SR1596 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1596 LRB101 21834 ECR 72788 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Barbara Samuels of Chicago, who passed away on July 2, 2020; and

WHEREAS, Barbara Samuels was born to Blanche and Dr. John Wilson in Gary, Indiana on August 15, 1937; she grew up in Chicago and graduated from Lucy Flower Vocational High School in 1955; she attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Chicago State University; and

WHEREAS, In 1963, Barbara Samuels became the first African American copywriter for the Sears and Roebuck catalog; she worked as part of a design team at Sears and Roebuck that made household accessories, including lighting fixtures, dinnerware, and tabletop items; she was then promoted to buyer of handbags and later to national buyer of casual footwear; in 1968, she helped select clothing for the 1968 U.S. Olympic Team; in 1998, she was named global "Buyer of the Year", winning over 300 other nominees; she was also one of the first African Americans to visit many of the Sears and Roebuck manufacturing facilities abroad; and

WHEREAS, After an early retirement, Barbara Samuels launched The Lion's Share in 1994; her firm offered practical, profit-oriented advice for fledgling designers, merchants, and small companies in the fashion industry; Barbara organized fashion shows for major organizations and charities, including the Jesse Owens Foundation, the Chicago Urban League, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and the American Academy of Pediatrics; as a media personality, she participated in fashion segments on Channel 32 Fox TV, WVON Radio, and the Bertrice Berry Show; she was a wardrobe and set design consultant for public television's America's Family Kitchen with VertaMae Grosvenor; she also wrote a fashion column for N'DIGO and lectured at Columbia College; and

WHEREAS, Barbara Samuels served as a board member or officer of several fashion-related entities, including Fashion Group International, the Apparel Industry Board, Inc. of Illinois, GenArt, The Color of Fashion, the Leaguers of the Chicago Urban League, and the Costume Committee of the Chicago Historical Society; and

WHEREAS, Barbara Samuels was preceded in death by her husband, Alfred Jordan and her son, Michael; and

WHEREAS, Barbara Samuels is survived by her son, Gregory; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Barbara Samuels and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

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