SR0280 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0280 LRB098 11865 MST 45112 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of William B. Johnson of Lake Forest, who passed away on April 23, 2013; and

WHEREAS, William Johnson was born in 1919 in Salisbury, Maryland, and graduated maxima cum laude from Washington College in 1940, where he was president of the Student Government Association and a member of the tennis team; he attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School where he was editor-in-chief of the law review, graduating in 1943; and

WHEREAS, William Johnson worked as an attorney with the United States Tax Court from 1945 to 1947; he became an assistant solicitor for the Pennsylvania Railroad and then in 1959 went to head the Railroad Express Agency before landing at IC Industries and the Illinois Central Railroad in 1966; and

WHEREAS, William Johnson enjoyed a 33-year career with IC Industries and the Illinois Central Railroad and built the company into a global giant; during that time he was elected president and chief operating officer of the Illinois Central Railroad and its parent, IC Industries in 1966; and

WHEREAS, Under the leadership of William Johnson, the Illinois Central was merged with Gulf, Mobile, & Ohio Railroad and ultimately sold to Canadian National in 1999; during his time with IC Industries, he oversaw the acquisition of over 100 companies, including Abex, Whitman Chocolate, Old El Paso, and Dad's Root Beer; and

WHEREAS, During his business career, William Johnson was a director of many corporations including Perdue Farms, Lear Siegler's ownership committee, Swiss Air Advisory Board, Trans Union Corporation, Broadcasting, Whitman Corporation, Continental Bank, Esmark, Pet Foods, Midas, Abex, Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers, and Lincoln Financial; he was a member of the board of trustees of the University of Chicago, the board of overseers of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and the board of Governors of Washington College, where he received an honorary doctorate; and

WHEREAS, In 1985, Crain's Chicago Business named William Johnson its Businessman of the Year and in 1986 he received Loyola's Damen Award for Civic Leadership; he received the lifetime achievement award from the railroad industry, the Harry E. Salzburg Memorial Medal for outstanding achievement in the field of transportation, and established a chair in corporate law at the University of Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, William Johnson is survived by his wife of 70 years, Mary Barb Johnson; his sons, Kirk Johnson and Benjamin H. Johnson; his daughter, Kathleen Johnson; and his 6 grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of William Johnson, 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 William Johnson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.