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LRB9114561KBkb
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to honor citizens of the State of
4 Illinois; and
5 WHEREAS, J.W. Pirtle, of Champaign, Illinois, is to be
6 commended for his lifetime of hard work; J.W. Pirtle is a
7 native of Tennessee who came to Champaign in the summer of
8 1951; he served in the United States Army and then returned
9 to Champaign; he took a job at the Danna Huddlerson Ford
10 Company as a body and fender repairman until he made the
11 decision to return to school and learn auto mechanics and
12 management; and
13 WHEREAS, In 1956 he purchased property that served as his
14 home and later as his business; in 1961 he became the first
15 Black man in Champaign to own and operate a Shell Gas
16 Station; in 1963 he opened Pirtle's Restaurant; in 1967 he
17 opened the Central Cab Company and a body and fender shop at
18 the same location; he was the first Black man to own
19 limousines in Champaign, as well as being the first taxi
20 service to utilize station wagons and vans; and
21 WHEREAS, In 1976 J.W. Pirtle took a position with the
22 State of Illinois as Manager of Motor Pools, where he
23 continues to work today; and
24 WHEREAS, In 1989 J.W. Pirtle became co-owner of radio
25 station WBCP Soul, located at 1580 on the AM dial; in 1997 he
26 opened Pirtle's Mini-Mall, with a convenience store,
27 restaurant, hair salon, and WBCP radio; and
28 WHEREAS, On May 5, 1999, J.W. Pirtle was the first Black
29 man appointed Deputy Mayor of Champaign; he is a member of
30 St. Luke Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, where he has
31 served on the Usher Board and the Board of Trustees; in 1980
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1 he was elected to the Champaign City Council, and is
2 currently serving his sixth term; he was elected precinct
3 committeeman in the 1960's and still serves in that position;
4 and
5 WHEREAS, J.W. Pirtle is happily married to Alice
6 Burge-Pirtle; they have four children and three
7 grandchildren; therefore, be it
8 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
9 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
10 we congratulate J.W. Pirtle on his hard work and devotion to
11 the City of Champaign, Illinois; and be it further
12 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13 presented to J.W. Pirtle.