WHEREAS, born in Virginia Beach, Mrs. Betsy K. White received a teaching certificate after graduating from St. Mary’s Junior College and Salem College in Winston-Salem; and,     

WHEREAS, her primary passion and focus has been the cultural heritage studies, which teaches elementary school students about the cultures of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee region; and, 

WHEREAS, following her engagement in numerous volunteer projects in the Abingdon community, she became the Executive Director of William King Museum in 1988; and, 

WHEREAS, Mrs. White has been integral in growing the William King Museum’s collections and developing its education programming in collaboration with the local schools and community; and,  

WHEREAS, she developed and has continued to lead the Cultural Heritage Project at William King Museum and came out of retirement, twice, to ensure its future success; and,  

WHEREAS, initiated in 1994 the Betsy K. White Cultural Heritage Gallery of the William King Museum preserves, promotes and celebrates the history, decorative and cultural arts of the 19th and 20th century Southwest Virginia area and is housed in a historic 1913 former school building; and, 

WHEREAS, Mrs. White’s leadership at the museum has yielded numerous accomplishments including publishing two books - Great Road Style: The Decorative Arts Legacy of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee (UVA Press) and Backcountry Makers: An Artisan History of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee (UT Press); and, 

WHEREAS, the William King Museum is partnering with the Virginia Museum of Animal Art foundation to exhibit the Worrell Collection of Animal Art, one of the most significant collections of animal art and will include more than 100 paintings, 20 indoor sculptures and 12 large outdoor sculptures to reside in a new 10,000-square-foot wing on William King’s campus; and,   

WHEREAS, Mrs. White’s proudest accomplishment is her role of educating the next generation about the special culture of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee with a focus of high standards, stellar work ethic, service to others, and teamwork; and,  

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia commends the dedication and life-time contributions of Mrs. Betsy K. White to strengthening the Spirit of Virginia;  

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize November 17, 2022 as MRS. BETSY K. WHITE DAY in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA and call this observance to the attention of our citizens.