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91_SR0206
LRB9109283CBcb
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Senate were saddened to learn
3 of the death of Joshua Johnson of Springfield on Thursday,
4 August 12, 1999; and
5 WHEREAS, He was born in Evergreen, Alabama, on January
6 25, 1913; he was a graduate of Cheyney State College and
7 received his master's degree in 1941 from Pennsylvania State
8 University; he did further graduate study at the University
9 of Illinois; and
10 WHEREAS, He played college football and basketball and
11 was football team captain during his senior year; he also
12 played professional baseball in the Negro National and
13 American Leagues for 12 years; and
14 WHEREAS, He went to Madison in 1941, where he served at
15 Madison School District 12 as a teacher and coach until 1942;
16 and
17 WHEREAS, During World War II, he graduated from the
18 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Officers' Candidate School with a
19 commission of Second Lieutenant; during his 4 years of active
20 duty, Mr. Johnson served 18 months in the European Theater of
21 Operations; he retired as a Major in the United States Army
22 Reserves in 1973; and
23 WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson's public service included work with
24 the Cook County Public Schools, the Illinois Youth
25 Commission, the Division of Forestry Camps, and the
26 Ex-Offender Employment Program in the Office of the Secretary
27 of State; for 12 years, he served the Office of the
28 Superintendent of Public Instruction and its successor, the
29 State Board of Education, and the Illinois Office of
30 Education in high-level administrative positions; he retired
31 as a Special Assistant to the State Superintendent of
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1 Education in January of 1978; he was appointed to the State
2 Board of Elections by Governor James R. Thompson to serve for
3 a one-year term from July 1, 1978 until June 30, 1979, when
4 he was reappointed and served until his retirement in July,
5 1988; and
6 WHEREAS, He was a member of St. Paul AME Church; he
7 served on the subcommittees for the Education of the
8 Agriculture and Migrant Workers, the State Sex Education
9 Advisory Board, the Continuing Adult Education Council, the
10 1970 Illinois White House Conference Planning Committee, the
11 Planning Committee for the National Conference on
12 Citizenship, the Executive Advisory Council of the Juvenile
13 Division of the Illinois Department of Corrections, the
14 Planning Committee for the Governor's Prayer Breakfast, and
15 the Education Commission of the Chicago Consultation on
16 Ethnicity - American Jewish Committee; he was an Illinois
17 delegate to the 1970 White House Conference on Children; and
18 WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson also held membership in the National
19 Education Association, the Illinois Education Association,
20 the Illinois Association of School Administrators, the
21 Superintendents Round Table of Northern Illinois, Phi Delta
22 Kappa, the American Legion, the Reserve Officers Association,
23 the Masonic Lodge, Frontiers International, and Kappa Alpha
24 Psi Fraternity; and
25 WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson received many awards, including the
26 Annual Cheyney State College and Faculty Award in 1962, the
27 Certificate of Achievement from the Southern Illinois
28 University Educational Council of 100, the Illinois
29 Association of School Administrators' Presidential Citation,
30 the Mentor Graham Award (presented in memory of Abraham
31 Lincoln's teacher) from the Central Illinois School
32 Administrators, a special award from the Illinois Association
33 of Regional Superintendents of Schools, an award from the
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1 State Board of Education, State of Illinois, honorary life
2 membership in the National Congress of Parents and Teachers,
3 and honorary life membership in the Illinois Congress of
4 Parents and Teachers; and
5 WHEREAS, His passing will be deeply felt by his family
6 and friends, especially his son and daughter-in-law, Eugene
7 and Beverly Johnson; his grandsons, Eugene, Jr. and Brian
8 O'Neal; his brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Rufus C. and
9 Estelle Johnson; and his sister, Mrs. Mary Ruth Collins;
10 therefore, be it
11 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIRST GENERAL
12 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we note with sorrow
13 and regret the death of Joshua Johnson and extend our sincere
14 condolences to his family and friends; and be it further
15 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
16 presented to the family of Joshua Johnson.