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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of Illinois House of Representatives
3wish to congratulate Orion Samuelson, a longtime Illinois
4agriculture figure, on his retirement on December 31, 2020
5after 60 years at WGN Radio; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Orion Samuelson's first day on the air at WGN was
7on September 26, 1960 at 5:00a.m., "milking time"; he was 26
8years old; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Orion Samuelson has become one of the most
10recognizable voices and faces of agriculture in the country;
11"The Big O", as he is affectionately known, presents daily
12agriculture and business reports on WGN, in addition to
13co-hosting The Morning Show on Saturdays with Max Armstrong;
14over the course of his illustrious career, he has interviewed
15nine presidents, been involved in four official government
16trips, and broadcast from more than 40 countries, including
17the former USSR and Cuba; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Orion Samuelson's lifelong commitment to
19agriculture has been recognized by organizations in all
20segments of agri-business; he has received numerous accolades
21and awards over the years, including an honorary Doctor of
22Letters from the University of Illinois and a Distinguished

 

 

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1Service Award from the American Farm Bureau Federation; in
22001, he was named a laureate of The Lincoln Academy of
3Illinois and honored with the Lincoln Medal, the highest award
4bestowed by the State of Illinois; in 2003, he was inducted
5into the Radio Hall of Fame and was presented the award by
6fellow member Paul Harvey; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Orion Samuelson is a 4-H alumni from Vernon
8County, Wisconsin; a longtime supporter of the 4-H program in
9Illinois, he has made a tremendous impact in Illinois and
10beyond; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Orion Samuelson's name adorns the Junior
12Livestock Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in
13Springfield and an honorary street sign on the southeast
14corner of E. Illinois Street and N. Cityfront Plaza Drive in
15Chicago; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Orion Samuelson cherishes the honorary Doctor of
17Letters that he received from the University of Illinois at
18Urbana-Champaign in 2001 above all of his other honors;
19therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
21HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
22SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we declare August 17, 2021 as

 

 

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1Orion Samuelson Day in the State of Illinois to honor his
2dedication to the Illinois agriculture industry; and be it
3further
 
4    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
5presented to Orion Samuelson, Larry Wert with WGN Radio, the
6Illinois Foundation Board and the University of Illinois
7Extension Program of the College of Agricultural, Consumer,
8and Environmental Sciences.