HR1285 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1285 LRB093 24136 CSA 54329 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, A long-time Hyde Parker, Dr. Edward Wasserman, died October 24, 2004 at the age of 76; and

WHEREAS, Born to politically progressive Russian immigrants in Oak Park, he first moved to Hyde Park as a 16-year-old University of Chicago undergraduate; and

WHEREAS, While studying to be a psychiatrist at the University of Illinois Medical School, he met Eileen Kronberg, whom he married in 1956; and

WHEREAS, Because of his independent political beliefs and his mother's political affiliations, the Army deemed him a security threat at first and did not draft him; as the Korean conflict escalated and Army doctors became scarce, the McCarthy-era restrictions were loosened, but not by much; he was not allowed to practice as a psychiatrist or given the security clearance that would allow him to be commissioned as an officer as is the custom for military doctors; after more than a year of service, the Army threatened him with a dishonorable discharge and he stood trial; his named was cleared, and the next day his rank jumped from private to captain; and

WHEREAS, After graduating from Chicago's Psychoanalytic Institute, he built up a private psychotherapy practice, where he worked until his mid 60s; after closing his practice, he worked with mentally troubled prison inmates for the Indiana Department of Corrections; throughout his life, he remained active in the political fight for social justice and peace; and

WHEREAS, He was a lifelong fan of music, and enjoyed playing blues harmonica at the Old Town School of Folk Music where he had been attending classes for a decade; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Dr. Edward Wasserman will be felt by all who knew and loved him, especially his wife of 48 years, Eileen; his daughters, Suzanne, Tina, Stephanie, and Nadine; his sons-in-laws, David Stern, David Fine, and Guillermo Perez; and his grandchildren, Raphael, Natalie, and Gabriel; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Dr. Edward Wasserman and we extend to his family our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time; and be it further

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