Jinks Holton

Virginia Harrison "Jinks" Rogers Holton (October 21, 1925 – December 16, 2022) was an American public servant who was the First Lady of Virginia from 1970 to 1974. She was a strong supporter of civil rights and integration during her tenure in the role.

Early life and education Holton was born Virginia Rogers in 1925 in Roanoke, Virginia, the daughter of Frank Waters Rogers and Anne Newton Jett Rogers. Her grandfather Rev. Robert Carter Jett was bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. In 1942, she graduated from Stuart Hall School, and in 1946 she graduated from Wellesley College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French.

Career In the late 1940s, Holton worked for two years in the Central Intelligence Group at the American Embassy in Brussels, Belgium.

In November 1969, Governor-elect Holton and First Lady-designate Holton were guests of President Richard Nixon at the White House. In 1970, Holton became the First Lady of Virginia upon the election of her husband to the Governor's office. Holton and her husband made national headlines when, after moving to the Virginia Executive Mansion, they enrolled their children in Richmond Public Schools, which had recently been integrated. She also restored public tours of the Virginia Executive Mansion. In 1974, Holton led the first Virginia Conference on Reading.

After serving as First Lady, Holton was the founder of Northern Neck Court Appointed Special Advocates, a program that assists the court system in juvenile abuse cases. She was also an active volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. They were married for 67 years. They had four children, including Tayloe Loftus, Virginia Secretary of Education and Virginia First Lady Anne Holton, historian Woody Holton, and former U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, Dwight Holton. After her death, Holton's son-in-law, Senator Tim Kaine, delivered a tribute speech to her on the United States Senate floor.