HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 45
(By Delegates Staton and Browning)
Honoring the late Leonard R. Valentine by declaring the bridge
numbered 54 - 1.60 on State Route 54 in Mullens, West Virginia
the "Leonard Valentine 'Coach Val' Memorial Bridge".
Whereas, Coach Val was the first African-American Coach in the
State of West Virginia to win state championships in two different
sports. Football in 1951 and Basketball in 1963 for Conley High
School, the Blue Devils, an all black school; and
Whereas, Coach Val, was featured in Jet Magazine for being the
first African-American Coach to win a Boys State Basketball
Championship in the State of West Virginia with an all black team;
and
Whereas, Coach Val served as the assistant coach to Don Nuckols
in both the 1970 and 1972 West Virginia Boys State Basketball
Championships; and
Whereas, Coach Val was a graduate and All-American in Football
as a tight end for Bluefield State College; and
Whereas, Coach Val became a life member of the Kappa Alpha Psi
Fraternity, Inc. and later the Founding Father of the Beckley
Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi; and
Whereas, Coach Val did community service for the City of
Mullens, West Virginia by ensuring that all community playgrounds
for the youth were operational and functioning for the kids during
summer, after school had ended for the year; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature hereby requests the West Virginia
Division of Highways to designate and name the bridge numbered 54
- 1.60 on State Route 54 in Mullens, West Virginia the "Leonard
Valentine 'Coach Val' Memorial Bridge";
and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways provide and
erect signs at either end of the bridge displaying the name
"Leonard Valentine 'Coach Val' Memorial Bridge"; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates is
hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the
Commissioner of the Division of Highways, the family of Leonard R.
Valentine and the City of Mullens
.
Email
Webmaster | © 2024 West Virginia Legislature **
