HJ0005 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0005 LRB102 05166 MST 15187 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Orion Samuelson, a longtime Illinois agriculture figure, on his retirement on December 31, 2020 after 60 years at WGN Radio; and

WHEREAS, Orion Samuelson's first day on the air at WGN was on September 26, 1960 at 5:00a.m., "milking time"; he was 26 years old; and

WHEREAS, Orion Samuelson has become one of the most recognizable voices and faces of agriculture in the country; "The Big O", as he is affectionately known, presents daily agriculture and business reports on WGN, in addition to co-hosting The Morning Show on Saturdays with Max Armstrong; over the course of his illustrious career, he has interviewed nine presidents, been involved in four official government trips, and broadcast from more than 40 countries, including the former USSR and Cuba; and

WHEREAS, Orion Samuelson's lifelong commitment to agriculture has been recognized by organizations in all segments of agri-business; he has received numerous accolades and awards over the years, including an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Illinois and a Distinguished Service Award from the American Farm Bureau Federation; in 2001, he was named a laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and honored with the Lincoln Medal, the highest award bestowed by the State of Illinois; in 2003, he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame and was presented the award by fellow member Paul Harvey; and

WHEREAS, Orion Samuelson is a 4-H alumni from Vernon County, Wisconsin; a longtime supporter of the 4-H program in Illinois, he has made a tremendous impact in Illinois and beyond; and

WHEREAS, Orion Samuelson's name adorns the Junior Livestock Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield and an honorary street sign on the southeast corner of E. Illinois Street and N. Cityfront Plaza Drive in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Orion Samuelson cherishes the honorary Doctor of Letters that he received from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2001 above all of his other honors; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we declare August 17, 2021 as Orion Samuelson Day in the State of Illinois to honor his dedication to the Illinois agriculture industry; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Orion Samuelson, Larry Wert with WGN Radio, the Illinois Foundation Board and the University of Illinois Extension Program of the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences.