Superintendent Thomas Kennely Sexton

Sexton attended the University of Virginia from 1919 to 1921 where he excelled in baseball and basketball. After college, he was employed as Superintendent of a mining company in Corrin, West Virginia. He was later employed by Hale and Pollard Insurance Company. He would later serve in the United States Marine Corp attaining the rank of Sergeant.

He was appointed Superintendent of the enforcement unit of the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) by Commissioner T. McCall Frazier in 1930, earning the distinction of being the first so named. The enforcement unit of DMV was later to become the Virginia State Police.

Notable changes during his tenure:

• Oversaw a new plan that organized police personnel into platoons and companies throughout the state to better project DMV as in administrative control of the policing function of the agency.
• Adopted new hiring standards for Inspectors who later became known as Troopers.
• Supervised the movement of DMV offices from the Governor’s Office to new headquarters at 12th and Main Street in Richmond.
• Supervised the Yorktown Sesquicentennial in October 1931.
  The event required that state police personnel work 16 hour days. During the assignment, they were housed in tents, experiencing the life of military troops in the field. In a unique arrangement, state police personnel from the 13 original states provided assistance.
• In 1932 Inspector/Troopers were empowered to enforce criminal codes with motor vehicle codes.
• Created the Great White fleet (white motorcycles and roadsters).
• Created first extended state police training school (five weeks); initiated in-service training.
• Administration of the newly formed Motor Vehicle Inspection Program was implemented.
• In August 1933, dispatched troopers to Wise County to maintain order in connection with a coal strike. Ten thousand miners had been idled over dissatisfaction with low pay and opposition to the National Recovery Act.