HR0540 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0540 LRB096 13373 KXB 28091 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate John Cornelius Houbolt on the opening of the Apollo/Houbolt Exhibit at the Joliet Area Historical Museum on July 17, 2009; and

WHEREAS, John Cornelius Houbolt was born on April 10, 1919 and spent a part of his childhood in Joliet; as a youngster he was intrigued by the mysteries of flight and took to a hayloft to experiment; he used an umbrella, and later built a glider with makeshift wings attached to a baby buggy to further his research; and

WHEREAS, After taking classes in mathematics and science at Joliet Township High School and Joliet Junior College, he received a local scholarship and went on to the University of Illinois, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering; and

WHEREAS, He fulfilled his dream of becoming a pilot and later earned his Ph.D. in Technical Sciences at ETH in Zurich, Switzerland; on May 15, 2005 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and

WHEREAS, While working as an engineer at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, Mr. Houbolt came with an alternative for NASA officials to contemplate as they considered flight plans to put a man on the moon; NASA argued for Earth Orbit Rendevous versus Direct Ascent; Houbolt's decision came to be known as Lunar Orbit Rendevous; and

WHEREAS, Lunar Orbit Rendevous required two spacecraft to link up a quarter-million miles from Earth; though many people thought this idea was too complex and too bizarre, he continued to argue for it and won over those who had previously been against the idea; and

WHEREAS, Thanks to his work and dedication to the ideals of John Houbolt, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon on July 20, 1969; the Joliet Area Historical Museum is unveiling the new exhibit with two-story exhibits, diagrams and maps, audiovisual displays, and much more to tell the story of John Houbolt and his vision; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate John Cornelius Houbolt on this wonderful occasion; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to John Cornelius Houbolt as a symbol of our respect.