SR1181 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1181 LRB098 21175 MST 59086 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Dr. John Clinton Schweitzer of Peoria, who passed away on May 4, 2014; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schweitzer was born in Chicago on October 18, 1935 to Ellen (nee Boughton) and John Jacob Schweitzer; he graduated from Battle Creek Central High School in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1953 and earned his Bachelor of Science from Purdue University in 1957 and his Master of Arts from Western Michigan University in 1959; he received his Ph.D. in 1974 from the University of North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schweitzer held the rank of Emeritus Professor in the Department of Communications at Bradley University in Peoria, where he was department chairman from 1993 to 1999; he also taught at Texas Tech University for 9 years, where he was Director of Advertising/Public Relations, and, later, Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Mass Communications and Professor of Communication Studies; he spent the 1999-2000 academic year in Bulgaria as a Fulbright Scholar in the Faculty of Journalism, Sofia University, "St. Clement Ohridski", and at the American University in Bulgaria; he was a Visiting Scholar at the Hong Baptist University from January to May of 2007 and lectured at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Shanghai International Studies University, and Oxford University in the United Kingdom; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schweitzer began his newspaper career in 1960 as the personnel manager of Lindsay-Schaub Newspapers in Decatur; he moved to the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer and News as personnel director from 1964 to 1970 and was publisher of the Terre Haute (Ind.) Tribune-Star for 3 years; he also served as Vice-President of Belden Associates and worked for Bozell-Jacobs in Dallas, Texas, where he was an adjunct professor of marketing at the University of Texas at Dallas; in 1998, he was one of the authors of a successful grant request to the Pew Civic Journalism Fund that won a national award, and he received grants from the Freedom Forum, the Voice of America, and others; he participated in workshops and seminars conducted by the Pointer Institute and the American Press Institute, authored or co-authored more than 40 refereed journal articles, and presented more than 50 invited and refereed research papers and addresses at conventions and professional meetings in the United States, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, England, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Russia, and Poland; he had been a member of the editorial review board of the Newspaper Research Journal since its inception and served on the editorial board of Forum on Public Policy, a journal of Oxford University; he was editor of the Southwestern Mass Communication Journal and was involved in many scholarly organizations, including the Association for Education in Journalism, where he was the head of the media management division and co-chair of the Council of Divisions, the American Advertising Federation, the International Communication Association, The Korean Marketing Institute, and the Marketing in Asia Group of Korea; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schweitzer was active in the Peoria Area World Affairs Council, serving as President in 2012, the League of Women Voters, and was on the advisory board of "Look It's My Book!", where he served as a grant writer; he was also active in Democratic politics, working on Senator Dave Koehler's campaigns; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schweitzer was preceded in death by his parents, and by one brother; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schweitzer is survived by his wife, Nancy; 3 daughters, Lisa (Chuck) Harman-Wakefield, Sue (Dave) Meyerhofer, and Sara (Michael) Schweitzer-Mealey; 3 step-daughters, Kathy (David) Tovson, Karen (Eric) Patton, and Christina (Mark) Kleiser-Zalesky; 13 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; and 2 brothers, Peter (Elaine) and David (Nancy); therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Dr. John Clinton Schweitzer, 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 Dr. Schweitzer as an expression of our deepest sympathy.