SR0284 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0284 LRB098 11925 MST 45276 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Moses Wilkins Harrison II of Caseyville, who passed away on April 25, 2013; and

WHEREAS, Justice Harrison was born on March 30, 1932, in Collinsville to Dr. Clarence and Loretta (nee O'Hara) Harrison; he graduated from Colorado College in 1954 and from Washington University School of Law in 1958; he married Sharon Phillips on December 30, 1961, in Collinsville; and

WHEREAS, Justice Harrison practiced law for a period of 15 years in East Saint Louis and then later Collinsville; in 1973, while a senior partner at the law firm of Harrison, Rarick, and Cadagin, he was appointed circuit judge by the Illinois Supreme Court, and was elected to that position in 1974; he served 2 terms as chief judge of the Third Judicial Circuit in Edwardsville during his 6 years on the circuit courts; and

WHEREAS, In 1979, Justice Harrison was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to the Appellate Court, Fifth District, in Mount Vernon; he served 2 terms as chief judge of the Fifth District, Appellate Court; he also served one term as chairman of the Illinois Appellate Court and on numerous Supreme Court committees; and

WHEREAS, Justice Harrison was elected to the Illinois Supreme Court in 1992; he was selected to serve as chief justice for a 3-year term beginning in January 2000; he retired from judicial service in September 2002; and

WHEREAS, During his tenure on the Illinois Supreme Court, Justice Harrison was most known and honored for demonstrating a commitment to justice and human welfare, writing-either for the majority or dissent-to defend the poor, the weak, the young, and the elderly against corporate or government policies which went against their interest; and

WHEREAS, Justice Harrison was an intense advocate that lawyers volunteer time and service to represent the poor; last year Illinois attorneys reported giving more than 2.1 million hours in free legal services and contributing an additional $16 million to organizations that provide pro bono service; he was also an advocate of educating citizens about the courts and was the guiding force behind the establishment by the court and Illinois Judges Association of the Illinois Judicial Speakers Bureau; and

WHEREAS, Justice Harrison belonged to numerous legal organizations including the American Bar Association, the Metropolitan Bar Association of Saint Louis, the Tri-City Bar Association, the Madison County Bar Association, the Justinian Society of Lawyers (the Italian-American Bar Association), and the Illinois Judges Association; he served as president of the Madison County Bar Association and was a member of the board of governors of the Illinois Bar Association; and

WHEREAS, Justice Harrison was the recipient of the Justinian Society of Lawyers Award of Excellence and later, the Moses W. Harrison Award, was created in his honor to be given by the Justinian Society of Lawyers to an outstanding lawyer each year; he was also awarded the Illinois Bar Association Access to Justice Award in 2001, the Washington University School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award, the David Lee Hoskins Jr. Humanitarian Award, and the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Humanitarian Award; and

WHEREAS, Justice Harrison was a former warden of Christ Episcopal Church in Collinsville and a member of the vestry; he was a member of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in O'Fallon and served as vice-president and board member of the First Bank of Maryville; he was a board member and secretary of the Maryville Colonial Nursing Home Inc., a member of the board of the Collinsville Lions Club, and a life member of the NAACP; and

WHEREAS, Justice Harrison was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Luke W. Harrison; and

WHEREAS, Justice Harrison is survived by his wife; his son, Clarence and his wife, Carol, and their daughters, Lauren and Rachel; and his grandchildren, Sarah and Jacob, and their mother, Mary Harrison; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Justice Moses Harrison II, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Justice Moses Harrison II as an expression of our deepest sympathy.