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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The conclusion of the spring session of the 101st | ||||||
3 | General Assembly will mark a
significant change to the face of | ||||||
4 | statehouse journalism with the retirement of Charles N.
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5 | "Charlie" Wheeler III as the Director of the Public Affairs | ||||||
6 | Reporting Program (PAR) at the University of
Illinois | ||||||
7 | Springfield (UIS); and
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8 | WHEREAS, Charlie Wheeler's departure caps an amazing 50 | ||||||
9 | years of journalistic excellence that began
with the Chicago | ||||||
10 | Sun-Times and ends with a journey that has guided approximately | ||||||
11 | 700
students through the nationally respected PAR master's | ||||||
12 | degree program at UIS; and
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13 | WHEREAS, As if that legendary longevity was not enough, | ||||||
14 | Charlie Wheeler's career ends with over 110
years of family | ||||||
15 | reporting that began with his grandfather as a correspondent | ||||||
16 | with the Chicago Inter
Ocean and the Chicago Tribune and | ||||||
17 | continued on with his father who worked for the Chicago
Times | ||||||
18 | and the Chicago Sun-Times; and | ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, Charlie Wheeler earned degrees in journalism from | ||||||
20 | St. Mary College and the Medill School of
Journalism at | ||||||
21 | Northwestern University; and |
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1 | WHEREAS, Prior to his career in journalism, Charlie Wheeler | ||||||
2 | spent three years in Panama with the Peace
Corps; and
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3 | WHEREAS, Charlie Wheeler's PAR students routinely use the | ||||||
4 | words "father" and life changing" to describe
the impact he has | ||||||
5 | had on their lives; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Like those who preceded Charlie Wheeler as PAR | ||||||
7 | director including U.S. Senator Paul Simon and Bill
Miller, | ||||||
8 | perhaps the best testimonial to his accomplishments is the | ||||||
9 | legion of award-winning
reporters, who stretch from coast to | ||||||
10 | coast and staff every type of news gathering operation
from | ||||||
11 | small town weeklies to national cable news programs; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Charlie Wheeler has received many honors and | ||||||
13 | recognitions, including five national Capitolbeat awards
for | ||||||
14 | his Illinois Issues commentaries, the 2013 Journalist of the | ||||||
15 | Year by the Eastern Illinois
University Department of | ||||||
16 | Journalism, and induction into the Lincoln League of | ||||||
17 | Journalists by the
Illinois Associated Press Editors | ||||||
18 | Association; additionally, he served as president of the | ||||||
19 | Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association for 16 years; | ||||||
20 | therefore, be it
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21 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
22 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
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1 | we congratulate Charles N. "Charlie" Wheeler III on the | ||||||
2 | occasion of his
retirement, thank him for his selfless | ||||||
3 | dedication to journalism in the State of Illinois and
for | ||||||
4 | inspiring hundreds of student journalists that are now | ||||||
5 | excelling in their field due to his teaching,
and wish him well | ||||||
6 | in the years to come; and be it further
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7 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
8 | presented to Charlie Wheeler as a
symbol of our respect and | ||||||
9 | esteem and respect.
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