SR0873LRB101 16106 MST 65469 r

1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Richard Gordon Hatcher, who passed away
4on December 13, 2019; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Richard Hatcher was born in Michigan City, Indiana
6on July 10, 1933; he graduated from Indiana University and
7earned a law degree from Valparaiso University; he moved to
8Gary, Indiana after becoming a deputy prosecutor and married
9Ruthellyn in 1976; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Richard Hatcher was elected mayor of Gary, Indiana
11in 1967, becoming one of the first black mayors of a major U.S.
12city; he became the political face of Gary and a political
13force for blacks after his ground-breaking election; he
14organized the 1972 National Black Political Convention in Gary
15and served as chairman of Jesse Jackson's Democratic
16presidential campaign in 1984 and vice chairman four years
17later; and
 
18    WHEREAS, During his 20 years in office, Richard Hatcher
19secured hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money for
20Gary, Indiana, some of which was used to build low-cost housing
21and the first public housing units in the city in nearly two
22decades; he also received federal funds for jobs training,

 

 

SR0873- 2 -LRB101 16106 MST 65469 r

1repaved deteriorating streets, and put numerous inner-city
2neighborhoods on regular garbage collection for the first time;
3and
 
4    WHEREAS, Prior to becoming mayor of Gary, Indiana, Richard
5Hatcher was a member of its city council, where he helped pass
6an open housing law to end restrictive property covenants that
7forced blacks to live primarily in Gary's midtown section; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Richard Hatcher and his wife have three daughters,
9Ragen, Rachelle, and Renee; therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
11ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
12Richard Gordon Hatcher and extend our sincere condolences to
13his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
14further
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16presented to the family of Richard Hatcher as an expression of
17our deepest sympathy.