HR0608LRB103 35169 LAW 65140 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of
4activist, community organizer, and publicist Marilyn Katz, who
5passed away on October 26, 2023; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Marilyn Katz was born in Chicago; she was raised
7in Lakeview and graduated from Lake View High School; she
8attended both Tulane University and Northwestern University;
9she was a longtime resident of Lincoln Park; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Marilyn Katz left college in 1966 to devote
11herself to activism, marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
12in Marquette Park to protest housing segregation; that same
13year, she joined the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
14to primarily object to the Vietnam War while also bringing
15attention to civil rights issues; she quickly became a local
16leader of the organization, and she served as security chief
17of SDS's National Mobilization Committee to End the War in
18Vietnam at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago;
19and
 
20    WHEREAS, Marilyn Katz moved to Los Angeles, California in
211970, where her work included making educational films aimed
22at helping surgical patients; she returned to Chicago in 1978,

 

 

HR0608- 2 -LRB103 35169 LAW 65140 r

1working as a director and producer for Goldsholl Design & Film
2Associates from 1979 until late 1982; she then became a press
3aide to Harold Washington for his first mayoral campaign in
41983, becoming an integral part of Democratic politics in
5Chicago in the process; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Marilyn Katz founded the public relations firm MK
7Communications in April 1984, serving as a strategist and
8consultant to clients in various fields, including government,
9housing, and nonprofits; she assisted in numerous political
10campaigns, including Harold Washington's second mayoral
11campaign in 1987 and Barack Obama's successful presidential
12runs; over the years, she handled a diverse client list that
13included the Morton Arboretum, the Chicago Park District, the
14Chicago Children's Museum, Park National Bank, the National
15Railway Equipment Co., and the City of Chicago; through her
16work, she became well-known as a behind-the-scenes influence
17in Chicago politics for decades, and she was noted for her
18extraordinary ability to galvanize and organize people with,
19at times, opposing interests; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Marilyn Katz maintained her antiwar stance
21throughout her life, organizing efforts against the Iraq War
22in the early 2000s; she belonged to several organizations and
23served on the board of J Street, a pro-Israel advocacy group,
24for many years and co-chaired Chicago Women Take Action, which

 

 

HR0608- 3 -LRB103 35169 LAW 65140 r

1was established after President Donald Trump's election in
22016; she also served as a consultant for the musicians' union
3to settle a strike at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2019;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, Marilyn Katz was passionate, intelligent,
6persuasive, humorous, and moral; she loved cooking, especially
7when making Sunday dinners for family and close friends; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Marilyn Katz was an active and engaged citizen
9who was the ultimate disrupter for the best causes; she will be
10remembered for fighting for what she believed in and standing
11by her convictions in an effort to make things better for the
12City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and the nation; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Marilyn Katz is survived by her husband, Scott
14Chambers, and her children, Grady Chambers and Halley
15Chambers; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
17HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18we mourn the passing of Marilyn Katz and extend our sincere
19condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved
20her; and be it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

 

 

HR0608- 4 -LRB103 35169 LAW 65140 r

1presented to the family of Marilyn Katz as an expression of our
2deepest sympathy.