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1		HOUSE RESOLUTION
2		WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3		Representatives wish to congratulate Fowler Connell on the
4		occasion of his 100th birthday; and
5		WHEREAS, Fowler Connell was born on April 18, 1924; he
6		graduated Paseo High School in Kansas City, Missouri in 1941;
7		he attended Kansas City Junior College and graduated from the
8		University of Missouri in 1949; and
9		WHEREAS, Fowler Connell served as a petty officer first
10		class and a radarman in the U.S. Navy during World War II; he
11		was aboard the USS Boston (CA-69) during his entire length of
12		service from 1943 to 1946; during his time in the Pacific, he
13		experienced kamikaze attacks and supported forces in island
14		assaults post-Pearl Harbor; at 21 years of age, he witnessed
15		the end of the war from the deck of the USS Boston, which was
16		anchored off the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, where General
17		MacArthur accepted the surrender of the Empire of Japan; and
18		WHEREAS, Fowler Connell led a 40-year career in newspaper
19		journalism, beginning with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and
20		the Champaign News-Gazette in 1949; he then joined the
21		Danville Commercial-News in 1952, where he worked for 37 years
22		before retiring from his position as sports editor at the end

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1		of 1989; he was later honored by the newspaper in 2005, when it
2		published a book featuring a collection of his favorite
3		stories titled, Sports Through My Eyes, 50 Years of Sports
4		Coverage, with proceeds from the sale of the book and
5		companion audio CD supporting scholarships at Danville Area
6		Community College; and
7		WHEREAS, Fowler Connell began his second career as a radio
8		broadcaster on January 1, 1990, and he continued serving as a
9		member of the WDAN broadcast team on high school, junior
10		college, and local University of Illinois broadcasts until
11		2020; he appeared as a regular panelist on the WDAN Sports Talk
12		program for over 30 years, retiring from the show at almost 97
13		years of age; during his 71 years of employment as a newspaper
14		writer, editor, and radio broadcaster, he never missed a day
15		of work; and
16		WHEREAS, Fowler Connell supported his community in a
17		number of ways; he belonged to the Danville Golden K club,
18		where he served as president and lieutenant governor, and
19		volunteered at the Danville VA Hospital, Danville High School,
20		North Ridge Middle School, the Danville Township Food Pantry,
21		and a local retirement center, where he called bingo each
22		week, remaining active in local volunteer service until age
23		97; he spearheaded the establishment of the Vermilion County
24		Sportsmanship Award over 30 years ago, and he continues to

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1		serve on the award's local committee; and
2		WHEREAS, Fowler Connell, an icon of Danville and Vermilion
3		County, will celebrate his 100th birthday on April 18, 2024;
4		therefore, be it
5		RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
6		HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
7		we congratulate Fowler Connell on his 100th birthday, commend
8		him for his service to the State of Illinois and the nation,
9		and wish him continued health and happiness; and be it further