HR1038 LRB095 20273 KXB 47204 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

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

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Mayor Richard J. Daley appointed Mr. Velasquez as
2 a Trustee of the City Colleges of Chicago, a position he held
3 from 1975-1987, serving as Secretary of the Board for several
4 years; and
 
5     WHEREAS, He has been an organizer and fundraiser for many
6 local organizations including Holy Cross Church, Cordi Marian
7 Settlement Home, Holy Trinity High School, City Colleges Latino
8 Scholarships, Claretian Missionaries, Nihos y Jovenes
9 Orphanage (Jalisco, Mexico), and Alivio Medical Center; Mr.
10 Velasquez served as trustee of National Louis University and
11 received an Honorary Doctorate degree for public service; St.
12 Xavier also awarded him an Honorary Doctorate degree for public
13 service; and
 
14     WHEREAS, In 1999, Arturo Velasquez received the El
15 Reconocimiento OHTL award from the Mexican government, which is
16 the highest award to a Mexican who lives outside the country of
17 Mexico; in 2002, the Chicago Historical Society honored Mr.
18 Velasquez with the Bertha Honore Palmer History Award for
19 distinction in Civic Leadership in the City of Chicago; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The West Side Technical Institute renaming
21 ceremony will take place on March 6, 2008; therefore, be it
 
22     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

 

 

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1 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
2 congratulate Arturo Velasquez on this honor and wish him
3 continued good fortune and happiness in the future; and be it
4 further
 
5     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6 presented to Arturo Velasquez as a symbol of our esteem.