SR1239 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1239 LRB101 21705 ECR 72649 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of William "Bill" J. Hall of Urbana, who passed away on June 9, 2020; and

WHEREAS, Bill Hall was born to E. Raymond and Mary F. (Harkey) Hall in Berkeley, California on April 13, 1926; he was raised in Layfayette and was active in the 4-H; after his freshman year at the University of California at Berkeley, he became a midshipman in the U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps from 1944 to 1945 and served in the Pacific war zone; he married Elaine Frances Thalman on December 18, 1948; that same year, he received his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Kansas; he then received his master's degree in 1951 and doctoral degree in 1954 from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); and

WHEREAS, Bill Hall became a professor of civil engineering at UIUC in 1959 and served as head of the Department of Civil Engineering from 1984 to 1991; he retired as professor emeritus in 1993; during his time at the university, he provided specialized advanced training to 120 of the graduate students who worked with him, including 30 who received their doctorates under his guidance; in 1998, he was recalled to serve as interim director of the Research and Technology Management Office of the campus; within the university, he chaired or served on numerous major committees and was chair or an active member of numerous national and international technical committees; in 2004, he and his wife established the William J. and Elaine F. Hall Endowed Professorship in Civil and Environmental Engineering; and

WHEREAS, Bill Hall was highly respected in the field of earthquake engineering, both in academia and in his professional practice; he wrote over 200 formal publications and 150 major consulting reports; he worked on earthquake-resistant design, high-speed ground transportation systems, and seismic design criteria for nuclear power plants, and provided service to the U.S. Department of Defense; he also served as a member of the design team for the Trans-Alaska petroleum pipeline; and

WHEREAS, Bill Hall was elected to the National Academy of Engineering; he was the first to be awarded the Distinguished Faculty Award by the UIUC Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association; and

WHEREAS, Bill Hall was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Urbana, where he was an ordained elder, trustee, and a Stephen Minister; and

WHEREAS, Bill Hall loved spending time and taking trips with his immediate and extended family; he was proud to be a WWII veteran, and his participation in an Honor Flight for WWII veterans to Washington, D.C. with his son Jim in 2012 was a highlight of his later years; and

WHEREAS, Bill Hall was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Hubert H. Hall and Benjamin D. Hall; and

WHEREAS, Bill Hall is survived by his wife; his three children, Martha (Matt) Sigler, James (Melody) Hall, and Carolyn (Larry) Vandendriessche; his four grandchildren, Andy (Kaitlin), Laura (Tim), Helen (Josh), and Lynn (Tom); and his two great-granddaughters, Olivia and Sophia; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of William "Bill" J. Hall 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 Bill Hall as an expression of our deepest sympathy.