HJ0023 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0023 LRB098 11193 GRL 41993 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly wish to pay tribute to Stan Musial, widely proclaimed as the greatest St. Louis Cardinal of all time; and

WHEREAS, Stan Musial was born on November 21, 1920 in Donora, Pennsylvania; he married his high school sweetheart, Lilian Labash, in 1940 and they remained married for nearly 72 years until her passing in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Stan Musial played his entire 22-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals between 1941-1944 and 1946-1963; and

WHEREAS, In January of 1945, Stan Musial was drafted and entered the United States Navy; he served his country for 15 months and was honorably discharged in March of 1946; and

WHEREAS, During his playing career, Stan Musial amassed 3,630 hits, 475 home runs, and a .331 career batting average; he was a first ballot hall of famer in 1969; and

WHEREAS, Stan Musial always took an active role in serving the community; he was a prominent supporter of Wings of Hope, a humanitarian organization dedicated to assisting those in poverty and in need of medical attention; and

WHEREAS, In February of 2011, Stan Musial was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom; the highest civilian honor in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Stan Musial was widely regarded as one of the all-time greatest baseball players on and off the field; he died peacefully on January 19, 2013; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate January 19 as Stan Musial Day in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the citizens of this State to take cognizance of this event and to participate fittingly in its observance; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the family of Stan Musial and the St. Louis Cardinals Organization.