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90_SJ0046
SRS90SJ0016BWbm
1 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of this body were deeply saddened to
3 learn of the recent death of a dear and beloved colleague and
4 former leader, Terrel E."Tec" Clarke, of Western Springs, on
5 July 29, 1997, at the age of 77; and
6 WHEREAS, Senator Clarke was born in Chicago on March 11,
7 1920, to Dr. James C. Clarke and Aileen Spencer Clarke, and
8 graduated from Lyons Township High School and the University
9 of Colorado; and
10 WHEREAS, During World War II, Senator Clarke served as a
11 staff sergeant in the U.S. Army in the European Theatre; and
12 WHEREAS, Following the war, Senator Clarke earned a
13 master's degree in business from the Harvard School of
14 Business, and briefly taught at the University of Kansas,
15 where he introduced the Harvard Case Method; and
16 WHEREAS, Senator Clarke married the former Catherine Carr
17 on June 5, 1948 and they settled in Western Springs and were
18 blessed with two daughters, Elizabeth and Martha, a son, Dr.
19 John, and seven grandchildren; and
20 WHEREAS, Senator Clarke began a long and distinguished
21 career in public service, which began when he was elected to
22 the first of five terms as the Lyons Township Republican
23 Committeeman; and
24 WHEREAS, Tec Clarke was elected to the Illinois House of
25 Representatives two years later in 1956 and served there for
26 five terms, where he was recognized as a fiscal expert and
27 served as Chairman of the House Revenue Committee; and
28 WHEREAS, After serving in the House of Representatives
29 for 10 years, Senator Clarke was elected to the Illinois
30 State Senate in 1966, where he served with distinction for
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1 another ten years and became Chairman of the Senate Revenue
2 Committee, thus having the distinction of being the only
3 legislator to Chair the Revenue Committee in both chambers;
4 and
5 WHEREAS, Senator Clarke quickly rose to a Republican
6 leadership position in the State Senate after sponsoring a
7 series of amendments to simplify and reform the Illinois
8 Income Tax shortly after it was enacted in 1969; and
9 WHEREAS, After Senator W. Russell Arrington suffered a
10 disabling stroke in 1971, Senator Clarke served as Acting
11 Minority Leader during the balance of the 77th General
12 Assembly; and
13 WHEREAS, Senator Clarke oversaw with Senator Arrington
14 the development of the first professional legislative staff
15 in the history of Illinois; and
16 WHEREAS, Senator Clarke served as co-chair of the
17 Illinois Constitution Study Commission; and
18 WHEREAS, Senator Clarke served honorably and with
19 distinction as Chairman of the Joint House-Senate Committee
20 on Revenue Reform in 1965; the Joint Committee to Study the
21 Income Tax in 1970; and the Joint Committee to Study the
22 Property Tax during the early 1970's; and
23 WHEREAS, Senator Clarke also served as Chairman of the
24 Legislative Audit Commission when the first legislative
25 Auditor General under the new 1970 Constitution was selected
26 and confirmed by both chambers of General Assembly; and
27 WHEREAS, Tec Clarke also helped create and then became
28 head of the "Little Hoover Commission" to study state
29 government, which led to the creation of the Bureau of the
30 Budget, the General Services Department, the Department of
31 Corrections, and the Illinois Bureau of Investigations; and
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1 WHEREAS, Senator Clarke twice ran for statewide office,
2 Secretary of State in 1964 and State Auditor in 1968, and
3 later for Cook County Assessor in 1976 and the U.S. Congress
4 in 1982; and
5 WHEREAS, Senator Clarke worked in private life as an
6 insurance broker, belonged to the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
7 the American Legion and Kiwanis Club of America, and was a
8 member of the vestry and taught Sunday School at Emmanuel
9 Episcopal Church in LaGrange and All Saints Episcopal Church
10 in Western Springs: and
11 WHEREAS, Senator Clarke was always a forceful voice for
12 governmental responsibility, who worked and fought for the
13 principles and ideals which meant so much to him and to which
14 he had repeatedly pledged himself to the voters of his
15 district; and
16 WHEREAS, Senator Clarke was always honest and frank, and
17 never left any doubt as to where he stood with the public,
18 his colleagues, his governor, and his own party, and was
19 always faithful to his word, and truly treasured his years of
20 service in this august body; and
21 WHEREAS, The Honorable Terrel E. "Tec" Clarke was an
22 esteemed and trusted friend of every member of the Senate,
23 who will be sorely missed by all who knew him and served with
24 him throughout his tenure in the Illinois State Senate; and
25 WHEREAS, His gentle voice and his extraordinary memory
26 concerning state and local government finance is now forever
27 stilled, but his lofty ideals and principles will live on in
28 the hearts and minds of his many friends and constituents
29 whom he so greatly influenced; therefore be it
30 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
31 OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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1 CONCURRING HEREIN, That we express our profound grief and
2 sorrow at the passing of our former colleague and leader, a
3 good friend and dedicated public servant, The Honorable
4 Terrel E. "Tec" Clarke, who devoted so much of his life to
5 the service of humanity; and be it further
6 RESOLVED, That we convey our heartfelt sympathy to his
7 widow, Catherine, and to their three children and seven
8 grandchildren, to the other members of his family and to his
9 many friends in this time of bereavement; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this preamble and
11 resolution be presented to Catherine Clarke and her family as
12 a memorial to the work of her late husband, Senator Terrel E.
13 Clarke.