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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Stan Bergstein, who passed away on
4November 2, 2011; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein was born in Pottsville,
6Pennsylvania; he served his country with pride as a member of
7the United States Army during World War II, walking onto Omaha
8Beach a few days after the Normandy invasion and engaging in
9combat; after his discharge, he enrolled in Northwestern
10University's Medill School of Journalism; and
 
11    WHEREAS, After graduating from Northwestern, Stan
12Bergstein became a track announcer at Maywood Park, which
13inaugurated pari-mutuel harness racing in Illinois in 1946; in
141948, he was hired by Abe Saperstein to work as an announcer
15and publicist for the Harlem Globetrotters, traveling
16throughout America and abroad with the team for 5 years; he
17also worked as a race secretary and track announcer at
18Sportsman's Park; and
 
19    WHEREAS, In 1961, Stan Bergstein left Sportsman's Park to
20become executive vice president of Harness Tracks of America,
21where he remained until his retirement in February of 2011; in
221968, he added the title of vice president of publicity and

 

 

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1public relations for the U.S. Trotting Association, the
2governing body of the standardbred sport; he also served as
3editor of the USTA's award-winning monthly magazine,
4HoofBeats; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein was a staunch advocate of forging
6closer ties between standardbred and thoroughbred racing, most
7notably in regards to medication abuse and drug testing; he
8began writing a column for the thoroughbred publication Daily
9Racing Form in 1948; he continued to contribute columns to the
10publication until September of 2011; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein was the announcer for harness
12racing's 2 premier events, working 2 years at the Little Brown
13Jug and 17 years at the Hambletonian; he also inaugurated the
14World Driving Championship, a yearly series of races involving
15harness drivers from the U.S. and Europe with competition on
16both continents; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein was the only person to be inducted
18into both the Harness Racing Hall of Fame and its Communicators
19Hall of Fame; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein will be honored by the United
21States Harness Writers Association for his many lifetime
22achievements in the harness racing industry at its 2012 awards

 

 

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1dinner in Orlando, Florida on February 12, 2012; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein was preceded in death by his wife;
3and
 
4    WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein is survived by his son, Al; his
5daughter, Lisa Bergstein Tremback; and his 4 grandsons;
6therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
8ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
9his family and friends, the passing of Stan Bergstein; and be
10it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12presented to the family of Stan Bergstein as an expression of
13our sympathy.