SR1449 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1449 LRB100 21004 MST 36682 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Dr. Donald Chatman; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Chatman was born in New Orleans to Dr. Aristotle Lorenzo and Eulacie S. Chatman in 1934 and raised in Baton Rouge; he attended the Mount Herman School in Mount Herman, Massachusetts and then earned his Bachelor of Arts in Physical Anthropology from Harvard University; he earned his medical degree at the Meharry Medical College of Medicine in Nashville and opened a practice in general medicine in Lake Charles, Louisiana; he then served as a captain in the United States Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1972; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Chatman moved to Chicago to complete a residency in OB-GYN at Michael Reese Hospital; in 1969, he became one of the first African American physicians to serve as an attending physician in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago, serving as Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology on two separate occasions; he served as an attending physician at South Chicago Community Hospital, Provident Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Mercy Hospital and Medical Center; at the time of his retirement, he was an associate professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Chatman lectured both nationally and internationally at organizations including the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists, the International Society for Gynecologic Laparoscopy, and the World Congress of Gynecologic Endoscopy; he was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show and Good Morning America; he served as the first African American president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary of the Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL); he also served as a member of the board of directors and as associate editor of the journal of the same organization; and

WHEREAS, Most recently, Dr. Chatman was writing a book memorializing the extraordinary journey of his father, escaping sharecropping in Louisiana at the age of 14 to pursue his education; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Chatman loved spending time with his family and friends, reading and writing, playing golf, and traveling the world with his wife and friends; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Chatman was a member of the physician club, the Saracens, and the social club, the Chicagoans; he and his wife frequently supported local causes and organizations, attending social events and fundraisers; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Chatman was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Chatman is survived by his wife, Linda C.; his daughters, Lynn Chatman Todman (Michael) and Eleanor Louise Chatman; his son, Eric Leveritt Chatman (Angela); his mother-in-law, Lois Wilson; his father-in-law, James Wilson; his stepsons, Carl R. and Bruce E. Golden (Marie); his cousin, Fay Green; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and numerous extended family members and friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Dr. Donald Chatman, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dr. Chatman as an expression of our deepest sympathy.