The collection is open for research
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.
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Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Virginia Commission on Constitutional Revision Records, Ms1972-002, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The Virginia Commission on Constitutional Revision Records were donated to Newman Library in 1969 with the proviso that they not be released to the public before January 1, 1971. They were transferred to Special Collections in 1972.
The processing and description of the Virginia Commission on Constitutional Revision Records commenced and was completed in October 2008.
Virginia's first constitution was adopted in 1776. The constitution was revised in 1830, 1851, 1864, 1870 and 1902. The need for another revision was mandated to conform with new federal laws concerning civil rights and to loosen regulations on state-issued bonds and borrowing. A 1968 joint resolution by the Virginia General Assembly approved a commission to revise the constitution, and Governor Mills E. Godwin Jr. appointed the commission later that year. The commission proceeded to study the constitution for the rest of the year before undertaking the task of revising the constitution in 1969. The articles involved in this process were: Bill of Rights, Franchise, Division of Powers, Legislative, Executive, Judiciary, Local Government, Education, Corporations, Taxation and Finance, Conservation, and Future Changes. The original constitution greatly influenced the current version, and numerous parts remained unaltered in the revision. Approved by referendum, Completed in 1969 at Williamsburg, the revised constitution came into effect on July 1, 1971 and continues to be in use for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Undertaking the task of revising a constitution usually occurs no more than once a generation, which made the revision a significant occasion for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
This collection contains papers associated with the 1971 revision of the Virginia Constitution. The commission revised the following articles in the constitution in 1969: Bill of Rights, Franchise, Division of Powers, Legislative, Executive, Judiciary, Local Government, Education, Corporations, Taxation and Finance, Conservation, and Future Changes. The collection contains materials associated with these articles as well as commission minutes and summaries of meetings, correspondence and memoranda, galley proofs, and drafts of the constitution. The majority of these materials have comments from the commission to other members about changes that needed to be made. The notes also include questions that needed to be addressed about the constitution and recommendations to better it. The principle documents are commentaries on the articles articles and reports of the various commission subcommittees.
The collection retains its original order, within the following categories: Final Revision, Minutes and Summaries of Action, Correspondence and Memoranda, Subcommittee Reports, and Commentary for Draft Constitution.
See the Albert L. Sturm Papers, Ms1988-019, also at Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives. Sturm was a professor of political science at Virginia Tech and a noted expert on state constitutions and constitutional revision.
The guide to the Virginia Commission on Constitutional Revision Records by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).