I throw out three for the sake of argument, in part because of Brent Tarter's suggestion. One and two would be Rev. Vernon Johns, who in Brent's phrase I suppose, lost his Virginianity, and Rev. Leslie Francis Griffin, who were instrumental in taking the Prince Edward County school system, resulting in its melding into Brown v. Kansas. Oliver Hill most certainly was one of those who took the case to the Supreme Court, but these men -- and Johns's niece, a principal in the suit, were "on the ground" in Prince Edward, not a particularly nice position. On the other hand, literally, one can hardly ignore Harry Byrd (take your pick) who set the tone for Virginia politics for nearly 6 decades of the 20th century. Great, not really; important, you bet. Jim Watkinson James D. Watkinson, Ph. D. Archives Library of Virginia To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html