Bill Text: IL HR1070 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourns the death of James "Major" Adams.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2016-04-04 - Resolution Adopted [HR1070 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HR1070-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of James
"Major" Adams; and
WHEREAS, James Adams was born on January 5, 1922 and was
raised on the west side of Chicago in what was then called
Maxwell Street; he graduated from Crane High School in 1939 and
at the time of his death was the school's oldest living alumni;
and
WHEREAS, After serving a tour in Europe during World War II
and working for various agencies, including Jane Addams Hull
House, James Adams moved into the Henry Horner Housing
Development in 1955, where he immediately began to provide gang
intervention and prevention programs as a volunteer and later
as an employee of the Henry Horner Boys and Girls Club; due in
part to his efforts, the Henry Horner Boys and Girls Club was
the first Boys Club built in a housing development in the
United States; he, along other community residents, created a
drill team which later became the Hornets Drum and Bugle Corps,
a nationally-renowned 120 member paramilitary-style band
composed of young people and troubled youth ages 14 to 21; and
WHEREAS, From 1959 through 1962, James Adams, with the

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assistance of the Chicago Area Project, established and
developed the Youth Services Committee of the Westside, a
grassroots voluntary community-based organization which
addressed the rising juvenile delinquency cases in the
neighborhood; along with other volunteer parents and leaders,
he provided direct services and advocated on behalf of the
youth and families with schools, courts, the Chicago Police
Department, and other institutions; he also initiated
community organizing and development efforts aimed at
improving the quality of life for neighborhood residents; and
WHEREAS, During his work with the youth in the community,
James Adams would often be visited by former residents that had
recently been released from prison, many of them having no idea
of how to get back on their feet; for many, the first stop
after being released would be the Boy's Club to see "Major";
with very few resources available, he created the community's
first re-entry program for ex-felons; he recruited the
Salvation Army to provide daily breakfast and lunches and the
Mile Square Health Center and Bobby E. Wright Comprehensive
Behavioral Health Center to provide medical services; during
the 1970s and 1980s, he assisted the leadership of Malcolm X
College in recruiting and increasing student enrollment,
developing the community college music program, and promoting
summer youth sport and academic initiatives; he also led the
Malcolm X College Kwanzaa program for youth residing in the

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Henry Horner Homes from 1993 to 1996 and was awarded the Shule
Ya Watolo Service Award in 1996; and
WHEREAS, James Adams worked with local businesses,
including Rush University, to provide job opportunities; he
created the original Midnight Basketball program to keep young
men off the streets during prime crime spree hours; his
counseling and mentoring aided in reducing the rate of
recidivism; his pioneering work with Nancy Jefferson and
Congressman Danny Davis also led to many programs assisting
ex-felons; and
WHEREAS, James Adams' work has influenced many notable
individuals, such as Warner Saunders (NBC 5 news anchor),
Reginald "Hats" Adams, Maurice and Verdine White (Earth, Wind,
and Fire), Dr. Steven Parker, Dr. Vaughn Tatum, Sonny Lumpkin
(City College Chancellor), Cheryl Hyman, Howard Lathan, Boyse
Edwards, Keith Jackson, Arthur Robertson (founder of the South
Shore Drill Team), Bill Freeman, and many other notable
leaders; and
WHEREAS, James Adams was a recipient of numerous awards and
accolades, including the 1998 National Jefferson
Award/Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Public Service Award, the
2012 President's Volunteer Services Awards, and the 2013
Governor's Volunteer Award; his work will also continue through

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the agency he founded in 1996, the Major Adams Community
Committee, which will keep alive his vision of "Empowering
Youth and Families"; and
WHEREAS, James Adams served as a model 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-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of
James "Major" Adams; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the family of James Adams as an expression of our
sympathy.