HR0427 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0427 LRB097 12158 KXB 56269 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to recognize the students, alumni, faculty, and staff of North Central College as they celebrate the sesquicentennial of the school; and

WHEREAS, The first day of classes were held on November 11, 1861, at Plainfield College; the school name changed to North-Western College in 1864; the college moved to Naperville in 1870; on May 17, 1870, the cornerstone was laid for Old Main; and in 1926 the name again changed, to North Central College; and

WHEREAS, The College founders believed that Christian commitment and intellectual attainments were compatible; from the beginning, North Central College was nonsectarian in its hiring and admission practices; this pioneering concept, along with the commitment to inclusiveness and diversity that is the hallmark of the United Methodist Church, is the heritage of North Central College and continues to add depth and meaning to its programs; and

WHEREAS, North Central College has, for more than 7 generations, educated students who have become leaders in science, the arts, education, business, and many other fields; North Central College is a community of learners dedicated to preparing informed, involved, principled, and productive citizens and leaders over a lifetime; and

WHEREAS, North Central College has had 9 presidents in its 150-year history, beginning with A.A. Smith; notable alumni include: Egyptologist and professor James Henry Breasted, appliance company founder Frederick Lewis Maytag, barbed wire entrepreneur and Texaco founder John Warne Gates, Olympic Gold Medalist Dick Blick, President Ronald Reagan's personal physician Dr. Daniel Ruge, and National Institutes of Health Deputy Director for Intramural Research Dr. Joseph "Ed" Rall; and

WHEREAS, North Central College will commemorate its sesquicentennial throughout the 2011-2012 academic year and celebrate its actual 150th anniversary on November 11, 2011; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the 150th anniversary of North Central College, and wish all the students, alumni, faculty, and staff the very best in this historic year; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Hal Wilde, President of North Central College, as a symbol of our respect and esteem.