HJ0109 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0109 LRB098 23073 GRL 62045 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly takes pride in recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of State officials and citizens; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of the lasting legacy and many sacrifices that Alan J. Dixon made for the citizenry of the State, the General Assembly wishes to bestow upon him the rare distinction of naming a public building in his honor; and

WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon spent his life serving the people of the State and was known for his work ethic and ability to foster cooperation and compromise across party lines; and

WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon was born in Belleville on July 7, 1927; he graduated from Belleville Township High School, earned his bachelor's degree in 1949 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and earned his Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri; he served in the United States Navy Air Corps during World War II and began his 43-year political career in law school when he was elected to serve as Belleville Police Magistrate; and

WHEREAS, At the age of 22, Alan J. Dixon was elected one of the youngest legislators ever to serve in the Illinois House of Representatives, and served as a State Representative from 1951 to 1963; he was an advocate for higher education and co-sponsored legislation that produced Illinois's community college system; and

WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon served in the Illinois State Senate from 1963 to 1971, rising to Assistant Democratic Leader; and

WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon was elected to serve as Illinois Treasurer from 1971 to 1977; from 1977 to 1981, he served as Illinois Secretary of State, an office he won by a margin of 1,300,000 votes; and

WHEREAS, In 1980, Alan J. Dixon won his first election to the United States Senate by more than 600,000 votes; he won his re-election to the United States Senate in 1986 by more than 950,000 votes; he served until 1993; and

WHEREAS, In 1988, and again in 1990, Alan J. Dixon was unanimously selected by his party colleagues to serve as the Chief Deputy Whip of the United States Senate, the number 3 leadership post; he enjoyed an unbroken string of 29 election victories; and

WHEREAS, At the request of President Bill Clinton, Alan J. Dixon served as Chairman of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission in 1994 and 1995, a job that called for both national defense knowledge and good political ties with both Democrats and Republicans; as former Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee he was mutually respected by both parties; and

WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon was a partner with the St. Louis, Missouri based law firm, Bryan Cave, LLP, where he served corporate and government clients; and

WHEREAS, Lindenwood University-Belleville, formerly the Belleville Township High School, named its student center after Alan J. Dixon in 2011 in his honor and thanked him for his achievements and efforts on behalf of his hometown of Belleville; and

WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon's memoir, "The Gentleman from Illinois: Stories from Forty Years of Elective Public Service", was published in 2013 by Southern Illinois University Press; and

WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon died in his home on July 6, 2014, one day shy of his 87th birthday; he is survived by his spouse of 60 years, Joan "Jody" Fox Dixon; 3 children, Stephanie, Jeffrey, and Elizabeth; 8 grandchildren; and 7 great-grandchildren; 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 the State of Illinois building that houses the Illinois State Museum at 502 South Spring Street in Springfield as the "Alan J. Dixon Building"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Alan J. Dixon's surviving spouse, Joan "Jody" Fox Dixon and to the Department of Natural Resources.