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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives
wish to congratulate Sister Jean Dolores 
4Schmidt, BVM on the
occasion of her l00th birthday on August 
521, 2019; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, A beloved icon on the campus of Loyola University

7Chicago, Sister Jean has become an international celebrity

8thanks to her role as chaplain of the Loyola Ramblers men's

9basketball team, rising to stardom as she joined the team 
10during
their historic 2018 NCAA March Madness run; and
  
 
11    WHEREAS, Sister Jean was born the first of three children 
12in a
devout Catholic family to Joseph and Bertha Schmidt in San

13Francisco on August 21, 1919; and
 
14    WHEREAS, When she was in third grade, Sister Jean was 
15inspired
by the joy, kindness, and devotion of her teacher, a 
16member of
the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 
17(BVM); Sister
Jean would later say that when she prayed as a 
18child, her prayer
would be, "Please God tell me what I should 
19do ... but please tell
me that I am to be a BVM"; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Sister Jean left her home in San Francisco during

21September of 1937 for a two-day, three-night train trip to 
 
 
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1Dubuque,
Iowa to begin a six-month period as a postulant, or 
2candidate,
with the BVMs; and
 
3    WHEREAS, On March 19, 1938, she was officially received 
4into the
BVMs, taking on the order's traditional habit and her 
5new
religious name, Sister Jean Dolores; and
 
6    WHEREAS, After professing her final vows as a BVM in 
7Dubuque on
August 15, 1945, Sister Jean was assigned to teach 
8at St.
Charles Elementary School in North Hollywood, 
9California, where
she started a sports program, coaching 
10women's basketball,
softball, volleyball, track, ping-pong, 
11and yo-yo; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Sister Jean continued to teach for 20 years in 
13several
elementary schools in the Los Angeles Archdiocese until 
14the
summer of 1961, when she arrived on the campus of Mundelein

15College in Chicago after completing her master's degree at

16Loyola University, Los Angeles and began teaching college

17courses for the first time; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Sister Jean held numerous roles at Mundelein 
19College
over the next 30 years; she was named Acting Dean of 
20Mundelein College in 1970, afterwards serving as Director of 
21Coffey Hall
for four years, in addition to already serving as 
22Associate Dean
and Director of Summer Sessions; and
 
 
 
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1    WHEREAS, In 1984, Sister Jean ended her tenure as Associate 
2Dean
and Director of Academic Services, becoming Associate Vice

3President for Academic Affairs at Mundelein College; and
 
4    WHEREAS, In 1991, Mundelein College become affiliated with

5Loyola University Chicago, and Sister Jean joined Loyola

6University as Assistant Dean and an academic advisor; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Sister Jean took on a new role in 1994 with the 
8Loyola
men's and women's basketball teams, helping the players 
9keep
their grades high enough to remain eligible to play, 
10calling
herself the "Booster Shooter"; and
 
11    WHEREAS, In 1996, Sister Jean transitioned from her role as 
12an
academic advisor to official team chaplain for the men's

13basketball team, where she long maintained a key role in

14supporting the team, offering both spiritual support and

15practical advice on the players' game performance; and
  
 
16    WHEREAS, In addition to her work with the Loyola University

17basketball team, Sister Jean held a weekly prayer group for

18students in her Regis apartment and launched the SMILE program

19(Students Moving Into the Lives of the Elderly) in 2009, 
20pairing
Loyola students with residents at the Clare, a 
21retirement home
next door to the Water Tower Campus; and
  
 
 
 
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1    WHEREAS, Sister Jean received numerous honors in her time 
2at
Loyola University, including a Doctor of Humane Letters 
3honorary
degree from the university in 2016, induction into the 
4Loyola
Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017 and receiving the Sword 
5of
Loyola, the university's highest honor, at the 2018 
6Founders'
Dinner; and
  
 
7    WHEREAS, Sister Jean has devoted her lifetime to serving 
8others,
touching the lives of countless people, especially 
9students,
faculty, staff, alumni, and other members of the 
10Loyola community; therefore, be it
  
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
12HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
13we
congratulate Sister Jean Dolores on her l00th birthday on 
14August
21, 2019; and be it further
  
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
16presented to Sister Jean as a symbol of our respect and esteem.