Bill Text: IL SR0818 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Congratulates Victory Bell of Rockford on his 90th birthday. Thanks him for his service and dedication to the citizens of Rockford and the State. Wishes him many more happy and healthy years.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-04-12 - Resolution Adopted [SR0818 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SR0818-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to | ||||||
3 | congratulate Victory Bell of Rockford on the occasion of his | ||||||
4 | 90th birthday; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Victory Bell, the son of Bea Bell and Gladys | ||||||
6 | Thompson, was born in Durant, Mississippi on March 7, 1934; he | ||||||
7 | and his family moved to Rockford, Illinois in 1945, where he | ||||||
8 | attended Montague Elementary School and graduated from West | ||||||
9 | High School in 1953; he married his wife, Carol, on November | ||||||
10 | 21, 1981, and they had six children, Jeffery, Gregory, Victor, | ||||||
11 | Michelle, Roger, and Bradley; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Soon after graduating high school, Victory Bell | ||||||
13 | began working at the Illinois Bell Telephone Company, starting | ||||||
14 | as a janitor before being promoted to supply clerk in 1964 and | ||||||
15 | material supply in 1966; he then became an installer with the | ||||||
16 | Installation Department, and he was soon promoted to plant | ||||||
17 | dispatcher in 1969 and then manager of installations in 1970; | ||||||
18 | he concluded his career after 33 years of service, retiring in | ||||||
19 | 1987; he later served as a manager at the Illinois Secretary of | ||||||
20 | State Facility in Rockford; and
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21 | WHEREAS, Victory Bell began his long political career as a | ||||||
22 | precinct committeeman in 1962, and he was active on the |
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1 | Winnebago County Political Action Committee; he was elected to | ||||||
2 | serve as alderman of the 5th Ward on the Rockford City Council | ||||||
3 | in 1971, becoming the first African American to be elected | ||||||
4 | alderman in Rockford; he served in that position for 38 years, | ||||||
5 | and he was noted as one of the longest-serving alderpersons in | ||||||
6 | the State; and
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7 | WHEREAS, During his tenure on the Rockford City Council, | ||||||
8 | Victory Bell provided a strong voice for minority rights while | ||||||
9 | preserving his calm and dignified demeanor, and he was | ||||||
10 | credited with elevating minority ranks in Rockford's police, | ||||||
11 | fire, and public works departments and within State boards and | ||||||
12 | commissions; he was instrumental in promoting county board | ||||||
13 | members, and he assisted Mayor Bob McGaw with his succeessful | ||||||
14 | election in 1970; he was also integral in the completion of | ||||||
15 | Central Avenue from Ogilby Road to Preston Street, linking | ||||||
16 | southwest to northwest Rockford, in the 1980s; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Victory Bell was featured as one of the Rockford | ||||||
18 | Register Star's 100 People of the Century in 1999; and
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19 | WHEREAS, Victory Bell is a member of the NAACP; and
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20 | WHEREAS, Victory Bell will celebrate his 90th birthday on | ||||||
21 | March 7, 2024; therefore, be it
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1 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
2 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate | ||||||
3 | Victory Bell on celebrating his 90th birthday, thank him for | ||||||
4 | his service and dedication to the citizens of Rockford and the | ||||||
5 | State, and wish him many more happy and healthy years; and be | ||||||
6 | it further
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