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91_SR0451
LRB9115107RHrh
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to
3 express their sincere condolences to the family and friends
4 of Madeleine Grant, who passed away on November 16, 2000; and
5 WHEREAS, Madeleine Grant was the mayor of Lincolnwood
6 since 1993 and fostered the village's first Economic
7 Development Department and was a key proponent in making it a
8 home-rule community in 1997; and
9 WHEREAS, When first elected mayor, Mrs. Grant said the
10 village was stuck in a "financial quagmire" and sought to
11 improve things by starting an economic development department
12 and a Village wide listening campaign to determine the types
13 of businesses residents wanted; and
14 WHEREAS, Madeleine Grant sought to involve as many
15 volunteers in the government as possible; of the 11,500
16 residents in the 2 1/2 square-mile town, she invited more
17 than 200 of them to serve on various boards and committees;
18 and
19 WHEREAS, Born in Chicago, the former Madeleine McGrath
20 graduated from the old Alvernia Catholic High School on the
21 Northwest Side in 1952 and taught in parochial schools while
22 taking night classes as Loyola University in the late 1950's;
23 she received her bachelor's and master's degree in education
24 from Loyola in 1961 and 1965, and later taught in suburban
25 public schools and as a substitute teacher in Chicago while
26 raising her children; and
27 WHEREAS, In the late 1970's, Madeleine Grant worked with
28 the League of Women Voters to promote Lincolnwood for a
29 public library, shepherding it from public referendum to
30 construction before serving as its first president from 1978
31 to 1990; and
-2- LRB9115107RHrh
1 WHEREAS, In 1993, Madeleine Grant undertook her campaign
2 for mayor, her first bid for public office, because she felt
3 village government had gotten bogged down; once elected, she
4 brought a practical approach to the job, investing heavily in
5 infrastructure since 1996, establishing an office to plan
6 development, and backing efforts to improve relations among
7 ethnic groups that had in recent years brought diversity to
8 the village; and
9 WHEREAS, Re-elected in April 1997, she championed a
10 successful move to home rule, giving Lincolnwood the
11 authority to levy taxes and other fees without asking voters'
12 permission, the move, rejected three times in the 12 years
13 before, won by a slim margin in 1997; and
14 WHEREAS, The passing of Madeleine Grant will be deeply
15 felt by all who knew and loved her, especially her husband,
16 Paul; her daughters, Maura Neuendank and Beth Keno; her sons,
17 Paul III, Frances, and Timothy; her brother, Frank McGrath;
18 and her 3 grandchildren; and
19 WHEREAS, Madeleine Grant as a mayor, brought Lincolnwood
20 from an atmosphere of acrimony toward a positive mindset;
21 therefore, be it
22 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIRST GENERAL
23 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
24 all who knew her, the death of Madeleine Grant of
25 Lincolnwood, Illinois; and be it further
26 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
27 presented to the family of Madeleine Grant.