SR0818 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0818 LRB103 39774 LAW 70294 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to congratulate Victory Bell of Rockford on the occasion of his 90th birthday; and

WHEREAS, Victory Bell, the son of Bea Bell and Gladys Thompson, was born in Durant, Mississippi on March 7, 1934; he and his family moved to Rockford, Illinois in 1945, where he attended Montague Elementary School and graduated from West High School in 1953; he married his wife, Carol, on November 21, 1981, and they had six children, Jeffery, Gregory, Victor, Michelle, Roger, and Bradley; and

WHEREAS, Soon after graduating high school, Victory Bell began working at the Illinois Bell Telephone Company, starting as a janitor before being promoted to supply clerk in 1964 and material supply in 1966; he then became an installer with the Installation Department, and he was soon promoted to plant dispatcher in 1969 and then manager of installations in 1970; he concluded his career after 33 years of service, retiring in 1987; he later served as a manager at the Illinois Secretary of State Facility in Rockford; and

WHEREAS, Victory Bell began his long political career as a precinct committeeman in 1962, and he was active on the Winnebago County Political Action Committee; he was elected to serve as alderman of the 5th Ward on the Rockford City Council in 1971, becoming the first African American to be elected alderman in Rockford; he served in that position for 38 years, and he was noted as one of the longest-serving alderpersons in the State; and

WHEREAS, During his tenure on the Rockford City Council, Victory Bell provided a strong voice for minority rights while preserving his calm and dignified demeanor, and he was credited with elevating minority ranks in Rockford's police, fire, and public works departments and within State boards and commissions; he was instrumental in promoting county board members, and he assisted Mayor Bob McGaw with his succeessful election in 1970; he was also integral in the completion of Central Avenue from Ogilby Road to Preston Street, linking southwest to northwest Rockford, in the 1980s; and

WHEREAS, Victory Bell was featured as one of the Rockford Register Star's 100 People of the Century in 1999; and

WHEREAS, Victory Bell is a member of the NAACP; and

WHEREAS, Victory Bell will celebrate his 90th birthday on March 7, 2024; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Victory Bell on celebrating his 90th birthday, thank him for his service and dedication to the citizens of Rockford and the State, and wish him many more happy and healthy years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Victory Bell as an expression of our esteem and respect.