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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, Ronald Wilson Reagan "Dutch" (1911-2004), the | ||||||
3 | 40th President of the United States, is the only U.S. President | ||||||
4 | born, raised, and educated in the State of Illinois; and
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5 | WHEREAS, President Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in | ||||||
6 | Tampico; his family lived for a time in Chicago, Galesburg, and | ||||||
7 | Monmouth, before settling in Dixon; he earned his degree in | ||||||
8 | economics and sociology from Eureka College in Central Illinois | ||||||
9 | in 1932; after college, he started as a radio sports announcer | ||||||
10 | in the Quad Cities; and
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11 | WHEREAS, President Reagan moved to Hollywood and achieved | ||||||
12 | success as a film and television actor, union president for the | ||||||
13 | Screen Actors Guild, and as corporate spokesman for General | ||||||
14 | Electric; he moved into politics and spent 2 terms as Governor | ||||||
15 | of California (1967-1975) and 2 terms as President of the | ||||||
16 | United States (1981-1989); and
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17 | WHEREAS, President Reagan returned to his home State | ||||||
18 | throughout every stage of his life; he visited his birthplace, | ||||||
19 | his hometown, and his alma mater, Eureka College; he never | ||||||
20 | forgot his Illinois and Midwestern roots; and
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21 | WHEREAS, President Reagan's connection to Illinois is |
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1 | celebrated all over the State; Eureka College is home to | ||||||
2 | "Reagan Forward" and the Ronald W. Reagan Society, whose | ||||||
3 | national membership helps fund scholarships for Reagan | ||||||
4 | Fellows, a museum, a peace garden, a speaker series, a Run with | ||||||
5 | Reagan 5k, and the Mark R. Shenkman Reagan Research Center, | ||||||
6 | housing every book on the 40th President; Dixon is home to the | ||||||
7 | Reagan Boyhood Home and the Dixon Historic Center, a riverfront | ||||||
8 | statue of him on a horse, the First Christian Church where he | ||||||
9 | was baptized, an annual festival, and the beach at Lowell Park | ||||||
10 | where he was a lifeguard; Tampico operates a museum and | ||||||
11 | historic site where visitors can stand in the apartment flat | ||||||
12 | where he was born and see a statue of him as a boy; a section of | ||||||
13 | Interstate 88 is named in his honor, and The Reagan Trail is a | ||||||
14 | designated tourism corridor connecting key points of his | ||||||
15 | Illinois experience; and
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16 | WHEREAS, President Reagan is remembered as one of the most | ||||||
17 | consequential world leaders of the 20th century; his commitment | ||||||
18 | to peace through strength helped in the defeat of the Soviet | ||||||
19 | Union, thus ending the Cold War and bringing greater freedom to | ||||||
20 | millions of people; therefore, be it | ||||||
21 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
22 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
23 | we recognize and honor the impact President Ronald Reagan had | ||||||
24 | on the State, the country, and the world; and be it further |
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1 | RESOLVED, That we request the Architect of the Capitol | ||||||
2 | place a statue of President Reagan in the Illinois State | ||||||
3 | Capitol Building or on the surrounding grounds; and be it | ||||||
4 | further | ||||||
5 | RESOLVED, That the statue shall be funded with private | ||||||
6 | donations; and be it further
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7 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
8 | presented to the Architect of the Capitol.
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