SR1223 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1223 LRB103 42528 LAW 75761 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Dr. Charles E. Morris Jr. of Bloomington, who passed away on August 11, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Morris, the son of Charles E. Morris Sr. and Verta E. Warner Morris, was born in Big Stone Gap, Virginia on September 30, 1931; he graduated from high school as class valedictorian at the age of 16 and Swift Memorial Junior College as class salutatorian in 1948; he was a cum laude graduate from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina; he married Jeanne Brown in Charleston, South Carolina on August 18, 1957, and they had two children while residing in Urbana, Illinois; he and his family relocated to Normal in 1966, where they built their home and resided until 2018, when they moved to Westminster Village in Bloomington; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Morris taught high school in High Point, North Carolina; he then finished the doctoral program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; he became an associate professor of mathematics at Illinois State University (ISU); he was later promoted to vice president for Administrative Services and then vice chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs for the Illinois Board of Regents in Springfield; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Morris was initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. through the Alpha Omicron Chapter seated at Johnson C. Smith University on December 15, 1951, becoming Life Member 5322 on April 15, 1983; he took his responsibilities as a member and the success of Black students at ISU very seriously, serving as campus advisor to the Eta Tau Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha during the 1970s and 1980s, as an instrumental part of the establishment of the National Pan Hellenic Council of ISU, and as a mentor to Men of the Eta Tau Chapter into the 1990s, even after leaving full-time employment at ISU; he was also instrumental in chartering the Nu Psi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha in 1981, where he remained an active member until his transition; he was recently honored with his 70-year fraternity anniversary pin; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Morris was deeply committed to his students and the ISU community; after relocating to Normal, he and his wife were part of a team that purchased housing for African American students at ISU; he helped countless students afford college and succeed during his tenure at ISU; because of his support, many students, some he would never meet, were able to afford college, succeed while students, and go on to lead prosperous lives after graduation; both he and his wife also wrote legislation that continues to benefit ISU today; and

WHEREAS, Post retirement from the university systems, Dr. Morris served as coordinator of SIMaST (Students Integrating Mathematics, Science, and Technology), senior associate of the Center for the Study of Educational Policy at ISU, and president of and consultant with CEM Associates, Inc.; he continued serving on many community boards and was a board member of the Interdenominational Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia; upon retirement, he remained a supporter of ISU as well as a community leader in the Bloomington-Normal area; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Morris was the recipient of numerous acknowledgments and awards; he and his wife became the namesake of a social justice library at the ISU Multicultural Center, where they donated books and pictures, ensuring that students and visitors would continue to learn and research African American history; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Morris enjoyed traveling with his family across the country and around the world; he also enjoyed documenting the ancestries of his family and his wife's family; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Morris, whose life's work encompassed faith, family, philanthropy, and education, was affectionately known as "Buddy" to family members; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Morris was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Dr. DeLois Miriam Morris Fuller; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Morris is survived by his wife of 67 years, Dr. Jeanne Brown Morris; his children, David C. Morris Sr. and Lyn E. Morris; four grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and a host of extended family members, friends, and board, committee, and fraternity members across the country; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Dr. Charles E. Morris Jr. 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. Morris as an expression of our deepest sympathy.