RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Honorable Louis Stokes has been called to eternal life by the wisdom of God at the age of 90; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of his passing by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Louis Stokes was a retired Ohio Congressman and the loving husband for 55 years of Jeanette "Jay"; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Louis Stokes was the much-adored father of the Honorable Angela, Shelley, Lori and Chuck, and the grandfather of seven to whom he imparted many of the fine and noble qualities that he possessed in abundance; and
WHEREAS, A World War II veteran, the Honorable Louis Stokes was raised in Cleveland where he practiced law before entering politics; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Louis Stokes was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1968 and became the first African-American to serve as a member of Congress from the State of Ohio; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Louis Stokes served 15 years in Congress and during his tenure earned a reputation for his patience, leadership and analytical skills; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Louis Stokes was the Chairman of the House Select Committee on Assassinations in the late 1970s that concluded "scientific acoustical evidence established a high probability that two gunmen fired at President John F. Kennedy" and that the assassination of the Reverend Martin Luther King was likely the result of a conspiracy; and
WHEREAS, While on Capitol Hill, the Honorable Louis Stokes also led the Congressional Ethics Committee probe of the ABSCAM corruption investigation which resulted in the convictions of one senator and six house members; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Louis Stokes later served on the committee investigating the Iran-Contra affair; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Louis Stokes also became the first African-American to serve on the House Appropriations Committee, a powerful panel that makes funding decisions; and
WHEREAS, The hard work, sacrifice and dedica...
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