HR1399 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1399 LRB096 23493 GRL 42860 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the students, faculty, and administration of Proviso East High School in Maywood on the occasion of the school's 100th anniversary in 2010; and

WHEREAS, Proviso East High School's cornerstone was laid on January 21, 1911, in a ceremony presided over by a local lodge of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; in October of 1915, the school district began the process of selling $50,000 in bonds for the purpose of expanding the school; and

WHEREAS, In 1929, work began on Proviso East High School's new school building; in November of 1936, voters in the district approved a bond issue, in conjunction with funding from the Public Works Administration, for the construction of a fieldhouse, which was completed in 1938; and

WHEREAS, After the outbreak of World War II, many changes were made to Proviso East High School's curriculum, including a co-ed pre-flight aeronautics class, coursework to help fill needed jobs in the agriculture sector, a National Youth Administration workshop for vocational education, and industrial classes necessary for the war effort; and

WHEREAS, In April of 1951, the Illinois Education Association sponsored a meeting at Proviso East High School; the meeting featured a keynote address by Edith S. Sampson, the United States' alternate delegate to the United Nations and the first African-American woman to represent the U.S. at the United Nations; in 1953, researchers from the University of Chicago recommended that the school begin expansion plans and school district officials began examining the purchase of land for a new school; by 1955, the school population had grown to over 3,400 students; and

WHEREAS, In 1963, over 7,000 students attended Proviso East High School and its sister school, Proviso West High School, necessitating the need for further room at Proviso East; the school added a total of 9 new classrooms by carving them from a hallway and the passageway which connected the new and old additions of the school; the 1960s also saw Proviso East caught up in a great deal of the racial turmoil that was prevalent in the country in the late 1960s, with numerous incidents creating racial problems within the student body; and

WHEREAS, Proviso East High School is known for its extensive list of notable alumni, including athletes Jim Brewer, Glenn "Doc" Rivers, and Ray Nitschke, businesswomen Sheila Johnson, actor Dennis Franz, and astronaut Eugene Cernan, who was the last person to walk on the moon; and

WHEREAS, The students and staff of Proviso East High School serves as models of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the students, faculty, and administration of Proviso East High School in Maywood on the occasion of the school's 100th anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Proviso East High School principal Milton Patch as a symbol of our esteem and respect.