2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 306
Celebrating the life of Thomas Vincent Van Auken, Jr.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 10, 2026
Agreed to by the Senate, March 12, 2026
WHEREAS, Thomas Vincent Van Auken, Jr., a distinguished scientist, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, and cherished member of the Richmond community, died on June 30, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Thomas “Tom” Vincent Van Auken, Jr., earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton University and a doctoral degree in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign before conducting postdoctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and
WHEREAS, after teaching briefly at the University of Texas at Austin, Tom Van Auken worked as a research scientist, first at Union Carbide Corporation in Charleston, West Virginia, and later at Philip Morris in Richmond, where his efforts would lead to nine patents; and
WHEREAS, in his retirement, Tom Van Auken shared his extensive knowledge of science for the benefit of the community through his service on the Virginia State Water Control Board and the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission; and
WHEREAS, a longtime member of the Chesterfield County Republican Committee, Tom Van Auken supported and mentored many candidates and party leaders over several decades and employed his passion for photography by serving as their unofficial photographer; and