Full Text of HR0644 102nd General Assembly
HR0644 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Dr. John | 4 | | Walter Smith Jr., who passed away on January 8, 2022; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Smith was born in Chicago to John Walter Sr. | 6 | | and Theresa Smith on July 19, 1937; he attended A.O. Sexton | 7 | | Elementary School and Dunbar Vocational School, where he | 8 | | excelled in athletics and academics; in 1954, he enlisted in | 9 | | the U.S. Air Force and earned a medal for good conduct in 1957; | 10 | | after his honorable discharge, he attended Chicago Teachers' | 11 | | College (Chicago State University) and then Northern Illinois | 12 | | University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical | 13 | | Education; he was a standout on the Huskie football team and | 14 | | was named College Academic All-American for the 1962 season; | 15 | | and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Smith began a 40-year career in education | 17 | | with Chicago Public Schools in 1963, when he accepted a | 18 | | position as a physical education teacher at Harlan High | 19 | | School, where he also served as an assistant football coach; | 20 | | he earned a master's degree in Education from Indiana | 21 | | University and a doctorate in Philosophy of Education | 22 | | Administration from the University of Illinois Chicago; his | 23 | | CPS career included establishing and building football |
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| 1 | | programs at Kenwood and Percy L. Julian High School, serving | 2 | | as athletic director and physical education chair, and | 3 | | becoming an administrator with the Department of Sports | 4 | | Administration and principal of Adam Clayton Powell Elementary | 5 | | School; he retired from the Chicago Public Schools as the | 6 | | executive director of the Department of Sports Administration | 7 | | and Facilities Management in 2003; after retirement, he | 8 | | continued to consult with public school districts on creating | 9 | | and managing athletic programs and was instrumental in | 10 | | assisting the Philadelphia Public School District pattern | 11 | | their athletic program after the Chicago model; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Smith coached football and track and field at | 13 | | Harlan High School starting in 1963 but also established | 14 | | programs in these sports at the newly opened Kenwood High | 15 | | School; in 1975, he began a program at Percy L. Julian High | 16 | | School, and after two years, it was promoted to the "Red" top | 17 | | division in the Chicago Public League and became a Public | 18 | | League dynasty for the next 12 years; they won a Blue-Green | 19 | | championship and seven Public League championships in that | 20 | | span of time, including two Prep Bowl championships versus the | 21 | | Chicago Catholic League; the 1979 Prep Bowl triumph over | 22 | | Joliet Catholic High School was a landmark victory and only | 23 | | the second Public League victory in 20 years; the victorious | 24 | | 1989 Prep Bowl team set the record for the most points in a | 25 | | game; the Orange and Brown produced a significant number of |
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| 1 | | all-Public League selections, all-state honorees, major | 2 | | college players, and seven individual NFL alumni; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, Upon retiring as a teacher and coach, Dr. Smith | 4 | | assumed the position as the football coordinator for the | 5 | | Chicago Public Schools Department of Sports Administration; he | 6 | | later became the executive director of and ushered in sweeping | 7 | | changes to the interscholastic programs; during his tenure as | 8 | | executive director, he doubled the number of paid coaches | 9 | | available per sport, helped institute a no pass-no play policy | 10 | | for athletic eligibility, clarified and enforced student | 11 | | transfer rules, and realigned sports conferences with equity | 12 | | according to competitive levels; he also re-instituted the | 13 | | indoor track and field program, established freshmen levels of | 14 | | competition, and implemented summer sports camps; lacrosse, | 15 | | 16-inch softball, golf, water polo, and elementary double | 16 | | dutch were also added to the program of sports offerings; he is | 17 | | credited with organizing and implementing the first structured | 18 | | sports program for elementary schools, which covered 14 sports | 19 | | including tackle football; the eight years of his progressive | 20 | | and ingenious leadership at Chicago Schools Sports resulted in | 21 | | increased student participation in athletics and laid the | 22 | | foundation for more competitive programs; his leadership | 23 | | included ensuring the welfare of all stakeholders, from | 24 | | student-athletes to the community at large; his vision of fun, | 25 | | safe, and engaged sport competitions led him to initiate the |
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| 1 | | "Orange Jackets" CPS Sports Security; and | 2 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Smith was awarded the Chicago Public League | 3 | | Coach of the Year five times, Operation PUSH Coach of the Year, | 4 | | Coca-Cola Man of the Year, and a National Football Foundation | 5 | | and a Hall of Fame Distinguished American Award; he was | 6 | | inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches | 7 | | Association Hall of Fame; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Smith married the love of his life, Deborah | 9 | | Carter, in 2002, and they enjoyed world-wide travels and | 10 | | adventure; as a father and scholar, he imparted the importance | 11 | | of education not only to his children but as a father-figure to | 12 | | a host of students, as well; and | 13 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Smith was a proud lifetime member of Kappa | 14 | | Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. Chicago Alumni Chapter, serving as | 15 | | the Polemarch from 1991 to 1992; he was also a member of the | 16 | | National Alliance of Black Public School Administrators, | 17 | | Operation PUSH, the Chicago Urban League, and the Chicago | 18 | | Principals and Administrators Association; he was an avid | 19 | | scuba diver and skier and a member of the Chicago Sno-Gophers | 20 | | Ski Club; later in life, he was active in the Slow Breakers; | 21 | | and
| 22 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Smith is survived by his wife of 18 years, |
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| 1 | | Deborah; his children, Ginger Bryant, Sheila Morris, Thomas | 2 | | (Andria) Smith, and Kelli (Curtis) Smith-Cureton; his | 3 | | stepchildren, Brandy (George) McCoy, Mandy Newman, and ONeal | 4 | | Carter; his grandchildren, Timothy Bryant Jr., Tinger Bryant, | 5 | | Kimberly Porter, Staci Morris, and Ariana Smith; his | 6 | | great-grandchildren, Kadon Martin and Iverson Bryant; his | 7 | | siblings, Carol Edwards, Michael (Zella) Smith, and Robin | 8 | | Smith; his nieces and nephews, Deseray (Nathan) Moore, Derick | 9 | | Johnson, Leonard Edwards, Eron Smith, Brandon (Meah) Smith, | 10 | | and Danielle Smith (Wesley Pepper); and an extended family of | 11 | | players and coaches, numerous dear friends, appreciative | 12 | | students, and respected colleagues; therefore, be it
| 13 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 14 | | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 15 | | we mourn the passing of Dr. John Walter Smith Jr. and extend | 16 | | our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who | 17 | | knew and loved him; and be it further
| 18 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 19 | | presented to the family of Dr. Smith as an expression of our | 20 | | deepest sympathy.
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