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91_HR0991
LRB9115221KBkbB
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives wish to express their sincere condolences to
4 the family and friends of Marshall Patner on the occasion of
5 his untimely death; and
6 WHEREAS, Marshall Patner was born in Chicago and was a
7 longtime resident of the Hyde Park neighborhood; he was a
8 1949 graduate of Senn High School; he was a 1953 graduate of
9 the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a Bachelor's
10 degree in political science; in 1956 he graduated from the
11 University of Chicago Law School; while attending the
12 University of Wisconsin-Madison he met his wife, Irene
13 Herman; and
14 WHEREAS, In 1958 Mr. Patner opened the Medici Coffee
15 House and Gallery on East 57th Street, a hangout for lawyers,
16 students, journalists, and civil rights workers; he worked as
17 an aide and campaign manager for Alderman Leon Despres; he
18 then entered legal practice, focusing on civil rights and
19 liberties; and
20 WHEREAS, Marshall Patner was a respected writer, teacher,
21 community activist, and advocate; he was a co-founder of
22 Businessmen in the Public Interest (now Business and
23 Professional People for the Public Interest), a legal
24 watchdog and advisory organization; Mr. Patner successfully
25 represented free speech activist Dick Gregory before the U.S.
26 Supreme Court, and helped persuade the Court to void the
27 deportation of Fred Thompson of the International Workers of
28 the World; and
29 WHEREAS, In 1974 Mr. Patner left Businessmen in the
30 Public Interest and founded a pre-law program for
31 African-American students at Wilberforce College in
32 Cincinnati; during this time he also taught at Stanford and
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1 the University of California at Berkeley; in 1975 he returned
2 to private practice in Chicago; and
3 WHEREAS, Mr. Patner won the prestigious Civil Liberties
4 Award from the American Civil Liberties Union and was honored
5 by the Chicago Newspaper Guild for his outstanding
6 contributions to the community; and
7 WHEREAS, Marshall Patner's commitments to racial justice
8 and civil liberties were matched only by his insatiable
9 curiosity, his energy, his vigor, and his sense of humor; and
10 WHEREAS, The passing of Marshall Patner will be felt by
11 all who knew and loved him, including his many Hyde Park
12 neighbors and especially by his wife, Irene; his sons,
13 Andrew, Joshua, and Seth; and his brother, Bruce Patner;
14 therefore, be it
15 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17 we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of
18 Marshall Patner of Chicago, Illinois; and be it further
19 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20 presented to the family of Marshall Patner.