SR0059 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0059 LRB095 10932 KXB 31223 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Willye B. White of Chicago, the first American to compete in five Olympics, who passed away on February 6, 2007; and

WHEREAS, Willye White was born December 31, 1939, in Money, Mississippi, and grew up in Greenwood; and

WHEREAS, Willye B. White competed in every Olympics from 1956 to 1972, with only an injury keeping her from the 1976 team; in 1956 she was a 16-year old high school sophomore at her first Olympics when she won a silver medal in the long jump; she won another silver medal in the 4 X 100 meter relay in 1964; and

WHEREAS, She was America's best female long jumper for almost two decades, with a career best of 21 feet 6 inches; she won nine consecutive United States outdoor championships, set seven American records and competed in 150 nations; and

WHEREAS, Willye White stood 5 feet 4 inches and 130 pounds, and she could perform weightlifting squats with more than 380 pounds; and

WHEREAS, She once reflected that she only could get recognition through sports; she started track as a 10-year-old sprinter, turning to the long jump because the field of sprinters was so large at that time, and there were few people in the long jump competition; and

WHEREAS, Willye White entered Tennessee State University, where the track coach was the renowned Ed Temple; another future Olympian, the sprinter Wilma Rudolph, was a teammate; she left the school after six months; in 1960 she moved to Chicago and, in 1976, earned a degree in public health administration from Chicago State University; she began a career as a practical nurse and spent 37 years working in city government as a health administrator, a director of recreational services, and a creator of sports programs for young girls in housing projects; and

WHEREAS, In 1991, she founded the Willye White Foundation to help children develop self-esteem; she was elected to eleven halls of fame including the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame, the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, and the Black Sports Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, Willye White is survived by her brother and her sister; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with her family and friends, the passing of Willye B. White; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Willye B. White as a symbol of our respect and sympathy.