HR1058 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1058 LRB094 20022 HSS 57538 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Ray Meyer, Hall of Fame basketball coach at DePaul University, on Friday, March 17, 2006, at the age of 92; and

WHEREAS, Ray Meyer was born on December 18, 1913, in Chicago, the son of a candy wholesaler and the youngest of ten children; he planned to be a priest but turned to sports after starring in basketball at Chicago's Quigley Prep and St. Patrick's Academy, where he was part of the 1932 Catholic high school national championship team; he later accepted a scholarship to play at Notre Dame, where he was co-captain of the basketball team during his junior and senior years, and where he also began his coaching career as an assistant coach; and

WHEREAS, Over the span of a 42-year career of dedication and leadership at DePaul, Coach Meyer compiled a record of 724 wins and 354 losses, placing him fifth in career victories among college basketball coaches; his coaching accomplishments further included 37 winning seasons, 20 postseason appearances, a 1945 National Invitational Tournament championship, 13 trips to the NCAA tournament, including Final Four appearances in 1943 and 1979, and 12 seasons with 20 or more victories; and

WHEREAS, The true value of Ray Meyer's coaching skills was evidenced not only by his ability to have young men succeed on the basketball court, but also by his determination to instill in them the strong personal and family values that would allow them to succeed throughout their lives; and

WHEREAS, With the discovery of George Mikan, an unknown 6'10" student who had never even played high school basketball, Ray Meyer invented the role of the proverbial "big man", thereby revolutionizing the sport into what it has become today; and

WHEREAS, As the result of his remarkable achievements and contributions to the game, in February of 1979, Coach Meyer joined John Wooden, Adolph Rupp, and Frank McGuire as the only active coaches elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, Those who knew Coach Meyer appreciated the fact that his passion for the game was only eclipsed by his boundless love for his wife, Marge, for his sons, Tommy, Joey, and Bobby, each having played for him at DePaul, and for his daughters, Barbara and Patricia; and

WHEREAS, DePaul students today, and for generations to come, will continue to participate and thrive in campus athletics at the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center located on a stretch of Belden Avenue, since renamed Ray Meyer Drive; and

WHEREAS, The willingness of Coach Meyer to freely give of himself to the community made him an ambassador, not only for DePaul University, but for the game of college basketball and the entire City of Chicago; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Coach Ray Meyer, and we extend our deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to his family and to DePaul University as an expression of our sincerest condolences.