093_SR0318

 
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 1                          SENATE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The members  of  the  Senate  of  the  State  of
 3    Illinois  learned  with regret of the death of Bill Miller of
 4    The Woodlands, Texas, on Monday, November 10, 2003; and

 5        WHEREAS, Born Alvin W. Pistorius on August  25,  1923  in
 6    Carlinville,  Mr.  Miller  graduated  from  Carlinville  High
 7    School;  he  valiantly served his country during World War II
 8    in the U.S. Army as a Sergeant in the 1st Infantry  Division;
 9    he  returned from Europe in 1945 with a Bronze Star and seven
10    battle stars; and

11        WHEREAS,  In  1949,  Mr.  Miller  earned  a   degree   in
12    journalism  from the University of Illinois, where he met his
13    future wife, Stella Stapleton; they were married in 1950; and

14        WHEREAS, Mr. Miller was hired at WTAX-AM, where he  spent
15    nearly  two decades as a reporter and news director; he began
16    using Bill Miller as his professional name early in his radio
17    career; he launched the Capitol Information Bureau, which was
18    the first radio network in the State and  was  based  in  the
19    Statehouse; and

20        WHEREAS,  Mr.  Miller  was  dedicated  to  freedom of the
21    press; he fought for the right to record proceedings that are
22    now routinely recorded; he helped draft versions of the State
23    Open  Meetings  Act  and  Freedom  of  Information  Act;  his
24    investigative reporting won the prestigious Edward R.  Murrow
25    Award  from  the national Radio and Television News Directors
26    Association; he was also the recipient of 20 Associated Press
27    awards for radio reporting; and

28        WHEREAS, Mr. Miller carried his press advocacy  into  his
29    19-year  career  as  head  of  the  Public  Affairs Reporting
30    graduate  program  at  Sangamon  State  University,  now  the
31    University of Illinois at Springfield; the  program  combined
 
                            -2-      LRB093 14409 HSS 20052 r
 1    classroom   work  and  internships  with  news  organizations
 2    covering the Capitol; during his tenure,  over  300  students
 3    graduated  from  the  program; he was named Illinoisan of the
 4    Year by the Illinois News Broadcasters in 1989 for  his  work
 5    in   journalism   education  and  promoting  the  Freedom  of
 6    Information Act; and

 7        WHEREAS, The passing of Bill Miller has been deeply  felt
 8    by  many,  especially  his wife, Stella; his daughters, Nancy
 9    Pistorius Buecker, Cindy Wieties-Ogren,  and  Mary  Pistorius
10    Zerfas;  his son, Bill Pistorius; and his eight granchildren;
11    his son, William Edward, preceded him in death; therefore, be
12    it

13        RESOLVED, BY  THE  SENATE  OF  THE  NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL
14    ASSEMBLY  OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing
15    of Bill Miller, a pioneer of broadcast news reporting  and  a
16    man devoted to the freedom of the press; and be it further

17        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this resolution be
18    presented to the family of Mr. Miller as an expression of our
19    sincerest condolences during their time of bereavement.