HR0032 LRB095 06799 KXB 26915 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to honor Thomas A. Oakley on being
4 named to the Quincy Chamber of Commerce "Business Hall of
5 Fame"; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Thomas A. Oakley is President and CEO of Quincy
7 Newspapers Inc. (QNI); Quincy Newspapers Inc. (QNI) is the
8 publisher of The Quincy Herald-Whig and also owns and operates
9 the Quincy Broadcasting Company, which includes WGEM-AM-FM and
10 TV, and many additional television stations across the midwest;
11 and
 
12     WHEREAS, He began his newspaper career as a newspaper
13 carrier, and worked during summer vacations while in high
14 school and college at The Quincy Herald-Whig and WGEM; after
15 graduation from Duke University in 1954, he returned to QNI
16 full-time prior to being called to active duty in the United
17 States Air Force; following flight training, he served as a
18 pilot in the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Upon returning from the Air Force, he spent a year
20 in management training, and was named Production Manager of The
21 Quincy Herald-Whig in late 1958; he became Business Manager in
22 1962, was named General Manager and Executive Vice President of

 

 

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1 Quincy Newspapers and President of Quincy Broadcasting Company
2 in 1969; and he was made publisher of The Quincy Herald-Whig
3 and President and CEO of Quincy Newspapers Inc. in 1971; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Mr. Oakley presently serves with industry groups
5 in both the broadcasting and newspaper businesses and has a
6 long history in leadership roles with such groups; and
 
7     WHEREAS, He has been involved in economic, industrial, and
8 highway development organizations in communities that QNI
9 companies serve; he was a co-founder of the Joint Industrial
10 Development Commission (JDIC) of Adams County; he is Chairman
11 of the Quincy Highway Committee, and has worked for over 40
12 years to secure better highways for Western Illinois and
13 Northeast Missouri; this work includes the Central Illinois
14 Expressway and Illinois 336; and
 
15     WHEREAS, He currently serves on the Transportation Task
16 Force of the Tri-State Economic Summit; he was a member of the
17 Board of Trustees of Quincy College for 14 years and served as
18 Vice Chairman of the Board; he served as Director of the Quincy
19 Chamber of Commerce, and as Chairman of the Chamber Area
20 Development Committee, and the Chamber Highway Committee; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Mr. Oakley has served on many boards with strong
22 involvement in fund-raising for a number of community groups;

 

 

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1 he served as Chairman of the United Fund Industrial Division,
2 and Chairman of the entire campaign in 1968; he was Chairman of
3 the successful Quincy College Partnership Fund Campaign in
4 1974, and Vice Chairman of Advance Gifts for the $7.5 million
5 Blessing Hospital Drive; he served as Vice Chairman of the YMCA
6 Building Drive, and has worked on fund raising for the American
7 Red Cross, Girl Scouts of America, St. Mary's Hospital, and
8 others; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Thomas A. Oakley has been recognized with several
10 awards during his career, including the Quincy Jaycees'
11 Distinguished Service Award, and the Executive of the Year by
12 the Quinsippi Chapter of the National Secretaries Association;
13 he was elected as a Trustee and Regent of the Lincoln Academy
14 of Illinois; he was the first recipient of the Distinguished
15 Citizen Award by the Saukee Area Council of the Boy Scouts of
16 America; he received the Parker S. Gates Award for "outstanding
17 leadership in business, community service, and high ethical
18 standards"; he was a recipient of Quincy College's First Annual
19 Christian Borstadt Award, the Ike Grainger Award from the
20 United States Golf Association for over 25 years of service,
21 the Vincent Wasilewski Award From the Illinois Broadcasters
22 Association for a lifetime of Excellence in Broadcasting, and
23 the Distinguished Service Award from the Greater Rockford
24 Airport Board of Commissioner; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, In addition to membership and leadership roles in
2 numerous trade and business organizations, he is a member of
3 the Rotary Club of Quincy, the Quincy Gun Club, the Quincy
4 College Mart Heinen Club, and the Quincy Country Club; Mr.
5 Oakley has served on the United States Golf Association's Green
6 Section Committee for over 25 years, and is also a member of
7 the American Senior Golf Association and the International
8 Seniors Golf Society; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Mr. Oakley is an avid golfer; he enjoys boating,
10 hunting, fishing, and skeet shooting; and
 
11     WHEREAS, He is the loving husband of Anne (McDonald) and
12 the proud father of three children, the late Thomas C.; Ralph,
13 and Mary; he also has five lovely grandchildren; therefore, be
14 it
 
15     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
17 congratulate Thomas A. Oakley on being named to the Quincy
18 Chamber of Commerce "Business Hall of Fame"; and be it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20 presented to Thomas A. Oakley as a sign of our respect.