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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 Ronald L.
4 Davis of Chicago, who passed away on May 7, 2008; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Ronald L. Davis was born on November 12, 1951 in
6 Chicago; he was the oldest of five children born to Willie L.
7 Davis and Mamie Houston; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Ronald L. Davis grew up on the South Side of
9 Chicago, where he attended Catholic schools and Chicago Public
10 Schools; he graduated from Parker Senior High School in the
11 Englewood neighborhood of Chicago in 1968; during his senior
12 year, he was recruited by the University of Chicago, where he
13 completed his Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics in
14 1974; and
 
15     WHEREAS, While attending the University of Chicago, Ronald
16 L. Davis began a lifelong mission as an advocate for the
17 empowerment of black people in the areas of education and
18 politics; as a founding member of the Organization of Black
19 Students, he was instrumental in bringing black students into
20 the mainstream of student government on campus; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Ronald L. Davis earned two master's degrees, one

 

 

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1 in mathematics from East-West University and another in
2 Computer Science from Chicago State University; he later taught
3 C++ Programming at East-West University; and
 
4     WHEREAS, While employed at GMAC as a repossession officer
5 and later at CNA Insurance as a programmer, Ronald L. Davis
6 became involved in Chicago local politics; as an independent
7 political consultant, he was a quiet force behind many
8 successful political campaigns and worked with and advised many
9 elected officials and aspiring political candidates; he
10 developed and worked to implement a city-wide voter
11 registration drive; as a consultant, he played a strategic role
12 in the congressional campaigns of United States Senators Paul
13 Simon and Charlie Hayes, the State Senate and congressional
14 campaigns of United States Senator Barack Obama, the aldermanic
15 campaigns of Sam Burrell, William Cousins, Billie Paige, Leslie
16 Hairston, Freddrenna Lyle, Willie Cochran, and Perry
17 Hutchinson, among others; among his favorite elected officials
18 were Illinois State Representative Constance Howard and Robert
19 Polk, Mayor of Burnham; he worked tirelessly as the Mid-South
20 Coordinator for the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington and
21 coordinate hundreds of volunteers for the Mayor's re-election
22 campaign; he also volunteered thousands of hours with the NAACP
23 and Vernon Jarrett's ACT-SO program; and
 
24     WHEREAS, In the 1990s, Ronald L. Davis joined the faculty

 

 

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1 of the City Colleges of Chicago's Kennedy-King campus, where he
2 taught computer science and mathematics, eventually becoming
3 chairman of the mathematics department; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Ronald L. Davis had a loyal circle of friends with
5 whom he loved to discuss local political issues; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Ronald L. Davis is survived by his sisters, Diane
7 Davis and Mrs. Joann Flynn; his twin brothers, Victor and
8 Vincent Davis; his uncles, Edward Houston Sr. and James
9 Albritton; his seven nieces, 12 nephews, and three
10 great-nieces; his cousins, Mrs. Cynthia Scruggs (Eugene),
11 Donna Williams, Beverly Albritton, Jean Albritton, Edward
12 Houston Jr., Edward Houston III, and Gigi; and his extended
13 family, known as his "inner circle", Lenore and Josh, Mercedes,
14 Lloyd, Richard, Robert, Stephanie, Prentiss, Carolyn, and Al;
15 therefore, be it
 
16     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
18 mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Ronald
19 L. Davis; and be it further
 
20     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21 presented to the family of Ronald L. Davis as an expression of
22 our sympathy.