HR0829 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0829 LRB098 20172 GRL 55494 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the school's founding; and

WHEREAS, In 1838, Senator Orville H. Browning from Quincy was so impressed by a fellow steamboat traveler, an educated deaf man from Kentucky, that he decided to propose legislation to establish a school that would give educational opportunities for the deaf citizens of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Senator Browning enlisted the support of State Representative Abraham Lincoln for passage in the Illinois House of Representatives; on February 23, 1839, Governor Thomas Carlin signed Browning's bill creating the Illinois Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb; in 1903, the school's name was changed to the Illinois School for the Deaf; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the years, the Illinois School of the Deaf has grown considerably; on the day that the school opened, there was a humble enrollment of 2 students, with 14 students the following year; today, it serves an impressive 253 students throughout the various programs that are offered; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Deaf is recognized as a valuable community asset and has gained a prestigious reputation in the State as a premier institution for the deaf and those hard of hearing; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Deaf has done an extraordinary job in accomplishing its mission to educate students who are deaf and hard of hearing to become responsible, self-supporting citizens; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Deaf has shown exemplary leadership with the students in helping them achieve their highest academic and social potential through their instructional, residential, and recreational programs and related support services; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Deaf empowers students to explore technological trends and employment opportunities for the future, while also providing a safe, healthy, and respectful learning, living, and working environment; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Deaf offers an extraordinarily supportive and caring atmosphere in order for its students to develop positive self-esteem and skills necessary to be successful in an ever-changing world; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois School for the Deaf's 175th anniversary celebration will take place on February 22, 2014 at the Jacksonville Country Club; the celebration will include dinner and a live performance honoring the founding of the school; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Illinois School for the Deaf on its 175th anniversary and wish the school's administration and faculty many more years of success in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Illinois School for the Deaf as an expression of our esteem and respect.