HR0573 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0573 LRB102 22454 LAW 31594 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Dorothy Dawson, who passed away on November 17, 2021; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Dawson was born on October 23, 1930; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Dawson was a track and field pioneer and youth advocate; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Dawson was a long-time teacher, the vice principal, and the Dean of Girls at Dunbar Vocational High School in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago's South Side; she organized a track and field program for girls at Dunbar before the sport became recognized and helped many young women earn full scholarships to college; she retired from teaching in the Chicago Public School system after 35 years of service in 1997; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Dawson held numerous positions in the USA Track and Field (USATF) Illinois Association over the years, including serving on the Youth Athletics Executive Committee, chairing the Youth Regional Committee, and serving as president from 2000 to 2013; she received the USATF President's Award for her many decades of distinguished service in 1998; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Dawson served as a delegate to USA Track and Field's Constitutional Convention in 1979; she was the first female to be inducted into the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1981; she received several awards, including the Frank Sevigne Award and Robert Giegengack Award; she was honored with the launch of the annual Dorothy Dawson Invitational at Proviso High School in Hillside in 2009; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Dorothy Dawson and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dorothy Dawson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.