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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of James C.
4Craven of Bellingham, Washington, who passed away on January
512, 2015; and
 
6    WHEREAS, James Craven was born in Greenfield, Tennessee on
7August 7, 1925 to Arlie and Addie Craven; his family moved to
8Chicago in the 1930s; he graduated from Lakeview High School,
9the University of Illinois, and the University of Illinois Law
10School; he served in the United States Army during World War
11II; he married Gloria Pheney in November of 1950; and
 
12    WHEREAS, James Craven, along with his wife, started a law
13practice in Springfield; he practiced law in Springfield until
141964, when he was elected to the Fourth District Appellate
15Court; he served until 1981, when he resigned from the court
16and resumed his law practice in Springfield; he began the
17practice of offering legal help to students in the Public
18Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois at
19Springfield and to reporters and editors through the Illinois
20Press Association and Illinois Broadcasters' Association,
21which continue to this day; and
 
22    WHEREAS, James Craven also involved himself in many other

 

 

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1cases and legislative matters involving First Amendment
2issues; in the early 1990s, the Press Association honored him
3with the creation and presentation of the James C. Craven First
4Amendment Award; the highlight of his legal work began in 1985,
5with the filing of the first of many cases he filed on behalf
6of the African American and Hispanic communities in Illinois
7and California under the federal Voting Rights Act; these
8lawsuits resulted in changes in the form of municipal and
9special district governments in Springfield, Danville, Peoria
10and Chicago Heights, which are designed to provide minority
11voters with the opportunity to elect representatives of their
12choice; and
 
13    WHEREAS, James Craven is survived by his wife, Gloria; his
144 children, William (Terri Tork), Nancy (Jim Claypool), Don
15(Denise), and Rebecca (Scott Linneman); and his 6
16grandchildren, Joseph and David Craven, Anna and Meg Claypool,
17and Charlie and Dory Linneman; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
20mourn the passing of James C. Craven, and extend our sincere
21condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
22him; and be it further
 
23    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

 

 

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1presented to the family of James Craven as an expression of our
2deepest sympathy.