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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly wish
3 to present this resolution as a tribute to and acknowledgement
4 of Alan J. Dixon's contributions to the State of Illinois and
5 the nation, as we benefit immensely from his presence in
6 Illinois; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon will celebrate his 80th birthday on
8 July 7, 2007, and we congratulate him for his distinguished
9 service to the State of Illinois; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon began his 43-year political career
11 in law school, when he was elected Belleville Police
12 Magistrate; at the age of 23, he became one of the youngest
13 legislators ever elected to serve in the Illinois House of
14 Representatives; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon rose through the ranks of State
16 government as an Illinois State Representative for 12 years
17 before being elected to the Illinois Senate; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon served in the Illinois Senate for 8
19 years, rising to Assistant Democratic Leader; in 1970, he was
20 elected State Treasurer; he has since served as Secretary of
21 State, an office he won by a margin of 1.3 million votes; he

 

 

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1 won re-election to that office by a margin of 1.5 million
2 votes; that re-election marked the only time a candidate from
3 either political party ever carried all 102 Illinois counties
4 in an election, including all 30 townships in suburban Cook
5 County and all 50 wards in the City of Chicago; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon was a gregarious politician and was
7 known as "Al the Pal" among friends, colleagues, and news
8 pundits; his staff wore "I'm Al's Pal" campaign buttons during
9 his 1980 campaign for the United States Senate; he was elected
10 to the United States Senate that year; and
 
11     WHEREAS, In 1988 and again in 1990, Alan J. Dixon was
12 selected by his party colleagues unanimously to serve as the
13 Chief Deputy Whip of the United States Senate, the number 3
14 leadership post; Senator Dixon enjoyed an unbroken string of 29
15 election victories; and
 
16     WHEREAS, At the request of President Clinton, Alan J. Dixon
17 served as chairman of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment
18 Commission in 1994 and 1995, a job that called for both defense
19 experience and good political relationships with both
20 Democrats and Republicans; as a former chairman of an important
21 Senate Armed Services Subcommittee, Senator Dixon had the
22 defense knowledge required for the job; he also got along well
23 with both Democrats and Republicans; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon is presently a partner with the St.
2 Louis based law firm, Bryan Cave, LLP, where he serves both
3 corporate and government clients; therefore, be it
 
4     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
6 July 7, 2007 and each subsequent July 7 be known as Alan J.
7 Dixon Day to recognize the innumerable achievements of Alan J.
8 Dixon; and be it further
 
9     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10 presented to Alan J. Dixon as an expression of our utmost
11 respect and esteem.