SR1008 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1008 LRB103 40778 LAW 73617 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Dr. John Phair, who passed away on February 19, 2024 at the age of 89; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Phair was born in Paris, France on July 17, 1934; he attended Yale University and received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1960; he later returned to Yale to train in internal medicine and infectious diseases; and

WHEREAS, During the 1960s, Dr. Phair studied the impact of radiation on atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima, Japan for the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission; and

WHEREAS, Amid the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic, Dr. Phair defended patients against discrimination and advocated for children who were affected by the disease; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Phair embraced the opportunity to investigate HIV and AIDS in the early days of the crisis; from 1987 to 2012, he served as chairman of the executive committee for the groundbreaking Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, a National Institutes of Health-supported investigation of the history of HIV; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Phair helped establish the Chicago AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, which was part of the AIDS Clinical Trial Group of medical centers studying the treatment of HIV and its complications; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Phair chaired the AIDS Research and Advisory Committee of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 2000 to 2002; he also authored more than 365 research papers and 45 chapters in medical texts; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Phair received several awards for his contributions, including the John Philips Memorial Award from the American College of Physicians in 2005 and the International AIDS Society USA Lifetime Leadership Award in 2010; and

WHEREAS, Outside of his professional activities, Dr. Phair was fond of dancing and swimming; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Phair is survived by his wife, Nancy; his daughter, Liz Phair; his son, Phillip Phair; and three grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Dr. John Phair and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dr. Phair as an expression of our deepest sympathy.