SR0472 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0472 LRB093 21420 HSS 48113 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with regret of the death of Steve Neal on Wednesday, February 18, 2004; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Neal was born in Coos Bay, Oregon, to Ernest and Ellen Neal; he graduated from the University of Oregon in 1971 and received a master's degree from Columbia University in New York; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Neal began his journalism career at the Oregon Journal in 1971 and moved a year later to the Philadelphia Inquirer, where he worked until joining the Chicago Tribune in 1979; he was a Washington-based correspondent for the Tribune for two years, then the paper's White House correspondent from 1981 to 1983; in 1984 he was named political writer for the Tribune; in 1987 he moved to the Sun-Times, where he was a political columnist; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Neal authored and co-authored several books, including a biography on Wendell Willkie and historical perspectives on Harry S. Truman and Truman's relationship with his successor, Dwight D. Eisenhower; last fall, he published two books, "HST: Memories of the Truman Years" and "Miracle of '48: Harry Truman's Major Campaign Speeches and Selected Whistle-stops"; in a book published a year earlier, Mr. Neal edited a collection of correspondence between Eleanor Roosevelt and Truman that he discovered while researching an earlier book; in 1999 Southern Illinois University Press issued a collection of 97 of his columns called "Rolling on the River"; his latest book, "Happy Days are Here Again" was about to be published; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Neal was a sports fan, an Elvis fan, and loved history; his political knowledge was unrivaled; he was known to be one of the hardest working journalists in the Chicago political scene in the past two decades and was renowned for his institutional knowledge and strong sense of history; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Mr. Neal has been deeply felt by many, especially his wife, Susan; his daughters, Erin and Shannon; his parents, Ernest and Ellen Neal; his brothers, Dan and Gary Neal; and his in-laws, Bland and Beverly Simmons; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Steve Neal, one of the most outstanding political journalists of his time, and we extend our deepest sympathy to his friends, family, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Steve Neal as an expression of our sincere condolences.