Henry G. Shirley
Encyclopedia
Henry Garnett Shirley was Commissioner
of the Virginia
Department of Highways
. He was a leader in national highway
policy and oversaw the development of an extensive state highway system in Virginia.
Shirley was born in Locust Grove, West Virginia
, the son of Robert Vinson Shirley and Julia Moore Baylor. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute
in 1896 with a civil engineering
degree and later earned a doctorate, doctor of science
degree from the University of Maryland
.
After serving in the Spanish-American War
, he worked for the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad and other railroad companies and for the engineering department of the District of Columbia. He was roads engineer for Baltimore County, Maryland
, and chief engineer of the Maryland State Roads Commission. During World War I
, he served on the Highway Transport Committee, Council of National Defense, helping keep the roads of the nation in shape to handle military traffic. In 1918, he became executive secretary of the Federal Highway Council.
In 1922, Shirley was appointed as State Highway Commissioner by Virginia
Governor
E. Lee Trinkle. He continued to serve under Governors Harry F. Byrd
, John Garland Pollard
, George C. Peery
and James H. Price
, until his death. The Department of Highways was created as a state agency
in 1927. He was the first president of the American Association of State Highway Officials
. He approved and promoted plans for the first limited access
highway in Virginia, extending from Route 1
in Northern Virginia to the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. Construction on the highway began shortly after his death. This road was named as the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
in his honor, and now is part of I-95
and I-395
.
Shirley married Alice Robertson Graham in 1904. She died in 1916. They were the parents of five children.
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
of the Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
Department of Highways
Virginia Department of Transportation
The Virginia Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. Headquartered in Downtown Richmond, VDOT is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the roads, bridges and tunnels in the...
. He was a leader in national highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
policy and oversaw the development of an extensive state highway system in Virginia.
Shirley was born in Locust Grove, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, the son of Robert Vinson Shirley and Julia Moore Baylor. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
in 1896 with a civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
degree and later earned a doctorate, doctor of science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
degree from the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
.
After serving in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, he worked for the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad and other railroad companies and for the engineering department of the District of Columbia. He was roads engineer for Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
, and chief engineer of the Maryland State Roads Commission. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he served on the Highway Transport Committee, Council of National Defense, helping keep the roads of the nation in shape to handle military traffic. In 1918, he became executive secretary of the Federal Highway Council.
In 1922, Shirley was appointed as State Highway Commissioner by Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
E. Lee Trinkle. He continued to serve under Governors Harry F. Byrd
Harry F. Byrd
Harry Flood Byrd, Sr. of Berryville in Clarke County, Virginia, was an American newspaper publisher, farmer and politician. He was a descendant of one of the First Families of Virginia...
, John Garland Pollard
John Garland Pollard
John Garland Pollard was an American politician who served as the 51st Governor of Virginia from 1930 to 1934.-Early life:...
, George C. Peery
George C. Peery
George Campbell Peery was an American Democratic politician, and was the 52nd Governor of Virginia from 1934-1938....
and James H. Price
James H. Price
James Hubert Price was an American politician. Price was a Richmond, Virginia attorney and businessman. In the 1937 general election, he defeated Republican candidate John Powell Royall, a former State Senator...
, until his death. The Department of Highways was created as a state agency
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
in 1927. He was the first president of the American Association of State Highway Officials
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
AASHTO, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols and guidelines which are used in highway design and construction throughout the United States...
. He approved and promoted plans for the first limited access
Road transport
Road transport or road transportation is transport on roads of passengers or goods. A hybrid of road transport and ship transport is the historic horse-drawn boat.-History:...
highway in Virginia, extending from Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Virginia
U.S. Route 1 in the U.S. state of Virginia runs north–south through South Hill, Petersburg, Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Alexandria on its way from North Carolina to the 14th Street Bridge into the District of Columbia...
in Northern Virginia to the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. Construction on the highway began shortly after his death. This road was named as the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
The Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway consists of a portion of Interstates 95 and 395 in the U.S. state of Virginia. Shirley Highway was the first limited-access freeway in Virginia...
in his honor, and now is part of I-95
Interstate 95 in Virginia
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, Interstate 95 runs through the state. It runs concurrently for with Interstate 64 in Richmond, and meets the northern terminus of Interstate 85 in Petersburg. Though Interstate 95 was originally planned to go straight through Washington, D.C., it was instead...
and I-395
Interstate 395 (District of Columbia-Virginia)
Interstate 395 in Washington, D.C., and Virginia is a 13 mile long spur route that begins at a junction with Interstate 95 in Springfield, Virginia and ends in northwest Washington, D.C. It passes underneath the National Mall near the United States Capitol and ends at a junction with U.S...
.
Shirley married Alice Robertson Graham in 1904. She died in 1916. They were the parents of five children.