SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 25

(By Senators Hall, K. Facemyer, Kessler (Acting President), Plymale, Browning, Klempa, Yost, McCabe and Unger)

Requesting the Division of Highways to name West Virginia Route 35, running through Putnam and Mason counties, the “Fruth-Lanham Highway”.

    Whereas, Jack E. Fruth, son of Henry E. and Marjorie M. Fruth, formerly Rothgeb, of Mason County was born June 3, 1928, in Mason County, West Virginia, and died on July 19, 2005; and

    Whereas, Jack E. Fruth graduated from Greenbrier Military School in 1946, attended Duke University and graduated from the Ohio State University School of Pharmacy in 1951, where he was a member of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity; and

    Whereas, Jack E. Fruth received an honorary Master's Degree of Public Service from the University of Rio Grande; and

    Whereas, Jack E. Fruth and the former Frances Rhodes of South Charleston, Ohio, a graduate of the Ohio State University School of Home Economics, were married in December, 1950, and have five children who are Michael, Joan, Carol, Lynne and John, and eight grandchildren; and

    Whereas, Jack E. Fruth served as president of the West Virginia Pharmacists Association and received the Bowl of Hygeia Award for Community Service in 1975; and

    Whereas, Jack E. Fruth was a member of the Ohio State Pharmaceutical Association; the National Association of Retail Pharmacists; served as Pharmacy Representative to the Medical Advisory Board of the West Virginia Department of Human Services and served as Chairman from 1979-1983; and

    Whereas, Jack E. Fruth was a member of the Associated Chain Drug Stores, Inc., had served on its Board of Directors and had served as the National Chairman of Affiliated Associated Chain Drug Stores from 1989-1990; and

    Whereas, Jack E. Fruth received the James H. Beal Award from West Virginia Pharmacists Association in 1995 and was a member of the West Virginia State Board of Pharmacy and the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy Corporate Council; and

    Whereas, Jack E. Fruth was a member of the Point Pleasant Chapter of Rotary International, serving as President in 1962, and was a member of the Loyal Order of Moose, Minturn Lodge No. 19 A.F. & A.M., Pat Wilson Shrine Club and Beni Kedem Temple; and

    Whereas, Jack E. Fruth was on the Board of Trustees of Pleasant Valley Hospital since 1958, serving as President from 1982-83; was Vice President of the Mason County Development Authority; was a Director for the Point Pleasant-Mason County Chamber of Commerce, serving as President in 1968; was a member of the Board of Trustees of Trinity United Methodist Church; and was Investment Committee Chair for United Methodist Charities; and

    Whereas, Jack E. Fruth served on the Board of Directors of the Green Acres Center and was Chairman in 1962; was Chairman of the Executive of Peoples Bank from 1965-1988 and Chairman of the Board since 1988; had been a Director of the City Holding Company since 1986; was a member of the West Virginia Roundtable; was a member of the University of Rio Grande Board of Trustees, serving as President from 1997-1998; and was a member of the Regional Economic Development Authority of Rio Grande, Ohio; and

    Whereas, Jack E. Fruth was the founder and chairman of Fruth Pharmacy, a regional drug chain comprised of twenty-two retail pharmacies in West Virginia and Ohio and served on the Visitation Committee for the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy; and

    Whereas, Charles C. Lanham, son of Stanton and Westa Lanham, formerly Jones, of Jackson County, was born September 12, 1928, in Kanawha County, West Virginia; and

    Whereas, Charles C. Lanham graduated from Ripley High School in 1946, Marshall University in 1952, the West Virginia School of Banking in 1956, the Graduate School of Consumer Banking of the University of Virginia in 1958, the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin in 1962 and the Senior Bank Officer of Harvard University in 1968; and

    Whereas, Charles C. Lanham and the former Lilly Faye Staats of Mason and Jackson counties, were married in 1950 and have four children who are Terry, Joyce, Edgar and Bert, ten grandchildren and one great-grandson; and

    Whereas, Charles C. Lanham began his distinguished banking career in 1952 at the First National Bank of Ripley and, in 1963, became Executive Vice President, then President, of Citizens National Bank, Point Pleasant, until Citizens National Bank became a Division of The First Huntington National Bank and he remained as President there until 1993; and

    Whereas, Between 1993 and 1997, Charles C. Lanham was President of Bank One, West Virginia, Point Pleasant; Senior Vice President, Bank One, West Virginia; then Chairman, Bank One, West Virginia, Point Pleasant; and

    Whereas, Between 1997 and 1999, Charles C. Lanham was Executive Vice President, Ohio Valley Bank; Senior Vice President, Ohio Valley Banc Corp; and Director, Ohio Valley Banc Corp; and

    Whereas, Charles C. Lanham is currently a member of Ohio Valley Bank West Virginia Advisory Board; Director Emeritus, Ohio Valley Banc Corp.; and Governmental Relations Officer, Ohio Valley Bank; and

    Whereas, Charles C. Lanham was named "West Virginia Banker of the Year" in 1997; has been a member of the American Bankers’ Association since 1978, serving as State Vice President and on the Government Relations Council and Bankpac Committee; and

    Whereas, Charles C. Lanham is a lifetime member of the West Virginia Bankers’ Association, having served as a former President and member of the Board of Directors and on many Task Forces and is member of the President's Club; and

    Whereas, Charles C. Lanham served as Cochairman, Route 35 Committee, Mason County; is a member of the Marshall University Lewis College of Business Advisory Board and Marshall University Economic Development Authority Advisory Board, among others; and

    Whereas, Charles C. Lanham was the first President and a member of Pleasant Valley Hospital Health Foundation; is a member of the West Virginia Roundtable; is a former President and current Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of Pleasant Valley Hospital; and is a former member Board of Directors of West Virginia Hospital Association; and

    Whereas, Charles C. Lanham is a member and past President of the Point Pleasant Rotary Club; is a past President and ex-officio member of the Board of Directors of the Mason County-Point Pleasant Chamber of Commerce; is a former member of the Big Green Club and the Presidential Advisory Board of Marshall University; is a past President of Mason County BiCentennial, Inc.; is President of Mason County Development Authority; Regional Director of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce; President of Regional Economic Development Association; and is a member of Regional Airport Authority and the West Virginia Public Port Authority; and

    Whereas, In 2004, Charles C. Lanham was appointed to the West Virginia Senate from the fourth senatorial district; served on the Senate committees on Banking and Insurance, Economic Development, Government Organization, the Judiciary and Labor and Pensions; then, decided not to seek election to the West Virginia Senate in 2006; and

    Whereas, It is evident that both Jack E. Fruth and Charles C. Lanham have contributed greatly to their communities and this State of West Virginia; and

    Whereas, It is fitting to honor Jack E. Fruth and Charles C. Lanham by naming West Virginia Route 35 running through Putnam and Mason counties as the Fruth-Lanham Highway in lasting tribute from the grateful citizens of Putnam and Mason counties and the State of West Virginia; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Legislature hereby requests the Division of Highways to name West Virginia Route 35, running through Putnam and Mason counties, the Fruth-Lanham Highway; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the road as the “Fruth-Lanham Highway” at strategic places upon entering both Putnam and Mason counties from both directions; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, to next of kin of Jack E. Fruth and to Charles C. Lanham.