RICHARD M. DALEY
MAYOR
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
February 9, 2011
TO THE HONORABLE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I transmit herewith a resolution honoring the life and memory of Robert Sargent Shriver,
Jr.
Your favorable consideration of this resolution will be appreciated.
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Members of this Chamber were saddened to learn of the death of R. Sargent Shriver on January 18, 2011 at the age of 95; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Shriver was a dedicated, world-renowned public servant with roots in Chicago, and will best be remembered for touching the lives of millions of people by starting the Peace Corps during the administration of President John F. Kennedy, and leading President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty; and
WHEREAS, Robert Sargent Shriver was born on November 19, 1915, in Westminster, Maryland, to Robert and Hilda Shriver; and
WHEREAS, After graduating from Canterbury School in New Milford, Connecticut, Mr. Shriver enrolled in Yale University, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1938, and an LL.B. degree in 1941 from Yale Law School; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Shriver enlisted in the United States Navy shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor, and served on active duty in the Navy for five years during World War II, mostly in the Pacific Theater; and
WHEREAS, After the war, while he was employed as an assistant editor at Newsweek magazine, Mr. Shriver was asked by Joseph P. Kennedy to manage the Merchandise Mart in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Sargent Shriver fell in love with his employer's daughter, Eunice Mary Kennedy and, after years of courtship, they married in 1953; and
WHEREAS, During the 1950s, Mr. Shriver was president of the Chicago Board of Education, and for decades he served on the board of the Special Olympics, the athletic games program for the mentally disabled developed by his wife, Eunice Kennedy Shriver; and
WHEREAS, During the administration of President John F. Kennedy, Mr. Shriver founded the Peace Corps to promote peace and friendship around the world, serving as its first director from 1961 to 1966; and
WHEREAS, The Peace Corps, which is now celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding by Mr. Shriver, has supported over 200,000 volunteers in 139 host countries around the world, providing assistance in education, health, business development, environmental preservation and youth development, thereby helping to build goodwill toward the United States throughout the world, and helping many American volunteers gain a better understanding of the world's diverse population; and
WHEREAS, During the Lyndon Johnson administration, Mr. Shriver created the Office of Economic Opportunity and served as its first director, becoming the architect of President Johnson's War on Poverty; and
WHEREAS, The Office of Economic Opportunity developed and administered many
programs that have continued to provide opportunities for employment, education, and other assistance for disadvantaged individuals and families, including VISTA, Head Start, Job Corps, Community Action, and Legal Services; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Shriver also served as the United States ambassador to France from 1968 to 1970 and, in 1972, he replaced Senator Thomas Eagleton as Senator George McGovern's Democratic presidential running mate; and
WHEREAS, Every American owes R. Sargent Shriver a huge debt of gratitude for his tireless and dedicated service to his Country; and
WHEREAS, Sargent Shriver is survived by five children: Robert Sargent Shriver III, Maria Owings Shriver, Timothy Perry Shriver, Mark Kennedy Shriver, and Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver; his wife, Eunice, preceded him in death in 2009, after 56 years of marriage; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this ninth day of February, 2011, do hereby mourn the passing of R. Sargent Shriver and extend our deepest sympathy to his family; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be presented to the family of Mr. Shriver as a token of our honor, respect and appreciation.