SR0330 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0330 LRB103 32657 LAW 62358 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Robert L. Anderson Sr., who passed away on January 24, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Robert Anderson was born to Talmitch and Virginia Anderson in Greenwood, Mississippi on January 26, 1940; he and his family moved to Chicago in 1946; he attended Douglass Elementary School and Dunbar Vocational High School; he earned his bachelor's degree in education from Chicago State University; and

WHEREAS, Robert Anderson became a teacher at Harrison Technical High School in the South Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago, where he met Johnnie Mae, and they married on August 21, 1965; and

WHEREAS, Robert Anderson earned his law degree from Kent College of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1973; he became an attorney with the State's Employment Security Department; and

WHEREAS, Robert Anderson was appointed as a member of the late Mayor Harold Washington's sub-cabinet in 1985, being named as deputy mayor and serving as a confidential advisor and attorney to Mayor Washington; during his tenure, he worked with various city agencies and departments to better the quality of life for all Chicagoans and was directly responsible for a number of important projects, including the O'Hare Development Project, the construction of a direct L train connection to O'Hare International Airport, the Southwest Transit Project, and capital improvement programs to repair aging streets and sewers throughout the City of Chicago; he also helped design the Chicago "remap" and assisted in a case that led Mayor Washington to gain control over the Chicago City Council; his work helped pave the way for Blacks to be appointed to both the Chicago City Council and the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners; and

WHEREAS, Robert Anderson then cofounded the Chicago-based law firm Krohn, Jenkins & Anderson; he served as a legal advisor to Bryn Mawr West Community Council, the Task Force for Black Political Empowerment, and the Jackie Robinson West Little League; and

WHEREAS, Robert Anderson served as an executive staff member of the Chicago Urban League, where he helped shape policy and implement programs; his skills as an educator were utilized to direct Job Corps training programs; he was also known for lending a hand to help various community members in finding jobs and other resources; and

WHEREAS, Robert Anderson was instrumental in the development of the Chicago Public Library's Harold Washington Archives and Collections by creating the Mayoral Records Infrastructure Sub-Cabinet Series; and

WHEREAS, Robert Anderson committed to his faith at a young age; as a teenager, he joined Second Mount Vernon M.B. Church, where he served the church community as resident attorney later in life; and

WHEREAS, In his retirement years, Robert Anderson enjoyed caring for his six grandsons and attending their various events and celebrating their achievements; and

WHEREAS, Robert Anderson, affectionately known as "The People's Attorney", stood strong in service to his faith, family, people, and community throughout his life as a son, a husband, a father, a servant, an intellectual, and an activist; he will be remembered for leaving a legacy of love, kindness, grace, integrity, faith, family, and strength; and

WHEREAS, Robert Anderson was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Horace C., John Edward Sr., Frank, and Gus; and his sister, Patricia Ann Williams; and

WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Robert Anderson was survived by his wife, Johnnie Mae Anderson; his sons, Ivan Clisby and Robert L. (Patrice) Anderson Jr.; his daughters, Gail Clisby and Alison Anderson Wright; his brother, Talmitch Anderson; his sister, Theresia Jackson; his grandsons, Jordan Jeffery Washington, Robert Malik Anderson, Ethan Jeremiah Anderson, Zachary Langston Anderson, Wynton Terrence Wright, and Myles Joshua Wright; and a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, family, and friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Robert L. Anderson Sr. 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 Robert Anderson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.