SR0499 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0499 LRB102 19981 LAW 28766 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of James Keith "Whip" Williams of Springfield, who passed away on August 19, 2021; and

WHEREAS, Jim Williams was born in Lafayette, Indiana to Dr. James E. Williams and Lucinda Helen Keith Williams on January 30, 1934; he served in the U.S. Navy from 1953 to 1957, where he was stationed on Guam and at the Seabee facility at Port Hueneme, California, and he completed his service as a petty officer first class; he graduated from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana in 1960, where he majored in journalism and was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and Student Journalism Society; he was also a tuba player and vocalist with the Salty Dogs, a student jazz band; and

WHEREAS, Jim Williams became a reporter for the Danville Commercial-News; he was then a reporter for the Rockford Register-Republic and Morning Star from 1963 to 1973, where he served as the newspapers' municipal government reporter and political editor before becoming the daily general-interest columnist; and

WHEREAS, Jim Williams received an Illinois Press Association first place award in 1965 for a four-part series exposing widespread irregularities in Rockford municipal purchasing, resulting in the passage of a centralized purchasing ordinance for the city; he also won an Illinois Associated Press second place award in 1969 as a co-author of a five-part series exploring the impact of Alabama Governor George Wallace's candidacy in the presidential race; he was cited by the American Political Science Association in 1970 for excellence in public affairs reporting for a series of political columns tracking the issues during Illinois' 1970 Constitutional Convention; and

WHEREAS, Jim Williams served as press secretary to Illinois Comptroller George W. Lindberg from 1973 to 1977; he served as assistant press secretary to Illinois Governor James R. Thompson from 1977 to 1981, followed by ten years as the governor's staff assistant for public safety; he was chairman of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board during the eight years of Governor Jim Edgar's administration; he retired in 1999; and

WHEREAS, In 2010, Jim Williams wrote and self-published the bio-discographical book Jimmie Noone: Jazz Clarinet Pioneer, which included an extensive listing of Noone's recorded work in the 1920s and 1930s; he also self-published three detective novellas; and

WHEREAS, Jim Williams was a passionate collector of original issue 78 rpm jazz and blues recordings, focusing primarily on discs issued between 1923 and 1933; he was fond of playing the tenor banjo, tuba, and piano in later years, and he would occasionally play the banjo or the piano at parties and sing; he enjoyed cooking for friends, particularly in preparing barbecued hickory-smoked ribs and dishes with a Cajun or Creole flair; and

WHEREAS, Jim Williams is survived by his daughter, Marne Rebecca Williams; his granddaughter, Mallory Marne Jones; his great-grandson; and his great-granddaughter; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of James Keith "Whip" Williams and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

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