Friday, April 04, 2003

Former Wythe County judge profiled - a Virginia gentleman

The Wythe County paper recounts here the life and times of Judge Roy William Arthur, who died this week at age 85. He served as mayor of Wytheville during the late 1940s and early 1950s, including a time when the town was quarantined during an outbreak of polio, and later served as circuit court judge . The article quotes this admonition from a speech by Judge Arthur, addressed to the youth of Wythe County (and elsewhere):

"In the speech, he quoted the words of a Colorado Juvenile Court judge. 'The world does not owe you a living,' Arthur told them. 'You owe the world something. You owe it your time and energy and talents so that no one will be at war or in poverty or sick or lonely again….In plain words: Grow up! Quit being a crybaby, get out of your dream world, develop a backbone, not a wishbone, and start acting like a man, or a lady!'"

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