SR0565 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0565 LRB094 17054 HSS 52336 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with regret of the death of Truman K. Gibson Jr. on Friday, December 23, 2005; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gibson was a Chicago attorney who had been the last surviving member of the World War II-era "black Cabinet" of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman; he was an advocate for African-American soldiers in the War Department from 1940 through 1945 and fought tirelessly to break down the segregation that ruled the U.S. Army, to persuade the military leadership to commit black servicemen to combat instead of relegating them to service and support duty, and to protect the rights and even the lives of African-American soldiers trained at camps mostly in the Jim Crow South where white violence was a constant threat; and

WHEREAS, This story was the heart of Mr. Gibson's memoir, "Knocking Down Barriers: My Fight for Black America", published this year by Northwestern University Press; and

WHEREAS, Born in Atlanta on January 22, 1912, Mr. Gibson moved with his family to Chicago in 1929; as a young graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, he was a member of the legal team that challenged a restrictive racial covenant prohibiting African Americans from living in the Washington Park area of the South Side of Chicago; he spent months pouring over property deeds to build the factual basis for the U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned the covenant; and

WHEREAS, In 1940, Mr. Gibson served as executive director of the American Negro Exposition, which was in effect an African-American world's fair to commemorate the 75th anniversary of emancipation, showcase black excellence in the arts and entertainment, and celebrate African-American contributions to U.S. history, featuring Duke Ellington, Paul Robeson, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, and other famous entertainers of the day; and

WHEREAS, With the outbreak of war in Europe and the increasing likelihood that the United States would be drawn in, the Roosevelt administration created the office of civilian aide to the secretary of war as an advocate for African Americans; Mr. Gibson served as an assistant to the first civilian aide, William Hastie, and in 1943 was promoted to the job; he played an influential role in finally convincing the U.S. Army that it had to commit African-American troops to battle; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gibson was an adviser to filmmaker Frank Capra of "It's a Wonderful Life" fame in making the movie short "The Negro Soldier" to demonstrate to the civilian population the African-American contribution to the war; he got Joe Louis, the world heavyweight boxing champion, to form a group of boxing champs to put on matches at U.S. Army bases here and aboard; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Gibson was appointed to the Advisory Commission on Universal Military Training by President Harry S. Truman; he had met boxing champ Joe Louis and become his lawyer in the 1930s; during the war, Mr. Louis often reported to Mr. Gibson about racial conditions on Army posts, and after the war, his association with Louis propelled Mr. Gibson into a career as one of the nation's premier boxing promoters; and

WHEREAS, With Chicagoans James Norris and Arthur Wirtz, he ran the International Boxing Club, which ruled the sport until declared a monopoly by the courts in 1959; he pioneered network television broadcasting of the sport; and

WHEREAS, After leaving boxing, Mr. Gibson returned to law practice in Chicago; he practiced law until his health failed in November of 2005; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Truman K. Gibson Jr. has been deeply felt by many, especially his daughter, Karen Kelley; his two grandchildren; his three great-grandchildren; and his great-great-grandchild; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Truman K. Gibson, who championed the rights of African-American military members, and we 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 his family as an expression of our deepest sympathy.