RICHMOND, Va. – A street in Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward neighborhood was renamed Saturday to honor a longtime state senator and doctor.
The 900 block of North First Street was renamed as Dr. Benjamin J. Lambert, III OD Way in honor of the late longtime state senator and optometrist.
A group of family and friends gathered for the renaming ceremony.
Lambert served as the 3rd District state senator in the Virginia General Assembly for over 30 years. He operated his optometry business in Richmond's Giplin Court community for over 50 years.
Richmond City Council voted unanimously to rename the street in Lambert's honor.
Lambert was the first African-American to serve on the Virginia Senate Finance Committee.
His political career began when he was elected to Virginia's House of Delegates in 1977. He was elected to the Virginia Senate in 1985.
Additionally, Lambert served on a number of committees and chaired several subcommittees during his tenure.
Dr. Lambert died in March 2014. He was 77.
