Virginia Knight
Virginia Piegrue Knight | |
|---|---|
| First Lady of California | |
| In office 2 August 1954 – 5 January 1959 | |
| Governor | Goodwin Knight |
| Preceded by | Nina Warren |
| Succeeded by | Bernice Layne Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Virginia Piegrue October 12, 1918 Fort Dodge, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | November 29, 2010 (aged 92) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Spouse | |
| Occupation | Civic leader, poet |
Virginia Piegrue Knight (12 October 1918 – 29 November 2010) was an American civic figure who served as first lady of California from 1954 to 1959 during the governorship of Goodwin Knight. Her activities in that role included conservation work at the governor's mansion, documentation of the state’s earlier first ladies and promotion of public tours of the residence.[1]
Early life
Knight was born Virginia Piegrue in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and moved with her family to Los Angeles in 1923.[1] She married Lieutenant C. Lyle Carlson of the United States Army Air Forces in 1942; he was killed in action over Italy in 1944. Following his death she volunteered with wounded servicemembers, earning the sobriquet “Viola Queen” from the Military Order of the Purple Heart.[1]
First Lady of California
Governor Knight, whose first wife died in 1952, married Virginia Carlson on 2 August 1954 in Beverly Hills.[2][3]
During her tenure, Knight supervised refurbishment of the mansion’s kitchen, initiated a lighting scheme based on her personal teapot collection and assembled a photographic gallery of California’s gubernatorial spouses that remains on display.[1] She also wrote short poems for use at political events and was a regular participant in public dances with the governor.[4]
Later activities
After leaving the mansion in 1959 Knight continued to support heritage initiatives and veterans’ organizations. An oral history interview recorded for the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley recounts her cataloguing of artefacts in the Governor’s Mansion and her advocacy for its designation as a state historic park.[5]
Personal life
The Knights resided in the Hancock Park neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Goodwin Knight died in 1970; Virginia Knight lived in the same home until her death on 29 November 2010 at the age of ninety‑two.[6] A statement released by her family characterised her as “born to be first lady.”[7] She was interred at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.
References
- ^ a b c d "Virginia Knight". California State Library. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "Gov. Knight Will Wed Widow". Los Angeles Times. 17 June 1954. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "Gov. Knight, Mrs. Carlson Take Vows". Los Angeles Times. 3 August 1954. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "California: Don Juan in Heaven". Time. 30 May 1955. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "California's First Lady, 1954–1958: oral history transcript". University of California, Berkeley. 1987. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "Virginia Knight dies at 92; former first lady of California". Los Angeles Times. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "Former First Lady Dies at 92". PublicCEO. 2 December 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2025.