John Nichols Dalton (1931–1986) was a Republican Governor of the U.S. state of Virginia from 1978 to 1982. He attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. His son-in-law, Steve Baril, sought the 2005 Republican nomination for attorney general of Virginia. 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party [1]), is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... This is a list of Governors of Virginia since Virginia became a U.S. state following the American Revolutionary War. ... A U.S. state is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, together with the District of Columbia and Palmyra Atoll (an uninhabited incorporated unorganized territory), form the United States of America. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner (D) Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... College of William and Mary The College of William and Mary in Virginia is a public, liberal-arts university located in Williamsburg, Virginia. ... Williamsburg is a city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. ...