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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of Howard E. Brown of Decatur, who passed
4 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 from 1956 to 1965; he
10 served as Macon County Superintendent of Schools and Regional
11 Superintendent of Macon/Piatt Region from 1965 to 1985; he also
12 served as adjunct professor at Millikin University and Richland
13 Community College; he became President of Richland Community
14 College in 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) Clubs in
20 Illinois and Florida; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Howard E. Brown was a member of many community,
22 civic, professional, and fraternal organizations; he was a
23 50-year member of the Rotary Club of Decatur and was elected

 

 

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1 Illinois President of Rotary in 1956; in 1968, he became
2 President of the Area 4 Superintendents Association; he was
3 President of the Decatur Area Arts Council from 1969 to 1970;
4 he became President of the Macon County Mental Health
5 Association in 1970; he was appointed by the State
6 Superintendent of Education as a member of the Teacher
7 Certification Board from 1970 to 1974; in 1975, Howard was
8 elected President of the Regional Office of Superintendents; he
9 served on the Area Junior College Steering Committee in 1976;
10 during the 1970's, he directed and wrote a statewide study on
11 declining enrollments in Illinois public schools at the request
12 of State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Joseph Cronin; he was
13 also appointed by Governor James Thompson to a statewide
14 committee to establish a Master Teacher Program for the State
15 of Illinois; in 1976, he was a member of the Macon County
16 Planning Committee for the bicentennial celebration; in 1980,
17 he served on the search committee to select a new Dean for the
18 Department of Education at Eastern Illinois University; during
19 the 1980's, he served on the Boards of the Decatur Chamber of
20 Commerce, the United Way, the YMCA, the Salvation Army,
21 Visiting Nurses, and Baby Talk; in 1982, he was Chairman of the
22 High Risk Infant Screening Committee; and
 
23     WHEREAS, Howard E. Brown was a Thirty Second Degree Mason,
24 an Ansar Shriner, and a member of the Decatur Shrine Club; he
25 was a member of both the VFW and American Legion; he was a past

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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