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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate Oprah Winfrey on
4the occasion of her show's final season; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in
6Kosciusko, Mississippi; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Oprah Winfrey began her broadcasting career at
8WVOL radio in Nashville while still in high school; at the age
9of 19, she became the youngest person and the first
10African-American woman to anchor the news at Nashville's
11WTVF-TV; and
 
12    WHEREAS, In 1976, Oprah Winfrey moved to Baltimore,
13Maryland to join WJZ-TV news as a co-anchor of the Six O'Clock
14News, and in 1978, discovered her talent for hosting talk shows
15when she became co-host of WJZ-TV's talk show "People Are
16Talking", while continuing to serve as anchor and news
17reporter; in January 1984, she moved to Chicago to host
18WLS-TV's morning talk show "AM Chicago", which became the
19number one local talk show just one month after she began; in
20less than a year, the show expanded to one hour and, in
21September 1985, was renamed "The Oprah Winfrey Show"; in 1986,
22"The Oprah Winfrey Show" was syndicated and aired in 107

 

 

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1countries with 23 million viewers; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Oprah Winfrey has impacted the media of
3television, publishing, film, philanthropy, education, and
4health and fitness; she has also been a boon to the tourism and
5hospitality industries in the City of Chicago through the many
6people throughout the world who have come to see her show and
7the many celebrities she has brought to the City; and
 
8    WHEREAS, In the television medium, the film medium, and the
9print medium, Oprah Winfrey serves as chairperson of HARPO,
10Inc., HARPO Productions, Inc.; HARPO Studios Inc., HARPO Films,
11Inc., HARPO Print, LLC, and HARPO Video, Inc.; she recently
12created her own network, OWN; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Oprah Winfrey has received numerous awards,
14including the George Foster Peabody Individual Achievement
15Award (1996); the International Radio and Television Society's
16"Broadcaster of the Year" Award (1996); Newsweek's "Most
17Important Person" in books and media, TV Guide's "Television
18Performer of the Year" (1997); Time magazine's "100 Most
19Influential People of the 20th Century", the National Academy
20of Television Arts and Sciences' Lifetime Achievement Award
21(1998); the National Book Foundation's 50th Anniversary Gold
22Medal (1999); the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, Broadcasting &
23Cable's Hall of Fame (2002); Association of American Publishers

 

 

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1AAP Honors award (2003); National Association of Broadcasters
2Distinguished Service Award; and Time Magazine's "100 Most
3Influential People in the World" (2004); and
 
4    WHEREAS, After receiving 39 Daytime Emmy Awards, seven for
5Outstanding Host, nine for Outstanding Talk Show, 21 in the
6Creative Arts categories, and one for her work as supervising
7producer of the ABC After School Special "Shades of Single
8Protein", Oprah Winfrey's removed herself from future Emmy
9consideration in 1999, and the show followed suit in 2000; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The City of Chicago named the street where Harpo
11Studios resides "Oprah Winfrey Way" in honor of Oprah's
12contribution to the City and its residents; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Oprah Winfrey's never-ending philanthropy has
14been exemplified by such activities as ChristmasKindness South
15Africa 2002; Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls-South
16Africa; and the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program; among her many
17ventures that have improved the lives of countless individuals
18are Oprah's Angel Network; Oprah's Book Club; the Live Your
19Best Life Tour; her service as national spokesperson for "A
20Better Chance"; and her service as an advocate for the National
21Child Protection Act, which was signed on December 20, 1993 by
22President Clinton and declared the "Oprah Bill"; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Oprah Winfrey's final show was as big as her
2career; the episode was filmed at the United Center in Chicago
3and featured dozens of celebrity guests, including Mayor
4Richard M. Daley; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Oprah Winfrey's ability to reach, encourage, and
6effect change and to teach her viewers through her own
7experiences have enabled her to become a leader in the world of
8entertainment and journalism and an inspiration to countless
9millions throughout the world; therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
11NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
12we congratulate Oprah Winfrey on the occasion of her show's
13final season, thank her for making the State of Illinois her
14home, and wish her good luck and continued success in the
15future; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
17presented to Oprah Winfrey as an expression of our utmost
18respect and esteem.