SR0624 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0624 LRB102 21660 MST 30778 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of former Illinois State Senator and United States Congressman Harris Fawell, who passed away on November 11, 2021; and

WHEREAS, Congressman Fawell was born to Walter and Mildred Fawell on March 25, 1929; he graduated from West Chicago Community High School and attended North Central College; baseball was a family passion, and he, along with his brothers, Tom, Bruce, and Mike, played in the Fox Valley league, which was organized by their father and in which they earned the nickname The Fighting Fawells, due to their competitive zeal; he earned a brief stint with a Detroit Tigers minor league affiliation in Greenville, South Carolina during his college years; he received his Juris Doctorate from the Kent College of Law in 1952; that same year, he married Ruth Johnson; and

WHEREAS, Congressman Fawell served as an Assistant State's Attorney for DuPage County and then practiced law, first in West Chicago and then in Naperville; he was a senior partner with the law firm of Fawell, James and Brooks; during the 1950s, he chaired a committee that helped defeat an effort to establish a horse racetrack in Naperville, an accomplishment that earned him a loyal following when he turned to politics; and

WHEREAS, Congressman Fawell served in the Illinois State Senate from 1963 to 1977; he was named Outstanding Freshman State Senator by the Illinois Press Association; he sponsored the legislation that provided parks for special needs children and adults throughout the State; he supported legislation that would have compelled developers to donate park land to communities in which they gained their fortune, which did not become law but was the precursor for the Naperville Land Cash Donation Ordinance, which he spearheaded and which resulted in the acquisition of acres of park land in Naperville; and

WHEREAS, Congressman Fawell was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1985 and served there until 1999; he co-founded the Porkbusters Coalition; he was the chief sponsor of 23 bills that eliminated $2 billion in pork barrel projects; he was also known for his expertise in labor and health issues and for his efforts to provide more equitable healthcare to workers in small businesses; he was a Republican moderate and a fiscal conservative and was popular with taxpayer and business groups but also earned high marks from environmental and women's rights groups; he was one of only two Republican state senators who helped pass Fair Housing legislation in the 1960s; he publicly supported Barack Obama in 2008; he was an atypical politician, preferring to keep a low profile rather than grab headlines, a man with a low-key demeanor and a human touch; and

WHEREAS, Congressman Fawell wrote articles on Servant Leadership that appeared in The International Journal of Servant Leadership at Gonzaga University; these essays reflected his interest in labor relations, an interest which had deepened during his time on the Education and Labor Committee in the House of Representatives; he also served on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, North Central College; and

WHEREAS, Congressman Fawell was a member of the Community United Methodist Church in Naperville; he knew scores of old jazz standards by heart and had a taste for American doggerel and folk poetry; he was wise, philosophical, patient, empathetic, and understanding; he had a subtle and sometimes biting sense of humor and a playful gift for language; he had a deep and abiding interest in spiritual issues and literature; and

WHEREAS, Congressman Fawell is survived by his wife of 69 years, Ruth; his children, Richard (Yvonne), Jane (Robert Heap), and John (Yvette Begue); and eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of former Illinois State Senator and United States Congressman Harris Fawell 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 Congressman Fawell as an expression of our deepest sympathy.