HR1152 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1152 LRB099 21366 MST 47231 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to recognize the contributions of James Gray as President of the Alton branch of the NAACP for the past 24 years; and

WHEREAS, James Gray dedicated his life to improving the lives of Alton's African-American community and the community at-large; he has served as the President of the Alton branch of the NAACP since 1992; and

WHEREAS, James Gray broke many barriers during his lifetime; in 1966, he was the first African-American hired in the Light Oil Division of Amoco Oil Company; three years later he became the first African-American to be elected Union Representative in Amoco's history; in 1971, he became the first African-American to be elected Union President at a major oil refinery in the United States; and

WHEREAS, James Gray has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the "Yes I Can Award" for Amoco from the St. Louis Urban League; for three years in a row, he was recognized by the St. Louis American Newspaper for Blacks for making an impact in industry; and

WHEREAS, James Gray was instrumental in getting the City of Alton to make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a city holiday; and

WHEREAS, James Gray worked with the Madison County Public Defender to bring African-American representation by hiring attorneys Luther Simmons and Scott Turner; he worked with the Alton School District and Scott Air Force Base to establish a Junior ROTC Program at Alton High School; and

WHEREAS, James Gray has expanded the NAACP's programs to help underprivileged children in the community; these programs include: giving away 1,000 backpacks full of school supplies every year at the Annual Back to School/Stay in School event, granting scholarships to students to maintain a C-average, taking children on a field trip to visit the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, and helping children buy Christmas presents for their families; and

WHEREAS, James Gray's dedication to the NAACP for the past 24 years has been unwavering; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the contributions of James Gray as President of the Alton branch of the NAACP; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to James Gray as a symbol of our respect and esteem.