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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to honor Arturo Velasquez for his
4 over seventy years of dedication to his business, family, and
5 community; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Arturo Velasquez was born in Tototlan, Jalisco,
7 Mexico, in November of 1915; he spent his early childhood in
8 Mexico, immigrating with his mother to the United States at the
9 age of nine; those early years were spent in the sugar beet
10 fields in the Black Hills of South Dakota and in Minnesota; and
 
11     WHEREAS, During the winter of 1929 he arrived in Chicago;
12 he married Shirley Lozano in 1936; he is the father of Arthur
13 Raymond, Carmen, Maria Elena, and Edward; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Mr. Velasquez founded Velasquez Automatic Music
15 Company over 70 years ago and continues to lead the business
16 with his son, Edward, and daughter, Maria; Mr. Velasquez was
17 instrumental in the founding of the Azteca Lions Club, the
18 Mexican American Chamber of Commerce, the Illinois Federation
19 of Mexican Americans, the Mexican American Democrats of Cook
20 County, and many other community organizations; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Mayor Richard J. Daley appointed Mr. Velasquez as

 

 

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1 a Trustee of the City Colleges of Chicago, a position he held
2 from 1975-1987, serving as Secretary of the Board for several
3 years; and
 
4     WHEREAS, He has been an organizer and fundraiser for many
5 local organizations including Holy Cross Church, Cordi Marian
6 Settlement Home, Holy Trinity High School, City Colleges Latino
7 Scholarships, Claretian Missionaries, Nihos y Jovenes
8 Orphanage (Jalisco, Mexico), and Alivio Medical Center; Mr.
9 Velasquez served as trustee of National Louis University and
10 received an Honorary Doctorate degree for public service; St.
11 Xavier also awarded him an Honorary Doctorate degree for public
12 service; and
 
13     WHEREAS, In 1999, Arturo Velasquez received the El
14 Reconocimiento OHTL award from the Mexican government, which is
15 the highest award to a Mexican who lives outside the country of
16 Mexico; in 2002, the Chicago Historical Society honored Mr.
17 Velasquez with the Bertha Honore Palmer History Award for
18 distinction in Civic Leadership in the City of Chicago;
19 therefore, be it
 
20     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
21 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
22 thank Arturo Velasquez for his contributions to his community
23 and the State of Illinois and wish him continued good fortune

 

 

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1 and happiness in the future; and be it further
 
2     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3 presented to Arturo Velasquez as a symbol of our esteem.