HR0580 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0580 LRB097 14250 KXB 59054 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Dr. Sheldon I. Miller of Skokie, a founder of and early leader in the field of addiction psychiatry, who passed away on October 2, 2011; and

WHEREAS, He was born on June 29, 1938, to Edward A. and Evelyn (née Kleinman) Miller in Cleveland, Ohio; he graduated from Oberlin College in 1960 and Tufts Medical School in 1964, and completed his residency in psychiatry at the University Hospitals in Cleveland; and

WHEREAS, He spent 2 years with the Public Health Service on the Navajo Indian Reservation, addressing the psychiatric needs of that population; during that time, he became concerned with the Navajos' struggles with alcoholism and depression; this interest defined the future course of his research; he continued to focus on this subject, conducting some of the first studies leading to the definition of fetal alcohol syndrome and of alcoholism as a disease; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Miller was Professor Emeritus and former chair (1991-2002) of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University; he was also the author of more than 100 publications, including major textbooks on addiction; Dr. Miller was a founding member of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, a member of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association; and

WHEREAS, He was instrumental in achieving the recognition of the subspecialty of addiction psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; Dr. Miller was deeply involved in psychiatric education throughout his career; from 1996 to 1999, he served as the chair of the ACGME Psychiatry Residency Review Committee, which establishes policy and curricula for residency training programs across the United States; he was also a committed advocate for the mentally ill, tirelessly advocating on their behalf at both the state and national legislative levels; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Miller was a masterful teacher, generously giving of his time to educate people about the field of psychiatry and addiction and to advocate for better mental health policy and more humane treatment of mental health care patients; this education and advocacy frequently resulted in better policy outcomes in the State of Illinois and helped many lead more productive and healthier lives; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Sheldon Miller is survived by his wife of 50 years, Sarah Miller (née Johnston); his daughter, Lynne; his son-in-law, Mark Jones; his grandchildren, Lily, Ian, and Nell; and his son, David W. Miller and his partner, Lee Griesbach; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Dr. Sheldon Miller; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dr. Sheldon Miller as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.