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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Howard E.
4 Brown of Decatur, who passed away on October 9, 2007; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Howard E. Brown was born in Springfield on June
6 22, 1922; he was the son of Zona Sharp Brown and Lorenza Dow
7 Brown; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Howard E. Brown began his education at Illinois
9 Wesleyan University, attending the college from 1941 to 1942;
10 he received his bachelor's degree in education from Illinois
11 State University and received his Masters Degree in Education
12 in 1952 from Colorado State University in Greeley, Colorado; he
13 received his Specialist in Educational Administration from
14 Eastern Illinois University in 1971 and completed further
15 graduate studies at Columbia University in New York and the
16 University of Illinois at Champaign; in 1987, Howard received
17 an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Eastern Illinois University;
18 and
 
19     WHEREAS, Howard E. Brown proudly served his country in the
20 United States Army during the Second World War, where he fought
21 in France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany; he served in the
22 104th Infantry Division, Service Company 414th Regiment; he

 

 

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1 achieved the rank of Master Sergeant and earned the Combat
2 Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star, and three Campaign Oak Leaf
3 Clusters; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Howard E. Brown served as a professional educator
5 for 43 years; he began his teaching career at Blue Mound High
6 School in Blue Mound, where he taught world history, industrial
7 arts, and coached basketball, baseball, and track; he became
8 Principal of Blue Mound High School and then went on to become
9 the Superintendent of Blue Mound Schools; he later served as
10 Macon County Superintendent of Schools and Regional
11 Superintendent of Macon/Piatt Region; he also served as adjunct
12 professor at Millikin University and Richland Community
13 College; he became President of Richland Community College in
14 1985, retiring from this position in 1989; and
 
15     WHEREAS, After his retirement, Howard E. Brown served on
16 the Richland Community College Board of Trustees and was
17 President of the Foundation for a year; during his retirement,
18 he became a member of the Golden K Kiwanis and was a founding
19 member of the ROMEO (Retired Old Men Eating Out) Club; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Howard E. Brown was a member of many community,
21 civic, professional, and fraternal organizations; he was a
22 50-year member of the Rotary Club of Decatur and was elected
23 Illinois President of Rotary in 1956; in 1968, he became

 

 

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1 President of the Area 4 Superintendents Association; he was
2 President of the Decatur Area Arts Council from 1969 to 1970;
3 he became President of the Macon County Mental Health
4 Association in 1970; he was appointed by the State
5 Superintendent of Education as a member of the Teacher
6 Certification Board from 1970 to 1974; in 1975, Howard was
7 elected President of the Regional Office of Superintendents; he
8 served on the Area Junior College Steering Committee in 1976;
9 during the 1970's, he directed and wrote a statewide study on
10 declining enrollments in Illinois public schools at the request
11 of State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Joseph Cronin; he was
12 also appointed by Governor James Thompson to a statewide
13 committee to establish a Master Teacher Program for the State
14 of Illinois; in 1976, he was a member of the Macon County
15 Planning Committee for the bicentennial celebration; in 1980,
16 he served on the search committee to select a new Dean for the
17 Department of Education at Eastern Illinois University; during
18 the 1980's, he served on the Boards of the Decatur Chamber of
19 Commerce, the United Way, the YMCA, the Salvation Army,
20 Visiting Nurses, and Baby Talk; in 1982, he was Chairman of the
21 High Risk Infant Screening Committee; and
 
22     WHEREAS, Howard E. Brown was a Thirty Second Degree Mason,
23 an Ansar Shriner, and a member of the Decatur Shrine Club; he
24 was a member of both the VFW and American Legion; he was a past
25 member of the Macon County Historical Society and was a

 

 

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1 lifetime member of Phi Delta Kappa; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Howard E. Brown was a lifelong Methodist; his
3 first church was the United Methodist in Springfield; in 1940,
4 he was elected First District President of the Methodist Church
5 League; in 1942, he served as a student pastor of the Hudson
6 Methodist Church in Hudson; he was a member of the First United
7 Methodist Church of Blue Mound and then the First United
8 Methodist Church in Decatur; in 1967, he became chairman of the
9 Billy Graham Golden Prairie Crusade for Christ in Decatur; he
10 served on the First Church Foundation Board and Finance
11 Committee; he was also a Methodist Lay Speaker and soloist for
12 many church occasions; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Howard E. Brown was the recipient of many honors
14 during his lifetime; he received the VFW Voice of Democracy
15 Service Awards in 1968 and 1969 and from 1978 to 1980; in 1971,
16 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Macon
17 County Council for Exceptional Children and received an
18 honorary life membership from the National Congress of Parents
19 and Teachers; he also received a Certificate of Appreciation
20 from Richland College and the Freedom's Foundation Schoolman's
21 Award in 1971; he was in Who's Who in Education in the Midwest
22 in 1971; he was a nominee for State Superintendent of Education
23 for the State of Illinois in 1980 and 1984; he received the
24 Outstanding Contributor to Alternative Education Award from

 

 

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1 the Alternative Education Association in 1984; in 1996, he
2 received the Certificate of Merit from the Illinois Community
3 College Trustees Association; in 2004, he was honored by the
4 Richland Community College Foundation Board at their first
5 Legacy Society meeting; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Howard E. Brown was well known for his singing
7 voice, singing at many community and civic events; one of his
8 greatest honors was the opportunity to sing at events for
9 President Ronald Reagan, President Gerald Ford, and President
10 Richard Nixon, as well as his performance at an event for
11 Vice-President Nelson Rockefeller; he will always be
12 remembered by his family and friends for his moving rendition
13 of "God Bless America"; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Howard E. Brown was preceded in death by his
15 brothers, Paul T. Brown and Clarence Dow Brown; and his sister,
16 Fannie Mae Brown Stone; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Howard E. Brown is survived by his wife of 63
18 years, Helen Bundy Brown; his children, Bill W. (Linda) Brown,
19 Becky (Ware) Flora, and Sally (Steve) Schepper; his
20 grandchildren, Ware Flora, John Flora, Beth Denny, Jenny Brown,
21 Sarah Schepper, and PFC Philip Schepper; and his 4
22 great-grandchildren; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, On October 13, 2007, Howard E. Brown will be
2 inducted into the Illinois State University Hall of Fame in
3 recognition of his many accomplishments; therefore, be it
 
4     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
6 mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Howard
7 E. Brown; and be it further
 
8     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9 presented to the family of Howard E. Brown as an expression of
10 our sympathy.