HR1020 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1020 LRB096 21664 KXB 39118 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to recognize and congratulate former Northern Illinois University President John E. La Tourette on the renaming of Faraday West on the campus of Northern Illinois University to John E. La Tourette Hall, as a tribute to his service and successful pursuit and defense of the University's doctoral mission; and

WHEREAS, John E. La Tourette arrived at Northern Illinois University in 1979 and served as the University's Provost from 1979 to 1984 and then as the tenth President of Northern Illinois University from 1986 to 2000; and

WHEREAS, President La Tourette has been a leader in higher education and has cultivated graduate studies throughout his career at distinguished universities such as Rutgers, SUNY Binghamton, Bowling Green State, and Northern Illinois University; he studied economics and received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from Rutgers University; and

WHEREAS, President La Tourette championed the doctoral mission of Northern Illinois University; three science doctorates and the doctorate in Mathematics were approved during his tenure; these programs have nurtured young and talented researchers and have been major suppliers to the high-tech workforce in the greater northern Illinois region; and

WHEREAS, President La Tourette successfully lobbied for the facilities to complement the University's research and doctoral mission, highlighted by the completion of Faraday West (hereafter known as John E. La Tourette Hall), a $24.3 million, 115,000 square foot facility to support the expansion of Chemistry and Physics; and

WHEREAS, Additionally, during his tenure, Northern Illinois University established the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, nurtured the growth of the new College of Law, developed a strong outreach effort, and secured funding for the restoration of historic Altgeld Hall and the Convocation Center; new buildings constructed during his tenure include the Campus Life Building, the Center for Black Studies, the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies, the Child Care Center, the Engineering Building, the Hoffman Estates Education Center, the Naperville Education Center, the Public Administration Building, and the Rockford Education Center; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate former President John E. La Tourette on the renaming of Faraday West on the campus of Northern Illinois University to John E. La Tourette Hall, and hereby designate April 13, 2010 as "John E. LaTourette Day" in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to former President John E. La Tourette as an expression of our respect and esteem.