HR0654 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0654 LRB104 20685 MST 34184 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Joseph A. Angotti of Monmouth, who passed away on January 25, 2026; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Angotti was born in Gary, Indiana to Art A. and Pauline (Janott) Angotti on December 14, 1938; he spent time working in his family's bakery before attending Indiana University, where he earned a bachelor's and master's degree; he also served in the United States Army; he married Karen (Bowman) Angotti in Monmouth on December 28, 1962; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Angotti began his prolific career in journalism in 1962 at WHAS-TV in Louisville, eventually moving to WMAQ-TV in Chicago in 1966; he became a network producer for NBC in 1968, later serving as the executive producer of the weekend edition of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw; he was also the executive producer of the weeknight newscast with John Chancellor from 1977 to 1980 and was eventually promoted to senior vice president of News Europe, covering major world events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Tiananmen Square massacre; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Angotti left NBC in 1992 to form his own production company, which created the series "From Marx to Markets" for Eastern Europe; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Angotti was a professor and communication studies chair at the University of Miami School of Communication from 1993 to 1998, where he taught broadcast journalism at both the undergraduate and graduate level; he was also the founding director of the Center for the Advancement of Modern Media; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Angotti, after his career in the media, became a professor and chair of the broadcast program at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in 1999, where he remained for six years; he also was the founder and faculty advisor of the Northwestern News Network, which served Evanston and Chicago television stations with weekly news reports; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Angotti began teaching journalism at Monmouth College in 2005 after leaving Northwestern University, and in the same year, he and his wife, Karen, founded the Rainbow Riders Therapeutic Riding Center, a center for equine-assisted therapy for special needs children and others; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Angotti was inducted into the Indiana University School of Journalism Hall of Fame in 2007; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Angotti was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Fr. Joseph Angotti Jr.; his sister, Phyllis Parker; and his brother, Arthur Angotti; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Angotti is survived by his wife, Karen; his sons, Mark and Andrew (Kim) Angotti; his grandchildren, Jessica Magana and Nick Sparks; and his sisters-in-law, Barbara Angotti, and Sally and Mary Ann Bowman; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Joseph A. Angotti 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 Joseph A. Angotti as an expression of our deepest sympathy.