SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 24
(By Senators Wooton, Scott, Ross, Oliverio and Anderson)
Requesting the renaming of the West Virginia Rehabilitation
Center, to the "F. Ray Power Rehabilitation Center".
Whereas, In the mid 1930s F. Ray Power had the remarkable
foresight to propose to the Legislature that an agency be
created solely to serve the needs of handicapped West
Virginians, thereby prompting the creation of the Vocational
Rehabilitation Division of the State Board of Vocational
Education under the authority of the State Board of Education;
and
Whereas, Following visits to the Woodrow Wilson
Rehabilitation Center, a former army hospital in Fisherville,
Virginia, F. Ray Power recognized the need for a similar
facility in our state to serve severely disabled West
Virginians. This led to the utilization of abandoned facilities
that formerly housed the West Virginia School for Negro, Deaf
and Blind Children for that purpose; and
Whereas, With fortitude and the cooperation of the
appropriate governmental bodies, F. Ray Power was able to open
the West Virginia Rehabilitation Center in the few buildings
that had been abandoned, and which stood on approximately
thirty-three acres of land located at Institute. These
facilities became an integral part of a statewide vocational
rehabilitation program; and
Whereas, The Rehabilitation Center, which recently
celebrated its fortithfortieth anniversary fo\of servixece to our citizens,
was originally founded by F. Ray Power who, on May 3, 1998, will
have been born one hundred years ago and who recently celebrated
its fortieth anniversary of service to our citizens. This anniversary provides
a fitting occasion to honor the many years of dedication and
unwavering service of F. Ray Power to the disabled citizens of
this state by renaming the West Virginia Rehabilitation Center
the "F. Ray Power Rehabilitation Center"; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate:
That the Senate hereby requests that the West Virginia
Rehabilitation Center, located in Institute in Kanawha County,
be renamed as the "F. Ray Power Rehabilitation Center"; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to
forward a copy of this resolution to the Governor, the Secretary
of Administration and the Director of the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation.