Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR1082
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Full Text of HR1082  99th General Assembly

HR1082 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY


  

 


 
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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former
4First Lady, Anne Frances "Nancy" Reagan, who passed away on
5March 6, 2016 at the age of 94; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Nancy Reagan was born in New York, New York on
7July 6, 1921; she lived with her aunt and uncle in Bethesda,
8Maryland for a short while, eventually moving to Chicago to
9live with her mother and adoptive father; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Nancy Reagan attended the Girls Latin School in
11Chicago from 1929 to 1939; she attended Smith College in
12Northampton, Massachusetts from 1939 to 1943, where she earned
13a bachelor's degree in dramatic arts; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Following graduation, Nancy Reagan returned to
15Chicago and held jobs as a sales clerk in Marshall Field's
16department store and as a nurse's aide; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Nancy Reagan began her acting career when she was
18cast in a non-speaking role in the TV series, "Ramshackle Inn";
19after another minor role in the musical, "Lute Song", she
20landed a contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer for parts in 11
21feature films, including "The Doctor and the Girl", her first

 

 

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1film; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Nancy Reagan married Ronald Reagan, a native of
3Tampico, and then President of the Screen Actors Guild on March
44, 1952; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Nancy Reagan and Ronald had two children, Patricia
6Ann Reagan and Ronald Prescott Reagan; after her marriage, she
7continued her acting career in three more films; and
 
8    WHEREAS, After Ronald Reagan was elected Governor of
9California in 1967, Nancy Reagan began working on numerous
10causes, including lobbying and fundraising efforts on behalf of
11Vietnam War servicemen who were Prisoners of War or Missing in
12Action; she also looked after the welfare of returned and
13wounded Vietnam War veterans; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Nancy Reagan donated her salary to the National
15League of Families of American POW-MIA; she regularly visited
16state institutions that cared for physically and emotionally
17handicapped children and for the elderly, where she first made
18contact with the therapy-based "Foster Grandparent Program",
19which she went on to promote throughout California and the
20nation; she also authored her own syndicated column; and
 
21    WHEREAS, In 1980 and 1984, Nancy Reagan made appearances

 

 

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1and speeches on behalf of her husband's presidential candidacy,
2reflecting the increased role of candidates' spouses; and
 
3    WHEREAS, As First Lady, Nancy Reagan focused on updating
4the White House floors, doors, and other areas that needed
5attention such as a new china set in an effort to formalize
6entertaining; after completing these projects, she focused her
7efforts on social issues such as the Foster Grandparents
8Program and drug education and prevention programs; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Nancy Reagan traveled nearly 250,000 miles
10throughout the United States and around the world to visit
11various prevention programs and rehabilitation centers and to
12meet with individuals and make television appearances; she
13recorded public service announcements and authored guest
14articles; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Those trips lead to the creation of her "Just Say
16No" drug prevention campaign; she invited the wives of other
17world leaders to attend a White House conference on drug use
18education in April of 1985; these events lead to the October
1927, 1986 signing of the "National Crusade for a Drug Free
20America Act" by her husband; and
 
21    WHEREAS, In 1988, Nancy Reagan became the first First Lady
22to address the United Nations General Assembly speaking about

 

 

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1drug interdiction and trafficking laws; her most important role
2as First Lady was as her husband's personal protector after the
3assassination attempt on March 30, 1981; she began reviewing
4his personal schedule in an effort to diminish any potential
5dangers; and
 
6    WHEREAS, After her time as First Lady, Nancy Reagan
7established the Nancy Reagan Foundation to support
8after-school drug prevention programs; she retired with her
9husband in Bel-Air, California; and
 
10    WHEREAS, After President Reagan was diagnosed with
11Alzheimer's Disease in 1994, the couple lent their support to
12the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute in Chicago; and
 
13    WHEREAS, After President Reagan's passing in June of 2004,
14Nancy Reagan shifted her social efforts to supporting stem cell
15research in a scientific effort to provide hope for patients of
16Alzheimer's and other illnesses; and
 
17    WHEREAS, With continuing attention to her husband's
18legacy, Nancy Reagan was awarded many prestigious honors, such
19as the Order of the White Eagle from the government of Poland,
20an honorary degree from her husband's alma mater, Eureka
21College, and was present at the 2009 signing of the Ronald
22Reagan Centennial Commission Act; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Nancy Reagan is survived by her two children,
2Patricia and Ron; her stepson, Michael; and three
3grandchildren; therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
6mourn the passing of Nancy Reagan and extend our sincere
7condolences to her family, friends, and all who loved and knew
8her; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10presented to the family of Nancy Reagan as an expression of our
11deepest sympathy.