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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The conclusion of the spring session of the 101st
3General Assembly will mark a significant change to the face of
4statehouse journalism with the retirement of Charles N.
5"Charlie" Wheeler III as the Director of the Public Affairs
6Reporting Program (PAR) at the University of Illinois
7Springfield (UIS); and
 
8    WHEREAS, Charlie Wheeler's departure caps an amazing 50
9years of journalistic excellence that began with the Chicago
10Sun-Times and ends with a journey that has guided approximately
11700 students through the nationally respected PAR master's
12degree program at UIS; and
 
13    WHEREAS, As if that legendary longevity was not enough,
14Charlie Wheeler's career ends with over 110 years of family
15reporting that began with his grandfather as a correspondent
16with the Chicago Inter Ocean and the Chicago Tribune and
17continued on with his father who worked for the Chicago Times
18and the Chicago Sun-Times; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Charlie Wheeler earned degrees in journalism from
20St. Mary College and the Medill School of Journalism at
21Northwestern University; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Prior to his career in journalism, Charlie Wheeler
2spent three years in Panama with the Peace Corps; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Charlie Wheeler's PAR students routinely use the
4words "father" and life changing" to describe the impact he has
5had on their lives; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Like those who preceded Charlie Wheeler as PAR
7director including U.S. Senator Paul Simon and Bill Miller,
8perhaps the best testimonial to his accomplishments is the
9legion of award-winning reporters, who stretch from coast to
10coast and staff every type of news gathering operation from
11small town weeklies to national cable news programs; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Charlie Wheeler has received many honors and
13recognitions, including five national Capitolbeat awards for
14his Illinois Issues commentaries, the 2013 Journalist of the
15Year by the Eastern Illinois University Department of
16Journalism, and induction into the Lincoln League of
17Journalists by the Illinois Associated Press Editors
18Association; additionally, he served as president of the
19Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association for 16 years;
20therefore, be it
 
21    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
22HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that

 

 

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1we congratulate Charles N. "Charlie" Wheeler III on the
2occasion of his retirement, thank him for his selfless
3dedication to journalism in the State of Illinois and for
4inspiring hundreds of student journalists that are now
5excelling in their field due to his teaching, and wish him well
6in the years to come; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
8presented to Charlie Wheeler as a symbol of our respect and
9esteem and respect.