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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The centennial of President Ronald Reagan's birth
3occurred on February 6, 2011; and
 
4    WHEREAS, President Reagan was the only U.S. president born
5in the State of Illinois, in the town of Tampico; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan spent his formative years in
7Illinois, growing up in Dixon; and
 
8    WHEREAS, While serving as a lifeguard on the Rock River
9during his teenage years, Ronald Reagan was credited with
10saving 77 lives; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan went to Illinois' Eureka College,
12where he majored in economics and sociology and graduated from
13that institution in 1932; and
 
14    WHEREAS, After college, Ronald Reagan entered the field of
15broadcasting as an announcer for the Chicago Cubs out of the
16WHO radio station in Des Moines, Iowa; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan then traveled to Hollywood to embark
18on a career in motion pictures, eventually starring in more
19than 60 films; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan left acting to serve in the Second
2World War, eventually rising to the rank of Captain in the
3United States Army Air Force; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan put his acting skills to use in the
5armed forces, helping make more than 400 training films to
6assist AAF pilots; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Upon returning to Hollywood, Ronald Reagan joined
8the Screen Actors Guild union, eventually serving six terms as
9president of the organization; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan's role as George Gipp in the movie
11"Knute Rockne: All American" led to his nickname "The Gipper",
12which he was called for the rest of his life; and
 
13    WHEREAS, On the set of the movie "Hellcats of the Navy",
14Ronald Reagan met the woman who would end up being the love of
15his life, Nancy Davis; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan was the proud father of four
17children - Maureen, Ron, Jr., Patti, and Michael; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan served as a spokesman for General
19Electric; he later served as a host for the popular TV show

 

 

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1General Electric Theater; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan went on to be elected to serve as
3the two-time governor of California, serving from 1967 to 1975;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United
6States in 1980 - the first native-born Illinois person to reach
7the highest office in the land; and
 
8    WHEREAS, President Reagan's optimism and belief that the
9United States' best days were yet to come helped rejuvenate the
10American spirit; and
 
11    WHEREAS, President Reagan never mistook his political
12opponents for enemies, and worked with his Democratic Congress
13on behalf of the American people; and
 
14    WHEREAS, President Reagan's grace under pressure during
15his assassination attempt, with quips such as "Honey, I forgot
16to duck", helped console the American people during that very
17dark hour; and
 
18    WHEREAS, President Reagan's strong support for our
19national defense and his popularity among our nation's fighting
20men and women led to the naming of the aircraft carrier USS

 

 

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1Ronald Reagan in his honor; and
 
2    WHEREAS, During President Reagan's presidency, the United
3States was respected throughout the world, and foreign
4relations improved with Europe, India, China, and other
5nations; and
 
6    WHEREAS, During the Reagan presidency, America saw years of
7unprecedented economic growth and prosperity; and
 
8    WHEREAS, President Reagan never forgot his Illinois roots -
9frequently coming back to our State to visit his boyhood home
10of Dixon, Eureka College, and other communities; and
 
11    WHEREAS, As president, Ronald Reagan was graced with the
12nickname "The Great Communicator" for his ability to convey his
13vision to the American people; and
 
14    WHEREAS, President Reagan's popularity among the American
15people led to his winning 49 states in his reelection and
16capturing more electoral votes than any other presidential
17candidate in history; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Working with national leaders and our democratic
19allies, President Reagan played a crucial part in ending
20communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, When the reformist leader Mikhail Gorbachev took
2power in the Soviet Union, President Reagan worked with him to
3diffuse Cold War tensions; and
 
4    WHEREAS, President Reagan worked with General Secretary
5Gorbachev to reduce nuclear arms by concluding an agreement on
6the INF Treaty, which, for the first time ever, reduced the
7number of nuclear weapons; and
 
8    WHEREAS, President Reagan gave a famous speech in 1987
9calling on Mr. Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, which
10did fall a little more than two years later; and
 
11    WHEREAS, By the end of the Reagan presidency, Cold War
12tensions between the Soviet Union and United States had
13dramatically decreased; and
 
14    WHEREAS, President Reagan's speech comforting the nation
15following the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger helped
16console a grieving nation; and
 
17    WHEREAS, President Reagan's leadership inspired many young
18Americans to enter public service; and
 
19    WHEREAS, President Reagan's courageous fight against

 

 

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1Alzheimer's disease led to greater public awareness of that
2terrible illness; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Hundreds of landmarks, roads, and buildings have
4been named as a tribute to President Reagan across America,
5including Washington DC's Reagan Airport and Ronald Reagan
6Building, and Illinois' Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway;
7therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
9ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we salute President
10Ronald Reagan on the 100th anniversary of his birth, thank him
11for the service to our country as a member of our armed forces,
12as a public servant, and as President, and honor him for
13helping to revive the American spirit.