HR0517 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0517 LRB097 13361 GRL 57877 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor the life and accomplishments of James M. Bailey; and

WHEREAS, James Bailey was born on May 5, 1915, in Trenton, Tennessee; he has lived in Alton for over 70 years; he still resides in Alton on Salu Street, in the house he built in 1954; and

WHEREAS, James Bailey and his wife, Mary Louise (Simmons) Bailey, raised two wonderful sons, Dr. Jimmie M. Bailey and Judge Duane Bailey; and

WHEREAS, James Bailey earned his bachelor's degree from Lincoln University in Missouri in 1939; while attending Lincoln University, he was the first person to pledge with the Eta Sigma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity; he was inducted into the Lincoln University Alumni Hall of Fame on July 21, 2007; and

WHEREAS, James Bailey earned his master's degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign in 1948; and

WHEREAS, James Bailey served as an educator with the Alton Community Unit School District for 48 years; during his career, he served as a junior high school teacher and basketball coach, principal of Lovejoy Elementary School and Central High School, and supervising principal of all elementary principals; he also holds the distinction of being the first African-American assistant principal at Alton High School, the first African-American administrative assistant to the superintendent, and the first African-American assistant superintendent of schools; and

WHEREAS, James Bailey was a member of the steering committees that founded Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey and Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville; he was one of the three founders of the City of Alton's Elijah P. Lovejoy Memorial Scholarship; he was the first African-American to be elected to the Alton City Council, where he served for 10 years; he was the first African-American to be elected to the position of comptroller in Alton; he served as a community volunteer for voter registration efforts in the City of Alton; he is a member of the NAACP; he is also a founding member of the Alton Urban League; and

WHEREAS, James Bailey will be honored for his many accomplishments during a ceremony held by the Celebrate An Elder Ministry of the Greater St. James Baptist Church in Alton on September 25, 2011; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor the life and accomplishments of James M. Bailey and wish him continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to James Bailey as a symbol of our esteem and respect.