Becky Godwin
Encyclopedia
Rebecca 'Becky' Godwin was the adopted daughter and only child of the then Governor
of Virginia Mills E. Godwin, Jr. (1914-1999) and Katherine Beale Godwin, of Chuckatuck, Virginia
, a small community then in Nansemond County
which is now a part of Suffolk
.
In August 1968, Becky Godwin, aged fourteen, was spending a day with her mother at Virginia Beach while her father, then in his first term as Virginia governor, attended the 1968 Democratic Convention. With the customary state police nearby, she had just stepped out of the surf onto the sand when she was struck by lightning. Several people were in the vicinity either on the beach or in the surf, but Godwin was the only one affected. It was a clear sunny day with no storms in the area. Although rushed to a hospital, she never regained consciousness.
s set up in Becky Godwin's name. There is the Becky Godwin Memorial college
scholarship fund
for the young people of Chuckatuck, Virginia
and the Becky Godwin Fund at Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Nursing
. At Mills E. Godwin High School
in Henrico County
, the Becky Godwin Memorial Award is given annually to a senior selected by classmates. At Virginia Wesleyan College, there is the Becky Katherine Godwin Memorial Scholarship. Governor Godwin was a founding Trustee of the College.
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Virginia Mills E. Godwin, Jr. (1914-1999) and Katherine Beale Godwin, of Chuckatuck, Virginia
Chuckatuck, Virginia
Chuckatuck is a neighborhood of the independent city of Suffolk, Virginia, United States. It is located at the junction of State Route 10/State Route 32 and State Route 125, just south of SR 10/32's crossing of Chuckatuck Creek. Its elevation is 36 feet above mean sea level...
, a small community then in Nansemond County
Nansemond County, Virginia
Nansemond County is an extinct county which was located in Virginia Colony and the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States, from 1646 until 1972...
which is now a part of Suffolk
Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
.
In August 1968, Becky Godwin, aged fourteen, was spending a day with her mother at Virginia Beach while her father, then in his first term as Virginia governor, attended the 1968 Democratic Convention. With the customary state police nearby, she had just stepped out of the surf onto the sand when she was struck by lightning. Several people were in the vicinity either on the beach or in the surf, but Godwin was the only one affected. It was a clear sunny day with no storms in the area. Although rushed to a hospital, she never regained consciousness.
Memorials
There are three scholarshipScholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s set up in Becky Godwin's name. There is the Becky Godwin Memorial college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
scholarship fund
Funding
Funding is the act of providing resources, usually in form of money , or other values such as effort or time , for a project, a person, a business or any other private or public institutions...
for the young people of Chuckatuck, Virginia
Chuckatuck, Virginia
Chuckatuck is a neighborhood of the independent city of Suffolk, Virginia, United States. It is located at the junction of State Route 10/State Route 32 and State Route 125, just south of SR 10/32's crossing of Chuckatuck Creek. Its elevation is 36 feet above mean sea level...
and the Becky Godwin Fund at Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
School of Nursing
Nursing school
A nursing school is a type of educational institution, or part thereof, providing education and training to become a fully qualified nurse. The nature of nursing education and nursing qualifications varies considerably across the world.-United Kingdom:...
. At Mills E. Godwin High School
Mills E. Godwin High School
Mills Edwin Godwin High School is located in The West End of Henrico County, Virginia. The school, operated by Henrico County Public Schools.-History:...
in Henrico County
Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, the Becky Godwin Memorial Award is given annually to a senior selected by classmates. At Virginia Wesleyan College, there is the Becky Katherine Godwin Memorial Scholarship. Governor Godwin was a founding Trustee of the College.
External links
- CBS News report of the lightning strike
- CBS News report of Becky's death
- Obituary of Mills Godwin, describes the incident
- Frequency of Lightening Strikes to people
- Pdf-VCU School of Nursing Honors and Awards
- Mills E. Godwin, Jr. Papers, 1947-1989, Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem LibraryEarl Gregg Swem LibraryThe Earl Gregg Swem Library is located on Landrum Drive at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The library is named for Earl Gregg Swem, College Librarian from 1920-1944. In 2008, the Princeton Review rated William & Mary's library system as the eighth best in...
. Contains a small quantity of papers relating to Becky Godwin.