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91_HR0491
LRB9108004KBkb
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Walter
4 Kerrigan Black, who recently passed away; and
5 WHEREAS, Walter Black was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on
6 January 27, 1915; his parents were Timuel D. and Mattie
7 McConner Black; the family moved to the south side of Chicago
8 in 1918, and young Walter attended Burke Elementary School
9 and Tilden High School; during the years of the Depression,
10 Walter dropped out of school to help support his family; he
11 returned to Tilden and was co-captain of the basketball team,
12 standing with his teammates when they won the 1935 City
13 Championship; as a result of winning an essay contest that
14 same year, Walter won a Legislative Scholarship, choosing to
15 attend the University of Illinois; and
16 WHEREAS, Walter Black studied political science and
17 history at the U of I; he was one of but a few black students
18 on the large campus, and found his activities limited due to
19 the prejudices of the time; in 1939 he graduated from the
20 University of Illinois and moved to Milwaukee; he went to
21 work for the Greenbaum Tannery, where he also played
22 basketball; and
23 WHEREAS, Walter Black went into the United States Army in
24 1942; he received basic training at Camp Butner in North
25 Carolina, then went on to serve his county in England and
26 Austria during World War II; and
27 WHEREAS, Taking advantage of the G.I. Bill, Walter Black
28 attended and studied at John Marshall Law School; while
29 attending school he clerked under Attorney Fleetwood McCoy;
30 upon graduation, he passed the Bar Exam on his first try; he
31 took a job in the legal firm of McCoy, Ming, and Leighton,
32 and was made a partner in 1952; he worked on many important
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1 cases as an attorney, including representing Fuller Products
2 and saving the company from bankruptcy; together with his
3 partner Robert Ming, Walter Black helped Richard Hatcher
4 become the first black mayor of Gary, Indiana; and
5 WHEREAS, Walter Black is survived by his brother, Timuel
6 (Zenobia); his niece, Ermetra Black-Thomas (Maurice); his
7 many cousins; and many colleagues and friends; therefore, be
8 it
9 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
11 we mourn, along with his family and friends, the death of
12 Walter Black; may all that knew him find comfort in this time
13 of need; and be it further
14 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15 presented to the family of Walter Black.