RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Honorable William H. Gray, III has been called to eternal life by the wisdom of God at the age of 71; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of his passing by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable William H. Gray, III was the loving and devoted husband of Andrea; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable William H. Gray, III was the much-adored father of Andrew, William IV and Justin to whom he imparted many of the fine and noble qualities that he possessed in abundance; and
WHEREAS, Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the Honorable William H. Gray, III received a bachelor's degree from Franklin & Marshall College, and divinity degrees from Drew Theological Seminary and Princeton Theological Seminary; and
WHEREAS, Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Philadelphia in 1978, the Honorable William H. Gray, III gained a reputation for integrity, fairness and consensus-building and was admired for his negotiation skills as a member and Chairman of the Budget Committee; and
WHEREAS, A passionate advocate for civil rights, the Honorable William H. Gray, III helped shape the United States' policy against apartheid in South Africa; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable William H. Gray, III impacted the lives of many through his hard work to improve education and healthcare services for the poor; and
WHEREAS, In 1989 the Honorable William H. Gray, III was elected as the first African-American to serve as majority whip in Congress; and
WHEREAS, Resigning from political life in 1991 to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Negro Fund, the Honorable William H. Gray, III raised an unprecedented $2.3 billion for that organization in just thirteen years; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his political and philanthropic service, the Honorable William H. Gray, III was Pastor of Bright Hope Baptist Church in North Philadelphia from 1972 to 2007; and
WHEREAS, To his beloved family, the Honorable William H. Gray, III im...
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