SR0465 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Stan Bergstein, who passed away on November 2, 2011; and

WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania; he served his country with pride as a member of the United States Army during World War II, walking onto Omaha Beach a few days after the Normandy invasion and engaging in combat; after his discharge, he enrolled in Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism; and

WHEREAS, After graduating from Northwestern, Stan Bergstein became a track announcer at Maywood Park, which inaugurated pari-mutuel harness racing in Illinois in 1946; in 1948, he was hired by Abe Saperstein to work as an announcer and publicist for the Harlem Globetrotters, traveling throughout America and abroad with the team for 5 years; he also worked as a race secretary and track announcer at Sportsman's Park; and

WHEREAS, In 1961, Stan Bergstein left Sportsman's Park to become executive vice president of Harness Tracks of America, where he remained until his retirement in February of 2011; in 1968, he added the title of vice president of publicity and public relations for the U.S. Trotting Association, the governing body of the standardbred sport; he also served as editor of the USTA's award-winning monthly magazine, HoofBeats; and

WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein was a staunch advocate of forging closer ties between standardbred and thoroughbred racing, most notably in regards to medication abuse and drug testing; he began writing a column for the thoroughbred publication Daily Racing Form in 1948; he continued to contribute columns to the publication until September of 2011; and

WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein was the announcer for harness racing's 2 premier events, working 2 years at the Little Brown Jug and 17 years at the Hambletonian; he also inaugurated the World Driving Championship, a yearly series of races involving harness drivers from the U.S. and Europe with competition on both continents; and

WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein was the only person to be inducted into both the Harness Racing Hall of Fame and its Communicators Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein will be honored by the United States Harness Writers Association for his many lifetime achievements in the harness racing industry at its 2012 awards dinner in Orlando, Florida on February 12, 2012; and

WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein was preceded in death by his wife; and

WHEREAS, Stan Bergstein is survived by his son, Al; his daughter, Lisa Bergstein Tremback; and his 4 grandsons; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Stan Bergstein; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Stan Bergstein as an expression of our sympathy.