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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Dr. Marvin Zonis, who passed away on
4November 15, 2020 at the age of 85; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dr. Marvin Zonis was born to Leonard and Clara
6(Barenberg) Zonis in Boston, Massachusetts on September 18,
71936; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Dr. Marvin Zonis attended Belmont High School,
9during which time he participated in a student exchange
10program in Greece; this curiosity about global cultures was
11inspired through literature, specifically the works of Richard
12Halliburton; ultimately, he became conversationally fluent in
13Arabic, Farsi, French, Hebrew, and Italian; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Dr. Marvin Zonis earned a bachelor's degree from
15Yale University, a master's from the Harvard Business School,
16and a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of
17Technology; he also completed coursework at the Chicago
18Psychoanalytic Institute; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Dr. Marvin Zonis lived in Tehran, Iran from 1963
20to 1965 as part of the research process for his dissertation on
21the Iranian political regime; ultimately, he interviewed the

 

 

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1Shah; this project was covered by the Iranian Press TV; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Dr. Marvin Zonis discovered that he had family in
3Tehran; he helped these relatives immigrate to the United
4States where they obtained professional degrees; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dr. Marvin Zonis authored books on Middle East
6politics and the global economy, including Majestic Failure:
7The Fall of the Shah, among others; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Dr. Marvin Zonis became Nightline anchor Ted
9Koppel's go-to expert for help with explaining the Iranian
10hostage crisis, which began in 1979; during those 444 days, he
11was a frequent interview guest; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Dr. Marvin Zonis taught for five decades at the
13University of Chicago; he worked in the Departments of
14Political Science and Comparative Human Development and at the
15Center for Middle Eastern Studies; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Dr. Marvin Zonis was a professor and mentor to
17some technological and academic luminaries, including
18Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the executive director of
19Facing History and Ourselves' Chicago Office Maureen
20Loughnane; he was also attentive and responsive to minority
21student concerns; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Dr. Marvin Zonis possessed brainpower and style;
2he was once featured in an ad for the clothing company Bigsby
3and Kruthers; and
 
4    WHEREAS, At the time of his death, Dr. Marvin Zonis was
5survived by his wife, Lucy L. Salenger; his three daughters,
6Nadia Zonis, Leah Harp, and Brix Smith Start; and his two
7grandchildren; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
9ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
10Dr. Marvin Zonis and extend our sincere condolences to his
11family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
12further
 
13    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14presented to the family of Dr. Marvin Zonis as an expression of
15our deepest sympathy.