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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
COMMEMORATING THE EXCEPTIONAL LIFE AND LEGACY OF SHERMAN C. MAGIDSON
WHEREAS, Sherman C. Magidson, was a lawyer whose wit, compassion and intelligence was revealed through his work as a writer and lawyer. He has left behind a devoted family, countless friends and a community enriched for having known him; and
WHEREAS, Sherman Magidson grew up in Oak Park, Illinois and attended Oak Park and River Forest High School. He was a talented football player and hardworking scholar in high school and was rewarded for his efforts with a scholarship to attend Yale University; he graduated from Yale University with his Bachelor of Arts in history; and
WHEREAS, after proudly serving his country for two years in the United States Army, Sherman Magidson attended and graduated from the law school at Northwestern University where he was a member of the Law Review and elected to the Order of the Coif; and
WHEREAS, after graduation from law school, Sherman Magidson was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1959; and
WHEREAS, Sherman Magidson became a well-respected member of the bar practicing criminal defense; he was a partner at Bellows and Bellows and later formed his own firm; and
WHEREAS, Sherman Magidson served as a respected and admired adjunct professor of law teaching Trial Advocacy at Chicago-Kent College of law between 1972 and 1979; and
WHEREAS, Sherman Magidson took his experience as a talented lawyer to Hollywood, where, as a member of the Writers' Guild of America, he shared his gift. He became a talente of writing as a script-writer and legal consultant in Los Angeles for "The Young and The Restless" and "The Bold and The Beautiful;" and
WHEREAS, later, missing the court room and his hometown, Sherman Magidson returned to Chicago to do what he liked best: practicing law; and
WHEREAS, Sherman Magidson was a strong advocate for mental health issues. He was one of the founders and was the first president of the Lawyers' Assistance Program and he served as a member of the Governor's Commission to rewrite the Illinois Mental Health Code; and
WHEREAS, Sherman Magidson is survived by his wife Gail, his children Beth Wolskij, Susan Cange, Jim Magidson, Deborah Magidson, and his grandchildren Stefan Cange, Max Cange, Jana Wolskij, Natalie Cange, Harrison Wolskij, and Sarah Curley; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, on behalf of the 5.2 million residents of Cook County who he served dutifully, commemorates the extraordinary life of Sherman Magidson, and herewith expresses its sincere gratitude for the invaluable and innumerable contributions he has made to the Citizens of Cook County, Illinois; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body and that an official copy of the same be tendered to the family of Sherman C. Magidson.end