HR1020 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1020 LRB098 20927 GRL 58574 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to honor the life and accomplishments of Bishop Louis Henry Ford; and

WHEREAS, Louis Ford was born on May 23, 1914 in Clarksdale, Mississippi; he married Margaret Little in December of 1934; they had 2 children, Charles and Janet; and

WHEREAS, Louis Ford founded St. Paul Church Of God in Christ in May of 1935; in the fall of 1941, he purchased Clarke House, Chicago's oldest house, on 4526 South Wabash, which served as St. Paul's church until 1945, when a new structure was built and dedicated at 4528 South Wabash; and

WHEREAS, Starting in 1935, the work of St. Paul's Church Of God in Christ Community Service Outreach Ministries, ably led by Louis Ford, was intensified; its members led the fight to increase minority presence on police and fire departments, improve housing, and create other employment opportunities; in 1955, he served as a spiritual advisor to Mamie Till Moseley, the mother of Emmett Till, and delivered the eulogy "Vengeance Is Mine" at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ; in 1966, he organized buses for members and community residents to attend the civil rights rally at Soldier Field where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke; and

WHEREAS, From 1977 to 1979, Louis Ford served as a board member of the Cook County Jail Department of Corrections; as a board member, he was a strong proponent of job training programs for inmates and a vocal supporter of Director Winston Moore; and

WHEREAS, From 1990 to 1995, Louis Ford served as Presiding Bishop of Church of God in Christ, Inc.; during this time, he was also named annually one of Ebony Magazine's 100 most influential African-Americans; in 1992, he invited then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton to address the COGIC Spring Meeting and Convocation in Memphis, Tennessee; in December of 1994, he was invited to stay overnight in the Lincoln Room of the White House as a guest of President and Mrs. Clinton; and

WHEREAS, Louis Ford passed away on March 31, 1995; in July of 1996, the Calumet Expressway on Interstate 94 was renamed in honor of him for his work in his community and society at large; and

WHEREAS, Louis Ford served as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor the life and accomplishments of Bishop Louis Henry Ford; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Louis Ford as a symbol of our esteem and respect.