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92_HR1074
LRB9217341KFkf
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Roy M.
4 Chappell of Chicago, who passed away September 22, 2002 at
5 the age of 81; and
6 WHEREAS, Mr. Chappell was a native of Williamsburg,
7 Kentucky, and graduated from Monroe High School in Monroe,
8 Michigan in the top 10% of his graduating class; he lettered
9 in football and track; he was the only African-American in
10 his high school graduation class of 250 students; he then
11 attended Kentucky State College where he was an Honor Roll
12 student, President of his sophomore and junior classes, 1st
13 President of the Kentucky State Co-Op Association, on the
14 Who's Who List in his junior year, and the Most Versatile
15 Student in his junior year; and
16 WHEREAS, Mr. Chappell left college to serve his country
17 in World War II where he became a member of the Tuskegee
18 Airmen, the first African-American aviator unit in World War
19 II; he was in Tuskegee Pilot Training Class 44-D; he
20 graduated from Navigation School at Hondo, Texas in Class
21 4411-9B and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant; he
22 graduated from Midland, Texas Bombardier School in Class
23 454B; and he served at Godman Field in the 477th Bombardment
24 Group and at Freeman Field, where he participated in the
25 "Freeman Field Mutiny" during which 104 African-American
26 officers protested unequal treatment by the military by
27 attempting to enter a "whites only" officers' club; by doing
28 so, he risked his own freedom for the future advancement of
29 others; he received a Letter of Reprimand on his record that
30 was only expunged 50 years later by Presidential Order; the
31 Freeman Field Mutiny is widely credited with creating the
32 pressure that eventually ended all official racial
33 discrimination in the military; and
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1 WHEREAS, After his World War II service, Mr. Chappell
2 graduated from Roosevelt University in Chicago with a
3 Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology; he worked as
4 supervisor of a postal unit; he was an educator for thirty
5 years, teaching grades 3-8, Special Education and Counseling;
6 he was also Assistant Principal of Carnegie School in
7 Chicago; he retired from the Board of Education in 1985; and
8 WHEREAS, Mr. Chappell was the longtime President of
9 Chicago's Tuskegee Airmen "DODO" Chapter; he received the
10 highest award ever given a Tuskegee Airman, the Noel Parrish
11 Award and the National President's Award (no one had ever
12 received those two awards at the same time); the period of
13 Mr. Chappell's leadership saw great amounts raised in
14 contributions and grants for the programs of Tuskegee Airmen,
15 Inc.; he was Governor of the National History Museum for
16 seven years; and
17 WHEREAS, Mr. Chappell's many civic awards included the
18 Humanitarian Award for Young Eagles Program from the
19 Experimental Aircraft Association in 2002; the National
20 Leadership Award from Phillips Petroleum Company at the EEA
21 Air Venture Convention at Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 2001; and the
22 Merrill C. Meigs Spirit of Flight Award for 2002 for
23 "Preserving and Improving the Endangered Lakefront Airport";
24 and
25 WHEREAS, Mr. Chappell's many civic activities included
26 service as: Chairman of the Board of the Friends of Meigs
27 Field; member of the Burnside Local School Council; Treasurer
28 of the Block Club; Superintendent of Sunday School for ten
29 years; Teacher of Sunday School for twenty years; and member
30 of the Chesterfield Community Council; and
31 WHEREAS, Roy M. Chappell will be deeply missed by all
32 those who knew and loved him, especially his wife, Dr. Lucy
-3- LRB9217341KFkf
1 Lang-Chappell; his daughters, Camille Chappell-Johnson and
2 Kathy Chappell; and his grandchildren, Rashid Johnson, Kahil
3 Johnson, and Amirah Johnson; therefore, be it
4 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
6 we mourn, along with all those who knew him and loved him,
7 the passing of Roy M. Chappell; and be it further
8 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9 presented to the family of Roy M. Chappell with our sincere
10 condolences.