Full Text of SR1533 100th General Assembly
SR1533 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of Dr. Agnes Lattimer of Hyde Park, who | 4 | | passed away on January 9, 2018; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Lattimer was born in Memphis, Tennessee to | 6 | | Arthur O'Neil and Hortense Lewis Lattimer on May 13, 1928; she | 7 | | was the oldest of six children; she was valedictorian of Booker | 8 | | T. Washington High School and received a full scholarship to | 9 | | Fisk University, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in | 10 | | Biology; she them moved to Chicago and worked as a housekeeper | 11 | | for 18 months to save for medical school; she graduated from | 12 | | Chicago Medical School, where she was the only African American | 13 | | in her class and one of just two women, in 1954; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Lattimer completed her residency in | 15 | | Pediatrics at Michael Reese Hospital and became Chief Resident | 16 | | in her final year of the program; following her residency, she | 17 | | established a private pediatric practice while also teaching at | 18 | | the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois and | 19 | | Chicago Medical School; she served as Director of Ambulatory | 20 | | Pediatrics and as Director of Fantus Health Center at Cook | 21 | | County Hospital; she was named Director of Cook County in March | 22 | | 1986 and was believed to be the only African American woman to | 23 | | head a major hospital; as Director of Cook County Hospital, she |
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| 1 | | oversaw safeguards to protect patients and staffers during the | 2 | | early days of AIDS; she testified in Washington, D.C. on the | 3 | | need to fight hunger; as the Chair of the Chicago Committee | 4 | | Against Lead Poisoning, she urged City Hall to crack down on | 5 | | owners of buildings with flaking lead paint; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Lattimer was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha | 7 | | Sorority Inc., which she joined as an undergraduate at Fisk; | 8 | | and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, During her career, Dr. Lattimer received many | 10 | | honors and accolades, including being named as Pediatrician of | 11 | | the Year by the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of | 12 | | Pediatrics; she also received the Distinguished Alumnus Award | 13 | | from the Chicago Medical School and from the Michael Reese | 14 | | Alumni Association; she was named Outstanding Executive | 15 | | Employee in Cook County Government in 1987 and also received | 16 | | Outstanding Community Service Awards from many communities | 17 | | throughout the City; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Lattimer's marriage to Bernard Goss ended in | 19 | | divorce; in 1971, she married Frank Bethel; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Outside of medicine, Dr. Lattimer enjoyed flying, | 21 | | and she achieved her dream of earning a pilot's license in | 22 | | 1966; she loved the ability to fly to another county or city |
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| 1 | | for lunch or dinner; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, According to her colleagues, Dr. Lattimer was a | 3 | | legend in medicine in Chicago; she was a leading expert in | 4 | | areas such as lead poisoning and its effects on childhood | 5 | | development; she was an advocate for quality healthcare for the | 6 | | underprivileged; she commanded respect and gave it, treating | 7 | | patients living in poverty with the same empathy she showed | 8 | | rich people; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Lattimer was preceded in death by her husband, | 10 | | Frank, and her son, Bernard Goss Jr.; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Lattimer is survived by her grandson, Bernard | 12 | | Goss III; her sister, Camille Lattimer; her nieces, Holly Jones | 13 | | and Sandra Love; and her nephew, Keith Jones; therefore, be it
| 14 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL | 15 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 16 | | Dr. Agnes Lattimer and extend our sincere condolences to her | 17 | | family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it | 18 | | further
| 19 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 20 | | presented to the family of Dr. Lattimer as an expression of our | 21 | | deepest sympathy.
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