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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are deeply
3saddened to learn of the death of James M. Bailey Sr. of Alton,
4who died on August 10, 2012; and
 
5    WHEREAS, James Bailey Sr. was born on May 5, 1915, in
6Trenton, Gibson County, Tennessee, to James A. and Rachel
7Ophelia (Midgett) Bailey; he married Mary Louise Simmons on
8October 30, 1938, in Marshall, Missouri; they were married for
973 years and had 2 sons, Dr. James "Jimmy Joe" M. Bailey Jr.
10and Judge Duane L. Bailey; and
 
11    WHEREAS, James Bailey Sr. graduated from Vashon High School
12in St. Louis in June 1935 and was later inducted into their
13hall of fame; he graduated from Lincoln University in Jefferson
14City, Missouri in 1939, with a bachelor of science degree in
15education; he was the first person to pledge the Eta Sigma
16Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity at Lincoln University and
17was later inducted into their hall of fame and received their
18Distinguished Alumni Award; he received a masters of science
19degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in
201948; and
 
21    WHEREAS, James Bailey Sr. began his career in education as
22a teacher and coach at Garfield High School in Mexico,

 

 

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1Missouri; he served the Alton school district for 3 years as a
2teacher, coach, junior high school assistant principal, junior
3high school principal, and administrative supervising
4principal of elementary schools; he served 10 years with the
5district as the assistant principal of Alton High School and
6assistant to the superintendent of schools; and
 
7    WHEREAS, In 2006, the library at the new Alton High School
8was named the James M. Bailey Library; he was elected to the
9city council as the first African-American alderman for the
10city of Alton, which he served for 10 years; he was appointed
11as Alton's first African-American comptroller, in which
12capacity he served for 6 years; and
 
13    WHEREAS, James Bailey Sr. was active in many organizations
14throughout his lifetime; he was co-founder of the Elijah P.
15Lovejoy Memorial, organizer and first chairman of the board of
16the Madison County Equal Economic Opportunity Commission,
17organizer for the Madison County Headstart Program, and board
18member and chairman for the Hayner Public Library Board; he was
19a member of the Alton-Wood River chapter of the American Red
20Cross, the St. Louis Metro-East Higher Education Coordinating
21Council Advisory Committee, East-West Gateway Advisory
22Committee, the ad hoc committee to promote legislation to
23establish Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, the ad
24hoc committee to organize and promote the referendum to

 

 

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1establish Lewis and Clark Community College-Godfrey; he was a
2past chairman of the Selective Service Board of Appeals of
3Southern Illinois and past member of St. Joseph's Hospital
4Advisory Committee; and
 
5    WHEREAS, James Bailey Sr. was a charter member of the Unity
6Fellowship Church and was a former member of Allen Chapel AME
7Church, where he served as a trustee and treasurer; he received
8many awards for his community service, including the Alton
9Human Relations Award, Brotherhood Award, Alton Community
10Citizens Award, Lovejoy Human Rights Award, NAACP's
11Outstanding Citizen Award, Madison County Urban League Award,
12100 Black Men Award, Illinois Association Club Women, Inc. "Man
13of the Year" Award, and the Kimmel Leadership Award; and
 
14    WHEREAS, James Bailey Sr. was preceded in death by his
15parents, James A. and Rachel Ophelia Bailey; his brothers,
16Raymond, Gilbert, and Robert Bailey; and his sisters, Gladys
17Ellis, Claris Burnett, and Claudine Lewis; and
 
18    WHEREAS, James Bailey Sr. is survived by his wife, Mary
19Louise; his sons, Dr. James (Michelle) Bailey and Judge Duane
20L. (Lois M. Holmes) Bailey; his granddaughters, Tori R. Bailey,
21Laruen T. Bailey, and Carmen L. Bailey; his grandson, James M.
22Bailey III; his great-granddaughters, Sacha N. Brown and Elona
23M. Williams; his brother and sisters-in-law, Jasper Simmons,

 

 

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1Richard (Sallie) Simmons, and Martha A. Green; and a host of
2cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, and a special niece, Nancy
3Clark; therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
5ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
6James Bailey Sr., and we extend our sincere condolences to his
7family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
8further
 
9    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10presented to the family of James Bailey Sr. as an expression of
11our deepest sympathy.