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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives were saddened to learn of the death of former
4State Representative Harold A. Katz, who passed away on
5December 6, 2012; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Mr. Katz was born on November 2, 1921, in
7Shelbyville, Tennessee; his parents were Maurice W. and
8Gertrude Evelyn Cohen Katz; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Mr. Katz attended Vanderbilt University, where he
10wrote for the school newspaper, was an early supporter of
11integration and civil rights, was a collegiate chess champion,
12and earned his bachelor of arts degree in economics in 1943;
13during World War II, he worked for the War Labor Board and the
14National Labor Relations Board; he subsequently attended the
15University of Chicago, where he received his juris doctor in
161948 and his master of arts degree in labor economics in 1958;
17and
 
18    WHEREAS, As a renowned labor attorney, Mr. Katz fought for
19and represented the rights of working men and women for more
20than 50 years; along with Irving Friedman, whom Harold met when
21they were on opposing sides of a labor relations case, he
22founded the law firm of Katz and Friedman in the 1950s; the

 

 

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1firm has grown over the years, representing labor unions, their
2members, and the injured, and is now known as Katz, Friedman,
3Eagle, Eisenstein, Johnson, and Bareck; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Mr. Katz filled his career with many honors and
5achievements, including authoring 2 major law books and a
6number of articles published in professional journals; he
7served in all 3 branches of government, as a member of the
8Illinois House of Representatives, as a legal counsel on
9legislation to Governor Otto Kerner, and as master-in-chancery
10at the trial court level in Cook County; he received the
11Laureate Award from the Illinois State Bar Association in 2001;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, Mr. Katz served for 18 years in the Illinois House
14of Representatives, beginning as an at-large member during the
1574th General Assembly in 1965; he later represented Chicago's
16northern suburbs in the 1st District from 1967 until his
17retirement from the House in 1983; during his tenure as a
18legislator, he was known for his hard work, independence, and
19integrity, and he fought to pass budget reforms and new laws
20requiring accessibility for disabled persons; as an active
21member of the Judiciary Committee, he was a leader in updating
22the State's criminal laws; he also helped to create and chair
23the Commission on the Organization of the General Assembly,
24which streamlined and modernized the legislature; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Mr. Katz was preceded in death by his loving wife
2of 65 years, Ethel Mae; he is survived by their children, Alan
3(Pauline Bassett), B.J. (Derek Nadeau), Julia, and Joel (Laura
4Thorp), and their grandchildren, Ethan, Elena (Wesley) Legg,
5Daniel, Julianna, and Jeremy; therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
7NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
8we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of
9Harold A. Katz; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
11presented to the family of Harold A. Katz as a symbol of our
12deepest sympathies and great esteem.