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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the 
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State of Illinois learned with great sadness of the death of 
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John H. Johnson, founder, publisher, and chairman of Johnson 
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Publishing Company, Inc., on August 8, 2005; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson was the founder of a major 
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international media and cosmetics empire that includes EBONY 
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and JET magazines, Fashion Fair Cosmetics, and EBONY Fashion 
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Fair; Johnson Publishing is the number one African-American 
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publishing company in the world and was founded in 1942; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson, who borrowed $500 to begin his 
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publishing endeavors, is credited as one of the major 
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trailblazers, and he is recognized as the founder of the 
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African-American consumer market; under his leadership, EBONY 
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magazine has been the biggest Black-owned magazine in the world 
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for 60 straight years; in 2002, he named his daughter, Linda 
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Johnson Rice, the chief operating officer, CEO of the company, 
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but he retained the title of chairman and publisher until his 
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death; and

 
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    WHEREAS,  Throughout his career, Mr. Johnson received 
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several awards, including the highest civilian honor, The 
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Presidential Medal of Freedom, as well as the Magazine 
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Publisher's Association Publisher of the Year Award, the 
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Advertising Hall of Fame Award, the Arkansas Business Hall of 
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Fame Award, the National Business Hall of Fame Award, the 
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Greatest Minority Entrepreneur Award, the Horatio Alger Award, 
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and the NAACP Spingarn Award; in 2003, Howard University in 
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Washington, D.C., established the John H. Johnson School of 
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Communications in his honor; in 2005, the John H. Johnson Delta 
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Cultural and Entrepreneurial Learning Center in Arkansas City, 
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Arkansas, was dedicated; and

 
 


 






HR0591
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    WHEREAS, He received several honorary doctoral degrees 
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from universities including Harvard University, the University 
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of Southern California, Northwestern University, Howard 
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University, and Morehouse College; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson was born in poverty in Arkansas City, 
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Arkansas, in 1918; he credited the love and determination of 
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his mother, the late Gertrude Johnson Williams, for starting 
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him on the road to success; throughout his career he was 
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supported by his wife, Eunice W. Johnson, secretary-treasurer 
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of the company; and his daughter, President & CEO Linda Johnson 
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Rice; he is also survived by his granddaughter, Alexa; 
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therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
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we mourn the passing of John H. Johnson, and we extend our 
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deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and all who knew and 
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loved him; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to his family as an expression of our sincerest 
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condolences for the loss of a great man.