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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
3 | learn of the death of Dr. Agnes Lattimer of Hyde Park, who | ||||||
4 | passed away on January 9, 2018; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Dr. Lattimer was born in Memphis, Tennessee to | ||||||
6 | Arthur O'Neil and Hortense Lewis Lattimer on May 13, 1928; she | ||||||
7 | was the oldest of six children; she was valedictorian of Booker | ||||||
8 | T. Washington High School and received a full scholarship to | ||||||
9 | Fisk University, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in | ||||||
10 | Biology; she them moved to Chicago and worked as a housekeeper | ||||||
11 | for 18 months to save for medical school; she graduated from | ||||||
12 | Chicago Medical School, where she was the only African American | ||||||
13 | in her class and one of just two women, in 1954; and
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14 | WHEREAS, Dr. Lattimer completed her residency in | ||||||
15 | Pediatrics at Michael Reese Hospital and became Chief Resident | ||||||
16 | in her final year of the program; following her residency, she | ||||||
17 | established a private pediatric practice while also teaching at | ||||||
18 | the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois and | ||||||
19 | Chicago Medical School; she served as Director of Ambulatory | ||||||
20 | Pediatrics and as Director of Fantus Health Center at Cook | ||||||
21 | County Hospital; she was named Director of Cook County in March | ||||||
22 | 1986 and was believed to be the only African American woman to | ||||||
23 | head a major hospital; as Director of Cook County Hospital, she |
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1 | oversaw safeguards to protect patients and staffers during the | ||||||
2 | early days of AIDS; she testified in Washington, D.C. on the | ||||||
3 | need to fight hunger; as the Chair of the Chicago Committee | ||||||
4 | Against Lead Poisoning, she urged City Hall to crack down on | ||||||
5 | owners of buildings with flaking lead paint; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Dr. Lattimer was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha | ||||||
7 | Sorority Inc., which she joined as an undergraduate at Fisk; | ||||||
8 | and
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9 | WHEREAS, During her career, Dr. Lattimer received many | ||||||
10 | honors and accolades, including being named as Pediatrician of | ||||||
11 | the Year by the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of | ||||||
12 | Pediatrics; she also received the Distinguished Alumnus Award | ||||||
13 | from the Chicago Medical School and from the Michael Reese | ||||||
14 | Alumni Association; she was named Outstanding Executive | ||||||
15 | Employee in Cook County Government in 1987 and also received | ||||||
16 | Outstanding Community Service Awards from many communities | ||||||
17 | throughout the City; and
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18 | WHEREAS, Dr. Lattimer's marriage to Bernard Goss ended in | ||||||
19 | divorce; in 1971, she married Frank Bethel; and
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20 | WHEREAS, Outside of medicine, Dr. Lattimer enjoyed flying, | ||||||
21 | and she achieved her dream of earning a pilot's license in | ||||||
22 | 1966; she loved the ability to fly to another county or city |
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1 | for lunch or dinner; and
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2 | WHEREAS, According to her colleagues, Dr. Lattimer was a | ||||||
3 | legend in medicine in Chicago; she was a leading expert in | ||||||
4 | areas such as lead poisoning and its effects on childhood | ||||||
5 | development; she was an advocate for quality healthcare for the | ||||||
6 | underprivileged; she commanded respect and gave it, treating | ||||||
7 | patients living in poverty with the same empathy she showed | ||||||
8 | rich people; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Dr. Lattimer was preceded in death by her husband, | ||||||
10 | Frank, and her son, Bernard Goss Jr.; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Dr. Lattimer is survived by her grandson, Bernard | ||||||
12 | Goss III; her sister, Camille Lattimer; her nieces, Holly Jones | ||||||
13 | and Sandra Love; and her nephew, Keith Jones; therefore, be it
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14 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL | ||||||
15 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
16 | Dr. Agnes Lattimer and extend our sincere condolences to her | ||||||
17 | family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it | ||||||
18 | further
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19 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
20 | presented to the family of Dr. Lattimer as an expression of our | ||||||
21 | deepest sympathy.
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