HR1223 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1223 LRB098 21962 MST 60828 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Secretary of State Jesse White on the occasion of his 80th birthday; and

WHEREAS, Secretary White was born in Alton; he was an all-city baseball and basketball player at Robert A. Waller High School in Chicago (now Lincoln Park High School); he graduated in 1957 with a bachelor's degree from Alabama State University, where he played baseball and basketball, and served as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army from 1957 to 1959; he also served as a member of the Illinois National Guard; and

WHEREAS, In 1959, Secretary White founded the Jesse White Tumblers to serve as a positive alternative for children residing in the Chicago area; since its inception, more than 10,700 young men and women have performed with the team; and

WHEREAS, Secretary White played minor league professional baseball with the Chicago Cubs organization, which was followed by a 33-year career with the Chicago Public Schools system as a teacher and administrator; and

WHEREAS, Secretary White became a political protege of long-time Cook County Board President and 42nd Ward Democratic Committeeman George Dunne; he was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1974 and served for 16 years; he was elected Cook County Recorder of Deeds in 1992, and re-elected in 1996; in recent years, he has also served as Democratic Committeeman of Chicago's 27th Ward; and

WHEREAS, Secretary White was first elected Secretary of State of Illinois in 1998, and was re-elected in 2002, 2006, and 2010; he has been an advocate on traffic issues, including teen driver safety, DUI legislation, and truck highway safety; he has improved customer service in the Secretary of State's office and embraced technology to better serve the public; and

WHEREAS, Secretary White continues to serve as an advocate for organ and tissue donation; he initiated legislation creating the First Person Consent Organ/Tissue Donor Registry, which makes a person's decision to donate legally binding; since 2006, more than 5,000,000 people have signed-up for the registry; and

WHEREAS, In May 1995, Secretary White was inducted into the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame; he was inducted into the Chicago Public League Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in June 1995, and in 1999, he was inducted into the Alabama State University Sports Hall of Fame; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Secretary of State Jesse White on his 80th birthday, and wish him many more wonderful years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Secretary White as an expression of our esteem and respect.