HR1327 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1327 LRB098 23202 MST 62209 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former United States Representative Philip M. "Phil" Crane, who passed away at the home of his daughter, Rebekah, on November 8, 2014; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Phil Crane was born in Chicago on November 3, 1930; he graduated from Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan in 1952; he served the cause of freedom in the United States Army from 1954 until 1956 and earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1963; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Phil Crane taught history at Bradley University; while there, he gained national recognition in politics as a charismatic and popular public speaker on behalf of the Barry Goldwater presidential campaign in 1964; those efforts, combined with the release of his 1964 book, "The Democrat's Dilemma", elevated him as a leading national figure in the fledgling conservative movement and the Republican party; and

WHEREAS, In 1969, then-Congressman Donald Rumsfeld was appointed by President Richard M. Nixon to head his administration's Office of Economic Opportunity, leaving a vacancy in Congress; Rep. Phil Crane ran for, and won, the vacated seat, taking up his duties on November 25, 1969; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Phil Crane continued to represent Illinois in Congress from 1969 until January 2005, a period of time that spanned 4 redistricting cycles as his district moved northwestward within the suburban Chicago area; during his time in Congress, he was well known for his strong belief in and adherence to Constitutional government and conservative principles; and

WHEREAS, With America in crisis, the hostages trapped in Iran, the then-powerful Soviet Union on the march worldwide, and with concern that Ronald Reagan would not run for President in 1980, Rep. Phil Crane threw his hat in the ring in 1978 for the Republican nomination for President of the United States; and

WHEREAS, As Republicans were commencing the process of choosing Ronald Reagan as their standard-bearer as the 1980 presidential nominee, Rep. Phil Crane endorsed his fellow Illinois native and flung himself into the task of moving America forward, mobilizing political support for President Reagan's election and standing up for enactment of the new administration's policy goals, particularly in the field of tax policy and tax cuts as a leading member of the House Ways and Means Committee; and

WHEREAS, As a key congressional lieutenant for the Reagan Administration, as a member of the United States House of Representatives for more than 35 years, and as a true believer in the intersection of electoral politics with political principles, Rep. Phil Crane founded, co-founded, or took a substantial role in the founding of the Republican Study Committee, the Heritage Foundation, and the American Conservative Union, groups that serve to this day as extremely relevant and effective organizations in the development of American policymaking; and

WHEREAS, During this time, Rep. Phil Crane never relinquished his devotion to conservative principles, his belief in peace through strength, the maintenance of America's traditional values, and his commitment to free enterprise; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Phil Crane never lost his conviction that one of America's greatest strengths was the American family; he lived this conviction through the love and affection he exhibited toward his late wife, Arlene, and their 8 children, Catherine, Susanna, Rebekah, Jennifer, Sarah, George, Carrie, and the late Rachel; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of former United States Congressman Philip M. "Phil" Crane; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we acknowledge Rep. Phil Crane's more than 35 years of public service as an Illinois representative to the United States House of Representatives, his lifelong love of the discipline of history, his commitment to Constitutional principles, and his love of the traditions and values that have made America the shining light of the world; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Rep. Phil Crane's 7 surviving children, Rebekah Crane, Susanna Crane, Sarah Crane, Catherine Hott, Jennifer Oliver, Carrie Crane, and George Crane.