HR1038 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1038 LRB095 20273 KXB 47204 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor Arturo Velasquez on the renaming of West Side Technical Institute of Richard J. Daley College in Chicago, which will be known as the Arturo Velasquez West Side Technical Institute; and

WHEREAS, Arturo Velasquez was born in Tototlan, Jalisco, Mexico, in November of 1915; he spent his early childhood in Mexico, immigrating with his mother to the United States at the age of nine; those early years were spent in the sugar beet fields in the Black Hills of South Dakota and in Minnesota; and

WHEREAS, During the winter of 1929 he arrived in Chicago; he married Shirley Lozano in 1936; he is the father of Arthur Raymond, Carmen, Maria Elena, and Edward; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Velasquez founded Velasquez Automatic Music Company over 70 years ago and continues to lead the business with his son, Edward, and daughter, Maria; Mr. Velasquez was instrumental in the founding of the Azteca Lions Club, the Mexican American Chamber of Commerce, the Illinois Federation of Mexican Americans, the Mexican American Democrats of Cook County, and many other community organizations; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Richard J. Daley appointed Mr. Velasquez as a Trustee of the City Colleges of Chicago, a position he held from 1975-1987, serving as Secretary of the Board for several years; and

WHEREAS, He has been an organizer and fundraiser for many local organizations including Holy Cross Church, Cordi Marian Settlement Home, Holy Trinity High School, City Colleges Latino Scholarships, Claretian Missionaries, Nihos y Jovenes Orphanage (Jalisco, Mexico), and Alivio Medical Center; Mr. Velasquez served as trustee of National Louis University and received an Honorary Doctorate degree for public service; St. Xavier also awarded him an Honorary Doctorate degree for public service; and

WHEREAS, In 1999, Arturo Velasquez received the El Reconocimiento OHTL award from the Mexican government, which is the highest award to a Mexican who lives outside the country of Mexico; in 2002, the Chicago Historical Society honored Mr. Velasquez with the Bertha Honore Palmer History Award for distinction in Civic Leadership in the City of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, The West Side Technical Institute renaming ceremony will take place on March 6, 2008; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Arturo Velasquez on this honor and wish him continued good fortune and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Arturo Velasquez as a symbol of our esteem.