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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives were saddened to learn of the death of our
4esteemed colleague Henry Woods Bowman of Evanston, also known
5as H. Woods Bowman, and even more commonly known as Woody; and
6 WHEREAS, Woody was killed on July 10, 2015 in a tragic
7automobile accident in Michigan; and
8 WHEREAS, Woody grew up in Charleston, West Virginia, and
9came to Chicago to serve as a research economist for the
10Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; he then became an assistant
11professor of economics at the University of Illinois at
12Chicago; and
13 WHEREAS, With a strong desire to help solve challenges
14facing the State and its people, Woody won election to the
15Illinois General Assembly in 1976; he represented the 18th
16Representative District, serving Evanston and its environs,
17from 1977 to 1990; and
18 WHEREAS, Between 1983 and 1990, Woody chaired the House
19Appropriations II Committee; as an expert budget negotiator, he
20brought transparency, accountability, and reform to the budget
21process; and

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1 WHEREAS, During his tenure in the Legislature, Woody was a
2strong advocate for human services and education, he fought for
3civil rights and civil liberties; he pressed for more State
4support for the most vulnerable Illinois residents and the
5mentally ill; he earned the respect of his colleagues on both
6sides of the aisle for his steady commitment to his
7convictions, his compassion for others, and his integrity; and
8 WHEREAS, Following his service in the Illinois House of
9Representatives, Woody served as the chief financial officer of
10Cook County; he then returned to teaching as a member of the
11faculty of DePaul University's School of Public Service until
12his recent retirement; and
13 WHEREAS, Before, during, and after his service in elective
14office, Woody was a highly respected political observer and
15adviser, devoting himself to supporting like-minded candidates
16and counseling elected officials throughout his life; and
17 WHEREAS, Woody was interested in economics, finance, and
18ethics; he received bachelor's degrees in physics and economics
19from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master's
20degree in public administration and a doctorate in economics
21from Syracuse University; and

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1 WHEREAS, Woody's book, "Finance Fundamentals for
2Nonprofits: Building Capacity and Sustainability", received
3the 2013 Hodgkinson Research Prize from the Association for
4Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action
5(ARNOVA); he also authored, co-authored, and refereed numerous
6peer-reviewed articles, including "Issues in Nonprofit Finance
7Research: Surplus, Endowment, and Endowment Portfolios"; and
8 WHEREAS, Woody was married to his wife, Michele Thompson,
9for nearly 30 years; the couple met after Michele testified at
10a legislative hearing on behalf of the University of Illinois,
11where she served as Assistant Vice Chancellor for academic
12affairs and later as Secretary to the University of Illinois
13Board of Trustees; in their retirement, Woody and Michele
14enjoyed music, theater, art, foreign languages, and travel; and
15 WHEREAS, H. Woods Bowman will long be remembered for his
16generosity, his political independence, his willingness to
17help others, and his work to improve lives; therefore, be it
18 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
20SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we mourn the passing of H. Woods
21Bowman and extend our sincere condolences to Michele and all
22his family, his friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be
23it further

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1 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to the family of H. Woods Bowman as an expression of
3our deepest sympathy.