
Charles Douglas Poindexter
American politician, former Virginia Delegate
- Lifespan
- February 27, 1942 – February 4, 2026Feb 27, 1942 – Feb 4, 2026
- Location
- Glade Hill, Virginia, U.S.Glade Hill, VA, U.S.

American politician, former Virginia Delegate
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Key moments and achievements from Charles Poindexter's life.
Charles was born
· Glade Hill, Virginia, U.S.
Education
Charles Poindexter graduated from Franklin County High School in 1960 with both athletic and academic honors. Born in Roanoke, Virginia, he went on to earn a math degree from Lynchburg College and a master's degree in management from George Washington University.
Education
Charles Poindexter graduated from Franklin County High School in 1960 with both athletic and academic honors. Born in Roanoke, Virginia, he went on to earn a math degree from Lynchburg College and a master's degree in management from George Washington University.
Public Service
Poindexter served eight years on the Franklin County Board of Supervisors, beginning his career in public service at the local level. His work on the board gave him firsthand experience with the needs of rural Southwest Virginia communities.
Public Service
Poindexter served eight years on the Franklin County Board of Supervisors, beginning his career in public service at the local level. His work on the board gave him firsthand experience with the needs of rural Southwest Virginia communities.
Career Milestone
In 2008, Poindexter was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 9th district, which encompassed Patrick County and parts of Franklin and Henry Counties. He served with distinction from January 9, 2008 through January 12, 2022, eventually becoming vice chairman of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee.
Career Milestone
In 2008, Poindexter was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 9th district, which encompassed Patrick County and parts of Franklin and Henry Counties. He served with distinction from January 9, 2008 through January 12, 2022, eventually becoming vice chairman of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee.
Career Achievement
In 2011, redistricting placed Poindexter in a head-to-head race against the sitting House minority leader. It became one of the most watched and most expensive House races in Virginia that year, and Poindexter prevailed, cementing his reputation as a formidable political campaigner.
Career Achievement
In 2011, redistricting placed Poindexter in a head-to-head race against the sitting House minority leader. It became one of the most watched and most expensive House races in Virginia that year, and Poindexter prevailed, cementing his reputation as a formidable political campaigner.
Gladys West was an African American mathematician at the Naval Surface Weapons Center whose meticulous computer programming of geodetic Earth models from the mid-1970s through the 1980s laid the essential groundwork for the Global Positioning System (GPS). Working with IBM mainframes, she developed increasingly precise algorithms to account for gravitational, tidal, and other forces that distort Earth's shape into an irregular ellipsoid called the geoid. In 1986, she published a landmark 51-page technical report, "Data Processing System Specifications for the Geosat Satellite Radar Altimeter," which advanced the accuracy of geoid heights critical to satellite geodesy. Her contributions went largely unrecognized for decades until she was inducted into the U.S. Air Force Hall of Fame in 2018, prompting worldwide recognition of her foundational role in creating the technology billions of people use daily.
Gladys West was an African American mathematician at the Naval Surface Weapons Center whose meticulous computer programming of geodetic Earth models from the mid-1970s through the 1980s laid the essential groundwork for the Global Positioning System (GPS). Working with IBM mainframes, she developed increasingly precise algorithms to account for gravitational, tidal, and other forces that distort Earth's shape into an irregular ellipsoid called the geoid. In 1986, she published a landmark 51-page technical report, "Data Processing System Specifications for the Geosat Satellite Radar Altimeter," which advanced the accuracy of geoid heights critical to satellite geodesy. Her contributions went largely unrecognized for decades until she was inducted into the U.S. Air Force Hall of Fame in 2018, prompting worldwide recognition of her foundational role in creating the technology billions of people use daily.
Charles Poindexter passed away