Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

None

Use Restrictions

Consult repository for information

Preferred Citation

Virginia Room, Fairfax County Public Library. Jean Packard Papers on Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations. Box #, Folder #.

Acquisition Information

Items donated through the efforts of Merrily Pierce in 2013

Processing Information

Carol Abrams, 2015
EAD generated by Ross Landis, 2024

Historical and Biographical Information

The Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations is a county-wide citizens’ activity umbrella organization active since 1940. Its members are civic associations and homeowner associations who pay annual dues. It is non-partisan, volunteer, and non-profit. The federation has a board of directors made up of the following: its nine officers; its committee leadership (budget and finance; citizen association services; human services; education; environment; land use; legislation; resolutions; and transportation), and its district leadership (representatives and council chairmen from the following eight districts: Braddock; Hunter Mill; Lee: Mason: Mount Vernon; Providence; Springfield; and Sully). The Federation sets legislative priorities, such as tree preservation and open space conservation, and comments at public hearings, through written statements, in task forces and commissions, and through the media. It hosts public policy and public affairs programs in addition to monthly general membership programs, a Public Safety Town Meeting, and multi-faceted all-day Saturday programs. Federation members liaise with and represent the Federation with other organizations in Fairfax County such as the Airports Advisory Committee and the Citizen Corps Council.

Jean R. Packard was born in Ohio on April 15, 1923. After the outbreak of World War II, she joined the Women’s Army Corps. She earned a journalism degree from the University of Montana, Missoula in 1948 and edited three weekly newspapers in Southwestern Ohio from 1955 to 1957. From 1958 to 1970, she worked for the National School of Forestry and Conservation and wrote editorials for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources from 1965 to 1972.

Packard’s first leadership role in Fairfax County was as president of the Lee Forest Civic Association in the 1950s. She became active in the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations in 1962 and served as its president, first and second vice president, corresponding secretary, and bulletin editor. The Federation honored Packard as Fairfax County Citizen of the Year for 1985 at its 36th annual award dinner. In subsequent years, Packard served as the Federation’s awards committee chairperson.

Packard was involved in the Federation in addition to being a long-time public servant and advocate for environmental issues. Elected in 1972 to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, she held the position as chairwoman until 1975. She later served on the boards of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and Soil and Water Conservation Board, the latter as an appointee of Governor Mark Warner. She was chair of the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust (the organization renamed its life-time achievement award in her honor). She was a national board member of the Sierra Club.

Packard fought rapid development in Fairfax County by working to protect water supplies and slow down the expansion of sewer service until treatment plants could handle the increased volume. She helped to downzone and protect the Occoquan watershed. Her critics accused her of blocking all growth; she countered that she favored “controlled growth,” as opposed to no growth.

The Jean R. Packard Occoquan Center in Occoquan Regional Park is named in honor of her and The Fred Packard Center in Annandale, Virginia is named after Jean’s husband. Fred Packard served as a director of both the Fairfax County Park Authority and the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Jean Packard died at age 91 on October 21, 2014.

Scope and Content

Series 1: Administration, 1995-2001, Box 1

This series contains material relating to the administration of the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations including legislative priorities and governance documents.

Series 2: Correspondence, 1983-2003, Box 1

This series contains correspondence from the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations (the Federation), sent between 1983 and 2003. These include memos, letters, and email from the Federation about policy positions on subjects such as the transfer of National and Washington Dulles airports to local authority (as the airports were called in 1985), changes for I-66 car pool requirements, and campaign finance; invitations to speak at events sponsored by the Federation; and event logistics for candidate debates and annual dinners, among other public programs hosted by the Federation. Some of the more prominent recipients of correspondence from the Federation included Senator Paul S. Trible, Jr. (multiple in 1985, 1987), Senator John W. Warner (multiple in 1985, 1987, 1996), Congressman Frank R. Wolf (multiple in 1985, 1988), Congressman Stanford R. Parris (multiple in 1985, 1988), Congressman Tom Davis (in 2001), Virginia Governor Mark Warner (multiple in 1996 and 2002), Virginia Governor James Gilmore III (in 1999), Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder (in 1992), Virginia Governor Gerald Baliles (in 1989), Lieutenant Governor Timothy M. Kaine (in 2002), Washington Post publisher Donald E. Graham (in 1985), Chairman of the Federal Communications Commissioner Reed Hundt (in 1994), and a plethora of Fairfax County officials and Virginia state senators and delegates. The correspondence was sent in the name of the Federation president or corresponding secretary. In some cases, there are responses back to the Federation, such as 1989 letters from Senator John W. Warner, from Virginia State Senator Joseph V. Gartlan, Jr., and from Virginia Delegate Dorothy S. McDiarmid in response to memos initially sent by the Federation.

Series 3: Bulletins, 1965-1994, Box 1

This series contains newsletters published by the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations.

Series 4: Fairfax County Citizen of the Year, 1969-2010, Box 2

This series contains materials relating to the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations’ annual awards dinner celebrating the Fairfax County Citizen of the Year. The name of the award presented to the honoree changed over the years from The Washington Star Citizenship Trophy to The Washington Post Citizenship Trophy to The Washington Post Citizenship Cup as well as The Washington Post Citizen of the Year. Starting at the 25th Annual Awards Dinner in 1975, Citations of Merit for Citizen Service were also bestowed. This series contains programs from the awards dinners and nomination submission forms.

Arrangement

Series 1: Administration, 1995-2001, Box 1

Series 2: Correspondence, 1983-2003, Box 1

Series 3: Bulletins, 1965-1994, Box 1

Series 4: Fairfax County Citizen of the Year, 1969-2010, Box 2

Related Material

Biography File: Packard, Jean

Jean Packard Oral History file in Braddock’s True Gold Collection: MSS 13-02

Northern Virginia Conservation Council Papers: MSS 05-58

Separated Material

None

Index Terms

• Citations of Merit for Citizen Service
• Fairfax Citizen of the Year
• Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations
• Packard, Jean (1923-2014)
• The Washington Post Citizen of the Year
• The Washington Post Citizenship Cup
• The Washington Post Citizenship Trophy
• The Washington Star Citizenship Trophy

Adjunct Descriptive Data