SR2568 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR2568 LRB099 24418 MST 52186 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Paul John Magelli of Urbana, who passed away on December 4, 2016; and

WHEREAS, Paul Magelli was born in Mount Clare on June 28, 1931; he was an entrepreneur from early on; at the age of eight, he co-owned 25 goats and sold goat milk; by the age of 12, he was co-owner of the Magelli Brothers supermarkets; he graduated from Ottawa Township High School in 1949 and worked with his brothers at their supermarkets until 1956, when he entered the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; he received his bachelor's degree in economics in 1959, his master's degree in 1960, and his Ph.D. in 1965, all from the University of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Paul Magelli began his career by serving as Dean of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wichita State University, where he was also the President of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences from 1982 to 1983; he served as Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Drake University, as President of the Metropolitan State College of Denver, and as President of Parkland College from 1987 to 1989; upon retiring from Parkland College, he returned to the University of Illinois, where he served as an Assistant Dean of the MBA program, as Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, as Associate Dean and Director of Budgets, and as a visiting professor of economics; and

WHEREAS, In 1995, Paul Magelli established Illinois Business Consulting within the College of Business, which enabled MBA students to focus their classroom skills on real-world problems affecting companies; since the start of the program, hundreds of successful student-client relationships have solved pressing business needs and developed outstanding business leaders; the program has become a model for similar programs across the country; in 2004, he helped establish the Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership, based in the College of Business, which helps infuse entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking across every academic discipline of the University of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Paul Magelli has received numerous awards and recognitions; he was a member of the first class of American Council of Education Fellows in 1965; he received a Ford Foundation Fellowship in 1965 and the University of Illinois Chancellor's Distinguished Service Award in 1999; he was chosen by the United States Olympic Committee to carry the Olympic torch on its way to Salt Lake City in 2002 after being nominated by colleagues and students because he "lit the fire" in the hearts and minds of his students; he received an Honorary Doctor of Law, honoris causa, in 2003 from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, where he helped establish the Bristol Enterprise Centre; he was recognized as the University Student Senate Faculty Member of the Year in 2016; he received the Entrepreneurial Excellence Advocacy Award in 2016 at the Champaign County Innovation Celebration; and

WHEREAS, In 2011, Paul Magelli was part of a team that attempted an ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro, but was ultimately unsuccessful; he had been training for a return climb and the chance to be the oldest person on record to attempt the climb; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Paul John Magelli, and extend our sincere condolences 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 the family of Paul Magelli as an expression of our deepest sympathy.