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92_HR0074
LRB9207833RHrh
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to recognize dedicated acts of
4 service to a community in the State of Illinois; and
5 WHEREAS, For the last 59 years, Rodger William Hammill
6 has made a lasting and profound difference in the Franklin
7 Park community; and
8 WHEREAS, Rodger William Hammill was born on August 30,
9 1915; he attended grade school in the unincorporated Norwood
10 Township at Melvina and Montrose and attended high school at
11 Carl Schurz; he married his wife, Dorothy in 1940; and
12 WHEREAS, Mr. Hammill moved to the Franklin Park area in
13 1942; having inherited his father's business, the Chicago
14 Washed Cotton Goods, he was continually busy running the
15 family business, selling electrical material for Bright
16 Electric Company, and also taking pictures for the fire and
17 police departments; and
18 WHEREAS, The year 1947 was a very busy year for Mr.
19 Hammill, signifying the beginning of more than a half century
20 of community involvement in the Village of Franklin Park;
21 that year he opened his first photo studio on Franklin
22 Avenue; in addition, he helped form the Chamber of Commerce,
23 was appointed Police and Fire Commissioner, and elected as
24 village trustee; and
25 WHEREAS, Rodger Hammill's name is synonymous with the
26 Kiwanis Club and he has a 53-year perfect attendance record
27 with the organization; in 1946, he campaigned for a water
28 bond issue bringing Chicago Water to Franklin Park; in 1948,
29 he was the founding member of the Franklin Park Manufacturing
30 Association; in 1953, Rodger worked with many of the
31 residents to bring the Leyden Community Hospital to the
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1 community; he was also a charter member of the Leyden
2 Community Hospital Foundation; in 1957, he was elected Leyden
3 Township Constable and was appointed Civil Defense Director
4 of Franklin Park in 1959; and
5 WHEREAS, Rodger Hammill's incredible photograph
6 collection of Franklin Park's history served him well during
7 the 70th anniversary of the community's incorporation in
8 1952, the 1967 Diamond Jubilee, and the 1992 centennial
9 celebration; he was intimately involved with all three
10 historic town observances providing photographs, movies,
11 documentaries, and hundreds of hours of his time to make
12 these events so memorable; and
13 WHEREAS, During this whole period, Mr. Hammill has been
14 an active member of the First United Methodist Church; he has
15 been the photographer at all the events there, especially the
16 yearly confirmation classes; he has also been a life long
17 friend of the library, having helped create the Village
18 Library District in 1967, where he continues to donate
19 pictures for the local history room; and
20 WHEREAS, Rodger Hammill has been the recipient of
21 numerous awards over the years, the most memorable include:
22 the testimonial dinner by local police, fire, and village
23 officials in 1978, being selected as Individual of the Year
24 by the Chamber of Commerce in 1985, being named the Senior
25 Volunteer by Cook County Sheriff Michael Sheehan, and being
26 awarded the Kiwanis Club's Amador Medal in 1997; and
27 WHEREAS, Rodger William Hammill has proven himself to be
28 a legend in the history of Franklin Park; his dedicated
29 service and love for the community has helped Franklin Park
30 grow over the years; his service has provided the community
31 with a link to its past, present, and future; therefore, be
32 it
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1 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3 we honor Rodger William Hammill for his 59 years of dedicated
4 service to the Village of Franklin Park; and be it further
5 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6 presented to Rodger William Hammill as an expression of our
7 esteem.