2026 SPECIAL SESSION I
ENROLLED
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2179
Commending Grady James, Ph.D.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, June 22, 2026
WHEREAS, on January 26, 2026, Grady James, Ph.D., celebrated his 100th birthday, marking a century of remarkable achievements, service, and impact in the fields of education and broadcasting; and
WHEREAS, a native of Ocala, Florida, Dr. James served two years in the United States Army before pursuing higher education; in 1960, he came to Norfolk State University (NSU), then a division of Virginia State University, where he earned advanced degrees and began a distinguished career that would help train television professionals employed by major broadcast companies across the nation; and
WHEREAS, Dr. James was originally hired as director of NSU's Educational Media Center, a position similar to one he previously held at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, several years later, Dr. James designed NSU's first television studios, equipping them with color cameras, teleprompters, appropriate lighting systems, and professional news sets; these studios became essential laboratories for teaching mass communications courses and preparing generations of students for careers in media; and
WHEREAS, Dr. James had always been interested in both teaching at a Historically Black College or University and working in broadcasting, and he found the opportunity to pursue both passions at NSU and WTAR radio and television, the CBS affiliate in Norfolk; and
WHEREAS, while at WTAR, Dr. James earned five awards for excellence in radio and television programming, and in 1971, his documentary, The State of the Welfare , was recognized as the best in-depth radio documentary of the year; and