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90_HR0203
LRB9005879KBkb
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives were deeply saddened to learn of the death of
4 John Henry Herman Sengstacke, the owner and publisher of the
5 Chicago Defender, on May 28, 1997; and
6 WHEREAS, John Sengstacke was born in Savannah, Georgia,
7 on November 25, 1912; he graduated from Brick Junior College
8 and from the Hampton Institute; and
9 WHEREAS, John Sengstacke spent most of his life in the
10 newspaper business; as a child, he began working by
11 soliciting ads and doing layout and makeup for the Woodville
12 Times, the newspaper founded by his grandfather, John H. H.
13 Sengstacke, and later published by his father, Alexander
14 Sengstacke; and
15 WHEREAS, After graduation, Mr. Sengstacke joined the
16 staff of the Chicago Defender, the newspaper founded by his
17 uncle, Robert Abbott; in 1934, he became publisher of the
18 Defender; and
19 WHEREAS, Mr. Sengstacke inherited the Chicago Defender in
20 1940; in 1956, he converted the Defender from a weekly to a
21 daily newspaper; it continues as the nation's largest
22 African-American owned daily newspaper; and
23 WHEREAS, Mr. Sengstacke was the founder of the Negro
24 Newspaper Publishers Association, known today as the National
25 Newspaper Publishers Association, and was also one of the
26 founders of the Amalgamated Publishers, Inc.; and
27 WHEREAS, During his service as the head of the Chicago
28 Defender, John Sengstacke became a major force in the fight
29 for the rights of African-Americans and all underprivileged
30 citizens; John Sengstacke used the newspaper to improve the
31 quality of life for all people; and
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1 WHEREAS, John Sengstacke was instrumental in getting the
2 first African-American correspondent into the White House; he
3 was involved in the signing of Jackie Robinson by the
4 Brooklyn Dodgers; during World War II, he served as president
5 of the Chicago rationing board and adviser to the U.S. Office
6 of War Information; and
7 WHEREAS, After the war, President Truman appointed John
8 Sengstacke to the committee desegregating the military; he
9 served as an adviser to Presidents Truman, Kennedy, and
10 Johnson; each President used Mr. Sengstacke in many
11 capacities, including seating him on commissions and boards;
12 and
13 WHEREAS, Mr. Sengstacke was decorated by the governments
14 of Liberia and Haiti for his achievements and his dedication
15 to protecting the rights of humanity; and
16 WHEREAS, Mr. Sengstacke leaves behind a legacy of
17 community involvement and civic concern that will long
18 inspire the citizens of Illinois and the nation; as Chairman
19 of the Board of Provident Hospital & Training School
20 Association, he was instrumental in the building of the new
21 Provident Medical Center; he has served on numerous boards,
22 including the Advisory Board of the Boy Scouts of America and
23 the Southside Planning Board in Chicago; and
24 WHEREAS, He is survived by his son, Robert; his brother,
25 Frederick; his sisters, Flaurience Collins and Ethel
26 Sengstacke; and his six grandchildren; therefore, be it
27 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
28 NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
29 note with sorrow and regret the death of John H. H.
30 Sengstacke, and extend our sincere condolences to his family
31 and friends; and be it further
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1 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2 presented to the family of John H. H. Sengstacke.