollins Seafood Market;

and WHEREAS, highly respected in the industry, John Graham offered his expertise to the Virginia Seafood Council and helped build a strong sense of community by participating in the Poquoson SeafoodSeaWHEREAS, Festivaloutside eachof year;his career, John Graham developed a passion for the sport of wrestling and played an integral role in the creation of the Peninsula Wrestling Association and the establishment of the Virginia Duals, a unique dual tournament where college and high school wrestlers compete side by side;

and WHEREAS, outside of his career, John Graham developed a passion for theTeam sportUSA of wrestling andduring the Virginia1988 Duals,Summer aOlympics unique dual tournament where college and highthe school1996 wrestlersSummer competeOlympics; side by of side;

andone WHEREAS,ofer Johnhis Grahamproudest beganmemories followingwas Olympicrepresenting wrestlingthe inCommonwealth 1984 and servedthe asUnited aStates team leader for Team USA wrestling during the 1988opening Summerceremonies; Olympics and the 1996 Summer Olympics;

oneand ofWHEREAS, 35John Graham earned numerous awards and accolades for his proudestpersonal memoriesand wasprofessional representingachievements, theincluding Commonwealthrecognition as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International and the UnitedOrder Statesof duringHall of Fame, the openingVirginia 36Wrestling ceremonies;Hall of Fame, and the Lower Peninsula Hall of Fame;

and 37 WHEREAS, John Graham earned numerous awards and accolades for his personal and professional 38 achievements, including recognition as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International and the Order of Hall of Fame, the Virginia Wrestling Hall of Fame, and the Lower Peninsula Hall of Fame;

now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Senate of Virginia hereby note with great sadness the loss of John Benjamin Graham, Jr., a distinguished former employee of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and a leader in the seafood industry in Hampton Roads;

and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for respectpresentation forto histhe memory.ilyfamily of John Benjamin Graham, Jr., as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's respect for his memory.