2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 253
Celebrating the life of Joseph Towler Knox.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 9, 2026
Agreed to by the Senate, March 11, 2026
WHEREAS, Joseph Towler Knox, a devoted educator in Richmond who helped countless students explore the world by developing their skills as linguists, died on November 5, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Joseph “Joe” Towler Knox grew up in Tennessee and attended West End High School in Nashville; he spent mornings and evenings delivering newspapers and saved his earnings to pay for his first year of college; and
WHEREAS, Joe Knox received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University, where he studied French and Russian and performed in many theatrical performances with the Princeton Triangle Club; known for his boundless curiosity and passion for lifelong learning, he subsequently earned a master's degree in English from Vanderbilt University and a master's degree in French from the University of Richmond; and
WHEREAS, Joe Knox served the nation for two years as a member of the Office of Naval Intelligence, then ultimately settled in Richmond and became a teacher at St. Christopher's School, where in 1965, he was asked to establish the school's foreign language department; and
WHEREAS, a creative and engaging teacher, Joe Knox cofounded a joint drama program between St. Christopher's School and St. Catherine's School and incorporated travel programs to France and Russia in his language courses, which also included the study of art history and drama; and