HR1198 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1198 LRB098 21799 MST 60653 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. (born July 12, 1937) is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician, and activist; a veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at the "hungry i" in San Francisco and various other clubs; he then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show "I Spy" and was one of the major performers on the children's television series "The Electric Company" during its first 2 seasons; he created the educational cartoon comedy series "Fat Albert" and "The Cosby Kids", about a group of young friends growing up in the city; and

WHEREAS, During the 1980s, Bill Cosby produced and starred in one of the decade's defining sitcoms, "The Cosby Show", which aired 8 seasons from 1984 to 1992; it was the number one show in America for 5 straight years (1985-89) and highlighted the experiences and growth of an affluent African-American family; he also produced the spin-off sitcom "A Different World", which became second only to "The Cosby Show" in ratings; he starred in the sitcom "Cosby" from 1996 to 2000 and hosted "Kids Say the Darndest Things" for 2 seasons; and

WHEREAS, In 1976, Bill Cosby earned a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst; his dissertation discussed the use of "Fat Albert" and "The Cosby Kids" as a teaching tool in elementary schools; and

WHEREAS, In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante included him in his book "The 100 Greatest African Americans"; and

WHEREAS, Bill Cosby has always been deeply involved in helping educate children and fostering a life-long love of learning; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the City of Chicago to name the branch of the Chicago Public Library located in the Austin community after actor and comedian Bill Cosby; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Chicago Public Library Commissioner Brian Bannon and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.