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92_HR0113
HRS92HRXXXXGDlr
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives wish to express their sincere condolences to
4 the family and friends of former Governor William G.
5 Stratton, who passed away on March 2, 2001; and
6 WHEREAS, William G. Stratton was the youngest person to
7 hold the office of Governor in the twentieth century; he was
8 38 years old when he was elected to the position in 1952; and
9 WHEREAS, Mr. Stratton was born in Ingelside on February
10 26, 1914; his parents were William Joseph Stratton and Zula
11 Van Wormer Stratton; he graduated from the University of
12 Arizona in 1934, majoring in political science; and
13 WHEREAS, In 1940 Mr. Stratton was elected U.S.
14 Congressman-at-large at 25 years of age, becoming the
15 youngest member in the nation of the U.S. House of
16 Representatives and was known as the "Baby of the House"; in
17 1942 he became the youngest constitutional officer in the
18 State of Illinois when he was elected State treasurer; in
19 1948 he lost his bid for the position of Secretary of State,
20 and joined the United States Navy, serving as lieutenant in
21 the South Pacific during World War II; and
22 WHEREAS, Upon his return from service, Mr. Stratton
23 regained his seat in the U.S. House; in 1950 he reclaimed the
24 State treasurer's office; in 1952 he defeated Lieutenant
25 Governor Sherwood Dixon to win the gubernatorial election,
26 and he was elected to a second term as Governor in 1956; and
27 WHEREAS, During his time as Governor, William Stratton
28 built the economic backbone of the State of Illinois; he
29 laid out plans for O'Hare International Airport, McCormick
30 Place, and the University of Illinois at Chicago, working
31 beside Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley; he built more than
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1 7,000 miles of new roads, including 187 miles of expressway
2 in the Chicago area, and 638 bridges across the State; he won
3 approval for bond issues to construct the University of
4 Illinois at Chicago and Southern Illinois University at
5 Edwardsville; he also expanded the Northern, Eastern, and
6 Western Illinois campuses; and
7 WHEREAS, Governor Stratton spoke out against racial
8 discrimination, attempted to create a fair-employment
9 commission, and named the first woman and first
10 African-American to a gubernatorial cabinet; and
11 WHEREAS, After leaving office, Mr. Stratton was vice
12 president of corporate relations at Canteen Corporation,
13 board chairman of the Illinois Restaurant Association, and a
14 board member of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce; at
15 the time of his death he was a vice president of Associated
16 Bank of Chicago; and
17 WHEREAS, In December of 2000 William Stratton and his
18 wife, Shirley, celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary;
19 and
20 WHEREAS, The passing of former Illinois Governor William
21 G. Stratton will be deeply felt by all who knew and loved
22 him, especially his wife, Shirley; his daughters, Nancy
23 Taylor, Sandra Jane Gardner, and Diana Weiskopf; his
24 sisters-in-law, Majorie H. Breckenridge and Barbara
25 Breckenridge; and his five grandchildren; therefore, be it
26 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
27 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
28 we mourn the passing of former Governor William G. Stratton
29 and extend our sympathies to his family and friends at this
30 time; and be it further
31 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
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1 presented to the family of William G. Stratton.