SR0179 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0179 LRB097 11601 GRL 54618 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Bill Cook of Bloomington, Indiana; and

WHEREAS, Bill Cook was born on January 27, 1931, in Mattoon; as a child, he and his parents moved around from one town to the next before settling in Canton, where, as a teenager, he worked as a lifeguard and night watchman; he graduated from Canton High School in 1949; he subsequently earned his bachelor's degree in biology from Northwestern University in 1953 and pursued post-graduate work in physics at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas; and

WHEREAS, Bill Cook was the founder of the Bloomington-based medical equipment manufacturer Cook Group Inc.; be began his business from the spare bedroom of his Bloomington, Indiana apartment in 1963; after securing a $1,500 investment, he began to construct the wire guides, needles, and catheters that would become the foundation of the global multi-billion-dollar Cook Group; in September of 2010, he was ranked number 101 on the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans; and

WHEREAS, Bill Cook purchased and improved several properties in Canton, including the Fulton Square Mall, the Randolph Building in downtown Canton, the Lewis Pharmacy building, several acres of property at the former International Harvester plant site, where the Cook Canton medical device production facility was built, and property at the corner of Main and Locust Streets, where the new Harvester Inn boutique hotel is being constructed; he was a leading force in plans to open the Canton square to traffic, which could once again move around the perimeter of Jones Park; he believed strongly in beautification, asking local artists Scott and Tracy Snowman to create murals which recalled Canton in the 1800s; he and his wife, Gayle, were also involved in many historical restoration projects in the Midwest, including the rejuvenation of the domed West Baden Springs Hotel; and

WHEREAS, Bill Cook was the subject of the 2008 book, 'The Bill Cook Story: Ready, Fire, Aim!'; and

WHEREAS, On April 9, 2010, Bill Cook received the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans' highest civilian honor, the Horatio Alger Award, to recognize the achievements of his life's work during a special ceremony in Washington, D.C.; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Bill Cook; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Bill Cook as an expression of our sympathy.