Bill Text: IL SR2267 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the death of Melvin Thomas "Tom" Davisson, P.E., Ph.D. of Urbana.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2016-11-16 - Resolution Adopted [SR2267 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2015-SR2267-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
3 | learn of the death of Melvin Thomas "Tom" Davisson, P.E., Ph.D. | ||||||
4 | of Urbana, who passed away on September 9, 2016; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Melvin Davisson was born on December 23, 1931 in | ||||||
6 | Grafton, West Virginia; his parents were David Earl Davisson | ||||||
7 | and Leona Caroline Davisson; he married Marlene Elaine Krumeich | ||||||
8 | on May 14, 1955 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cuyahoga | ||||||
9 | Falls, Ohio; and
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10 | WHEREAS, Melvin Davisson received his bachelor's degree in | ||||||
11 | civil engineering from the University of Akron and a Master of | ||||||
12 | Science and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of | ||||||
13 | Illinois; he began his career at the University of Illinois as | ||||||
14 | a research assistant in 1956 and moved through the academic | ||||||
15 | ranks to a full professorship in 1971; and
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16 | WHEREAS, From 1981 to 2000, Melvin Davisson devoted his | ||||||
17 | time to the engineering consulting practice he established in | ||||||
18 | 1958; he was a geotechnical consulting engineer with a | ||||||
19 | distinguished record as a researcher, designer, educator, and | ||||||
20 | member of numerous professional societies; he served on and | ||||||
21 | chaired many committees of various professional organizations | ||||||
22 | with which he was associated; he also taught continuing |
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1 | education courses and was an arbitrator for engineering and | ||||||
2 | construction disputes; and
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3 | WHEREAS, Melvin Davisson published many professional | ||||||
4 | papers and designed and improved specialized construction | ||||||
5 | equipment; he is particularly noted for "The Davisson Limit", a | ||||||
6 | widespread definition of pile failure load; he received many | ||||||
7 | national and international awards for his work on pile driving, | ||||||
8 | including the Distinguished Service Award from the Deep | ||||||
9 | Foundations Institute; and
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10 | WHEREAS, Melvin Davisson enjoyed spending time with his | ||||||
11 | family, reading, fishing, golfing, and teaching; he also had a | ||||||
12 | private pilot license and flew his own plane; and
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13 | WHEREAS, Melvin Davisson was preceded in death by his | ||||||
14 | parents; his daughter, Teresa Lynn Christensen; and his | ||||||
15 | half-sister, Elizabeth Jean (Kenneth) Smith; and
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16 | WHEREAS, Melvin Davisson is survived by his wife of 61 | ||||||
17 | years, Marlene "Mickey"; his son, James Preston "J.P." | ||||||
18 | Davisson; his daughters, Diana Marie Davisson and Kathleen | ||||||
19 | Elaine Davisson; his son-in-law, Rex Alan Christensen; his | ||||||
20 | step-grandchildren, Andrea Gibbs Christensen and Stephanie | ||||||
21 | Brook Purvis (John); and his step-great-grandchildren, Sophia | ||||||
22 | and John; therefore, be it
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1 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL | ||||||
2 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his | ||||||
3 | family and friends, mourn the passing of Melvin Thomas "Tom" | ||||||
4 | Davisson; and be it further
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5 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
6 | presented to the family of Melvin Davisson as an expression of | ||||||
7 | our sympathy.
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