HJ0066 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0066 LRB100 12743 MST 26649 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly wish to recognize and remember Frank Lloyd Wright, an American architect, interior designer, writer, and educator who designed over 1,000 structures, on his 150th birthday; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lloyd Wright was born Frank Lincoln Wright in Richland Center, Wisconsin to William Carey Wright and Anna Lloyd Jones on June 8, 1867; he passed away in Phoenix, Arizona on April 9, 1959; and

WHEREAS, When Frank Lloyd Wright was 14 his parents separated; in 1885, the divorce was finalized and he changed his middle name of Lincoln to Lloyd after his mother's side of the family; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lloyd Wright attended Madison High School, but never received a degree; he was admitted to the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a special student in 1886; he took classes part-time for two semesters and worked with a professor of civil engineering; he left school without a degree, but was granted an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the University in 1955; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lloyd Wright moved to Chicago to seek an apprenticeship with the firm of Adler & Sullivan; after two short interviews he became an official apprentice with the firm; and

WHEREAS, On June 1, 1889, Frank Lloyd Wright married his first wife, Catherine "Kitty" Lee (Tobin) Wright; he received a loan of $5,000 from Louis Sullivan and built his first home in Oak Park; he later married Maude "Miriam" Noel Wright and then Olgivanna Lloyd Wright; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lloyd Wright went on to have his own practice in the Schiller Building on Randolph Street in Chicago and took on many projects in the Chicago area; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lloyd Wright won the "Royal Gold Medal" in 1941 and the "AIA Gold Medal" in 1949; over the years, many of his structures have also received the "Twenty-five Year Award", which showcases buildings that set a precedent; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lloyd Wright was known for his unique vision for urban planning in the United States, including Illinois; his creative period spanned over 70 years; in addition to houses, he also designed offices, churches, schools, hotels, museums, and other structures; there are 13 Frank Lloyd Wright properties that are open to the public in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Frank Lloyd Wright has many properties open to the public, including the Dana-Thomas house in Springfield, the B. Harley Bradley House in Kankakee, the Kenneth Laurent House in Rockford, his home and studio, Unity Temple in Oak Park, the Pettit Memorial Chapel in Belvidere, the Frank L Smith Bank in Dwight, the Muirhead Farmhouse in Hampshire, and the Fabyan Villa in Geneva; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the Frank Lloyd Wright properties that are open to the public in Illinois as part of the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail.