Parke S. Rouse Jr.
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Parke S. Rouse Jr. (died March 5, 1997) was a writer and historian in Virginia.
[edit] Biography
Parke S. Rouse Jr. was a native of the Town of Smithfield. He was a 1937 graduate of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
During his early years as a journalist, Parke Rouse worked for The Times-Herald of Newport News and for the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Rouse combined his love of early Virginia history with his exceptional writing skills to produce 22 books and hundreds of newspaper columns on Virginia history, all marked by their author's innate grace, humor, and storytelling talent. Among Parke Rouse's best-known works were a biography of James Blair, founder and first president of the College of William and Mary; a history of the college president's house; and a popular chronicle of Williamsburg's history before and during its restoration as Colonial Williamsburg by John D. Rockefeller Jr., Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, the Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin.
In 1953, Parke Rouse became director of publications for Colonial Williamsburg, and in 1954, he became the first executive director of Jamestown Festival Park, a post he held for 26 years. He was a key figure in the celebration of the Jamestown's 350th anniversary in 1957.
Parke Rouse also served as director of the Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission and assisted in the planning for the 1976 visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Jamestown and Williamsburg.
In 1998, the Virginia General Assembly passed a Resolution commending his contributions to Virginia.
