Bill Text: IL HR0231 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulates former United States Senator Alan J. Dixon on the occasion of having the Senator Alan J. Dixon Student Center at Lindenwood University-Belleville named after him and recognizes his innumerable achievements and efforts on behalf of his hometown of Belleville.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2011-03-31 - Resolution Adopted [HR0231 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2011-HR0231-Introduced.html

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HR0231 LRB097 11379 GRL 53656 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives wish to pay tribute to and acknowledge former
U.S. Senator Alan J. Dixon's contributions to his hometown of
Belleville, the State of Illinois, and the nation and
congratulate him for having the Senator Alan J. Dixon Student
Center at Lindenwood University-Belleville named after him;
and
WHEREAS, Lindenwood University-Belleville will honor Alan
J. Dixon by naming its student center the Senator Alan J. Dixon
Student Center; we congratulate him for this honor and his
distinguished service to the State of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, The Senator Alan J. Dixon Student Center will
provide Lindenwood University-Belleville students with a state
of the art research library, an ergonomically-designed
computer lab, a dining hall, a contemporary student lounge, and
a spirit shop; as a tribute to Senator Dixon, the library will
also showcase a museum of his political accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon was born and raised in Belleville;
he graduated from Belleville Township High School, now the
Lindenwood University-Belleville campus; he began his 43-year
political career in law school, when he was elected to serve as

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Belleville Police Magistrate; at the age of 22, he was elected
one of the youngest legislators ever elected to serve in the
Illinois House of Representatives; and
WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon rose through the ranks of State
government as an Illinois State Representative for 12 years,
where he was an advocate for higher education and co-sponsored
legislation which produced Illinois' community college system;
and
WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon served in the Illinois State Senate
for eight years, rising to Assistant Democratic Leader; he was
elected to serve as Illinois State Treasurer in 1970; from 1977
to 1981, he served as Illinois Secretary of State, an office he
won by a margin of 1.3 million votes; his 1.5 million
re-election majority marked the only time a candidate from
either political party ever carried all 102 Illinois counties
in an election, including all 30 townships in suburban Cook
County and all 50 wards in the City of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon was well known as a gregarious
politician and was revered as "Al the Pal" among friends,
colleagues, and news pundits; his staff wore "I'm Al's Pal"
campaign buttons in the 1980 campaign for the United States
Senate; he was elected to the United States Senate that year;
and

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WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon won his first election to the United
States Senate by more than 600,000 votes; he won his
re-election to the United States Senate in 1986 by more than
950,000 votes; and
WHEREAS, In 1988 and again in 1990, Alan J. Dixon was
unanimously selected by his party colleagues to serve as the
chief deputy whip of the United States Senate, the number three
leadership post; Senator Dixon enjoyed an unbroken string of 29
election victories; and
WHEREAS, At the request of President Bill Clinton, Alan J.
Dixon served as chairman of the Defense Base Closure and
Realignment Commission in 1994 and 1995, a job that called for
both national defense knowledge and good political ties with
Democrats and Republicans; as a former chairman of an important
Senate Armed Services Subcommittee, he had the defense
knowledge required for the job; on the second requirement of
good ties with both parties, Democrats and Republicans have
always mutually respected Senator Dixon; and
WHEREAS, Alan J. Dixon is presently a partner with the St.
Louis, Missouri based law firm, Bryan Cave, LLP, where he
serves corporate and government clients; he is married to Joan
Fox Dixon and has three children, Stephanie, Jeffrey, and

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Elizabeth, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren;
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we congratulate former United States Senator Alan J. Dixon on
the occasion of having the Senator Alan J. Dixon Student Center
at Lindenwood University-Belleville named after him and
recognize and thank him for his innumerable achievements and
efforts on behalf of his hometown of Belleville; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to Alan J. Dixon as an expression of our utmost
respect and esteem.