▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁He ▁was ▁active ▁in ▁local ▁and ▁state ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁circles ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁leading ▁ad visor ▁to ▁several ▁Virginia ▁govern ors . ▁ ▁His ▁committee ▁assign ments ▁included ▁R ules , ▁Fin ance , ▁County , ▁City ▁and ▁Town , ▁Organ ization , ▁Mor al ▁Social ▁and ▁Town ▁W elf are . ▁His ▁special ▁committee ▁assign ments ▁included ▁the ▁Den ny ▁Commission , ▁which ▁p aved ▁the ▁way ▁for ▁impro ving ▁the ▁state ' s ▁school ▁system ; ▁the ▁Commission ▁to ▁Study ▁the ▁Home ▁for ▁Ne edy ▁Confeder ate ▁Women , ▁and ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Ad vis ory ▁Legisl ative ▁Council . ▁ ▁Per row ▁Commission ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁three - jud ge ▁federal ▁court ▁and ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁both ▁ruled ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁( Ro bert ▁E . ▁Lee ' s ▁birth day ) ▁that ▁Virginia ' s ▁school - clos ing ▁laws ▁( part ▁of ▁the ▁Stanley ▁plan ▁to ▁block ▁school ▁des eg reg ation ) ▁were ▁un const itution al ▁under ▁both ▁the ▁federal ▁and ▁state ▁constitution s , ▁Governor ▁James ▁L inds ay ▁Al mond ▁Jr . ▁initially ▁v owed ▁to ▁continue ▁Mass ive ▁Res istance , ▁but ▁soon ▁decided ▁not ▁to ▁def y ▁the ▁courts ▁but ▁instead ▁limit ▁the ▁degree ▁of ▁integration . ▁He ▁thus ▁appointed ▁Per row ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Virginia ▁School ▁Commission ▁which ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" Per row ▁Commission ". ▁Although ▁powerful ▁Senator ▁Harry ▁F . ▁By