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Speakers Bureau: Did You Know?
ABOUT NEWPORT NEWS
Newport News, located along the north shore of the James River where it meets the Chesapeake Bay, was chartered in 1896 and has long been known as one of the world's major shipbuilding centers. The City is approximately 69 miles long with a population of more than 185,000 citizens. Its name is said to have been derived from Captain Christopher Newport, whose famous journey into the Hampton Roads harbor in 1607 linked America's history forever with that of Virginia's Peninsula.
As a gateway to the Hampton Roads area and midpoint on the Atlantic Coast, Newport News is recognized for its military and advanced technology facilities, the largest municipal park on the East Coast, historic preservation efforts, parks and tourism sites, museums for the arts, maritime and wartime history, and economic development opportunities in 14 industrial and business parks. Forty-eight public schools, a major university and dozens of higher education centers support workforce development and lifelong learning.
DID YOU KNOW?
· Newport News is a part of the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Statistical Area, the 31st largest market in the United States and the largest between Washington and Atlanta.
· Newport News has the largest municipal park on the East Coast, with more than 8,000 acres of woods, fields and trails, in addition to a reservoir system for boating and fishing.
· The Newport News Police Department has 450 authorized sworn officers with 423 currently filled and 164 civilian employees. They work with more than 75 active Crime Watch citizen groups in the City.
· Newport News Public Schools have earned 11 Blue Ribbons from the U.S. Department of Education, a state record. For the eighth consecutive year, SchoolMatch has selected the school division for the What Parents Want in Public Education award. Only 15 percent of school divisions in the country earned this designation.
· Newport News has four branches, a bookmobile, and law library which include 471,057 books and 477 periodical titles.
· Downtown's Victory Arch, built in 1919 as a tribute to our military forces, welcomed home 441,146 service men and women after World War I and 487,479 at the end of World War II.
· Newport News is the business address for 23 international firms and 44 high technology and teleservice firms.
· Newport News has been recognized a one of the 100 Best Cities for Young People by America's Promise.
· Pearl Bailey and Ella Fitzgerald were both born in Newport News.
· The Cities of Newport News and Warwick merged in 1958 to form the greater City of Newport News.
