SR1413 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1413 LRB098 22318 MST 61238 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Jesse D. Madison of Chicago, who passed away on August 8, 2014; and

WHEREAS, Jesse Madison was born on January 1, 1939 in Memphis, Tennessee; he graduated from Manassas High School in 1956 and moved to Chicago where he attended Wilson Junior College and Roosevelt University; he received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a major in Accounting, in 1969; and

WHEREAS, Jesse Madison had a career in accounting and management which spanned 15 years; he was serving as Deputy Director of the Chicago Economic Development Corporation when he launched a career in politics when he was elected to the Illinois General Assembly as a State Representative in 1974; he served 2 terms in the State legislature, and received the 1976 "Best Legislator" Award from the Independent Voters of Illinois; he returned to his management career in 1978, first as Executive Director of United Christian Community Services, and then as Vice-President of Finance and Administration for the Chicago Urban League; and

WHEREAS, Jesse Madison was appointed by Chicago Mayor Harold Washington as his first Commissioner of Consumer Services for the City of Chicago; 3 years later, Mayor Washington tapped him as the first African-American ever appointed to the position of General Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Park District; he was successful in guiding the Chicago Park District through a massive reorganization designed to professionalize a department long mired in patronage abuse, service neglect, and political corruption; he served as the Park District's Chief Executive Officer until May of 1990; and

WHEREAS, Jesse Madison was a Board Member of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board since 2004; previously, he was a Special Assistant to State Senator Emil Jones, Jr., then-President of the Illinois Senate; before that he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Abraham Lincoln Centre, a multi-faceted social service organization that operated primarily on the south side of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Jesse Madison's community activities spanned over 40 years, and included memberships in the Executive Club of Chicago, the Black Executive Directors' Coalition, the Illinois Child Welfare Advisory Council, and City Club of Chicago; he also served as a commissioner and Chairman of the Board of the Illinois African-American Family Commission for over 10 years; and

WHEREAS, Jesse Madison was preceded in death by his parents, Rev. and Mrs. Walter Madison, Sr., and 2 brothers, Earnest and Walter, Jr.; and

WHEREAS, Jesse Madison is survived by his wife of 54 years, Frances; 2 daughters, Shanlynn Broaders (Woodrow) and Tracey Sanders (Darren); 2 granddaughters, Brittany Broaders and Bria Broaders; one grandson, Jalen Sanders; and his siblings, Eugene Madison (Ethel), Elsie Newton, and Edna Wiggins (Barry); therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Jesse D. Madison, 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 Jesse Madison as an expression of our deepest sympathy.