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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, During Women's History Month, the members of the | ||||||
| 3 | Illinois Senate wish to honor the life and contributions of | ||||||
| 4 | former State Representative and State Senator Lottie Holman | ||||||
| 5 | O'Neill, the first female state legislator of Illinois; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, On January 23, 1923, Senator O'Neill was escorted | ||||||
| 7 | by more than 1,000 women to take the first seat ever held by a | ||||||
| 8 | woman in the Illinois General Assembly, where she served as | ||||||
| 9 | the lone female legislator for two years; and | ||||||
| 10 | WHEREAS, The Illinois House of Representatives' gallery | ||||||
| 11 | was packed with suffragists who, just two years earlier, had | ||||||
| 12 | finally secured their right to vote, helping to make Illinois | ||||||
| 13 | the first state in the nation to ratify the 19th amendment; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, Senator O'Neill's husband, William, led the crowd | ||||||
| 15 | in cheers of "District 41, District 41, woman's work has just | ||||||
| 16 | begun"; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, Senator O'Neill served 13 terms in the Illinois | ||||||
| 18 | House of Representatives and three terms in the Illinois | ||||||
| 19 | Senate; and | ||||||
| 20 | WHEREAS, Senator O'Neill focused on legislation to improve | ||||||
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| 1 | care for mothers and babies, to fund schools for disabled | ||||||
| 2 | children, and to secure better industrial conditions for | ||||||
| 3 | women, including an eight-hour workday; and | ||||||
| 4 | WHEREAS, Senator O'Neill introduced legislation year after | ||||||
| 5 | year to allow women to sit on juries which, thanks to her | ||||||
| 6 | perseverance, finally became law in Illinois in 1939; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, Senator O'Neill was a proud resident of Downers | ||||||
| 8 | Grove Township, where she lived with her husband and two sons; | ||||||
| 9 | she was an activist for equal voting rights, served as | ||||||
| 10 | president of the Parent Teachers Association (PTA), and was a | ||||||
| 11 | leader in the Downers Grove League of Women Voters, the Red | ||||||
| 12 | Cross, the Campfire Girls, and the Downers Grove Women's Club; | ||||||
| 13 | and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, Senator O'Neill retired from the Illinois General | ||||||
| 15 | Assembly at the age of 84 in 1963 as one of the State's most | ||||||
| 16 | notable Republican leaders; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, Senator O'Neill's life and achievements are | ||||||
| 18 | commemorated with a statue of her likeness in the Illinois | ||||||
| 19 | State Capitol; and | ||||||
| 20 | WHEREAS, Senator O'Neill became the namesake of O'Neill | ||||||
| 21 | Middle School in Downers Grove, and its students continue to | ||||||
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| 1 | proudly represent her as the O'Neill Senators; and | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, Senator O'Neill is considered the great matriarch | ||||||
| 3 | of the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus, whose members today | ||||||
| 4 | strive to continue her work towards providing more | ||||||
| 5 | opportunities for all; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 6 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
| 7 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor the life, | ||||||
| 8 | legacy, and leadership of former State Representative and | ||||||
| 9 | State Senator Lottie Holman O'Neill; and be it further | ||||||
| 10 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 11 | presented to the O'Neill Middle School as an expression of our | ||||||
| 12 | respect and esteem. | ||||||