Bill Text: IL HR1366 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourns the death of Edna Williams.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2013-01-06 - Resolution Adopted [HR1366 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2011-HR1366-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 Edna
Williams, who passed away on December 31, 2012; and
WHEREAS, Edna Williams was a native of Chicago and attended
Chicago public schools; while in elementary school, she began
her vocal studies with the distinguished vocal teacher, Stella
Sanger, at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, and piano with
Anna Maitland and Ida B. Davis; after graduating from Parker
High School, she furthered her studies by enrolling for 2 years
at the former Wilson Junior College (now Kennedy-King College),
where she served as President of the Music Club, and one year
at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, where she
studied voice with professor LeRoy Hamp; and
WHEREAS, In 1954, Edna Williams enrolled at the Chicago
Musical College of Roosevelt University, studying piano with
Dr. Felix Ganz and voice with the eminent Dr. Harvey Rignel;
she subsequently earned her bachelor's degree in music in 1957
and her master's degree in music in 1959; while attending
Roosevelt, she was the recipient of the Sue Cowan Hintz Voice
Award, the Oliver Ditson Voice Scholarship, and the coveted
John Hay Whitney Fellowship, which afforded her 15 months of
study in Vienna, Austria, with such fine teachers as Baron Hans

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Karg-Bebenburg and Professor Erik Werba; while in Austria, she
was presented in 2 recitals and was critically acclaimed; upon
her return to the United States in 1960, she toured Illinois,
Indiana, and Ohio in recital and sang many times on Chicago
radio and television; and
WHEREAS, In 1965, Edna Williams joined the faculty of
Northern Illinois University, where she retired in 1994 as a
Professor of Music; she also presented faculty recitals,
appeared as a soloist with the choral ensembles and the NIU
Philharmonic, and sang at many of the leading churches of all
denominations in the community; and
WHEREAS, Edna Williams was a former professional member of
the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chorus and appeared on several
occasions as a soprano soloist with the Chicago Chamber
Orchestra; for over 20 years, she was the soprano soloist in
the annual presentation of Handel's "Messiah"; in 1977, she
appeared a guest soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of
Stavanger, Norway, performing repertoire in Norwegian and
English; in 1983, she was presented in concert in the Martin
Luther King, Jr. Chapel on the campus of Morehouse College in
Atlanta, Georgia; and
WHEREAS, Edna Williams was a member of the National
Association of Negro Musicians, Inc., where she served as a

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board member, chairperson of the Artists Directory, and
national and regional scholarship chairperson; she also served
as second vice-president and scholarship chairperson of the
Chicago Music Association; and
WHEREAS, Edna Williams was a life-long member of Monumental
Baptist Church and was appointed to serve as the church's
Minister of Music in 1992; she also served on the Monumental
Credit Union Scholarship Committee and served as the
organization's treasurer and first president; and
WHEREAS, In 1989, Edna Williams was the recipient of an
honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from the Chicago Baptist
Institute in recognition of her achievements and contributions
to the Christian ministry; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we mourn, along with her family and friends, the passing of
Edna Williams; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the family of Edna Williams as an expression of
our sympathy.