2008 -- H 7186

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LC00926

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2008

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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

HONORING FORMER GOVERNOR BRUCE SUNDLUN

FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND ON THE

OCCASION OF HIS 88TH BIRTHDAY

     Introduced By: Representatives Naughton, Murphy, Fox, E Coderre, and Kilmartin

     Date Introduced: January 22, 2008

     Referred To: House read and passed

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     WHEREAS, The Honorable Bruce Sundlun was born on January 19, 1920. He attended

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Williams College, earning a B.A. degree in 1942, and attained his law degree from Harvard in

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1949; and

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      WHEREAS, In World War II, The Honorable Bruce Sundlun led with distinction as a

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pilot with the 8th Air Force in England, where his airplane was shot down over Nazi-occupied

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Belgium in 1943. As a person of Jewish faith and speaking very little French, he was able to hide

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in plain sight, fight along with the French underground under the code name “Salamander”, and

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enter Switzerland in May 1944. He was later awarded the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Flying

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Cross, and the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster from the United States, and Chevalier of the

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Légion d'honneur from the Republic of France; and

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      WHEREAS, The Honorable Bruce Sundlun practiced law, serving from 1949 to 1951 as

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an assistant United States Attorney, and from 1954 to 1972, as special assistant to the U.S.

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Attorney General; and

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      WHEREAS, The Honorable Bruce Sundlun excelled in business leadership as President

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of the Outlet Company during its time of diversification and expansion into television

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broadcasting, and as President of the Executive Jet Corporation, he led the company into a

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leadership position in the field of worldwide air charter service; and

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      WHEREAS, Immediately upon his swearing in as Governor of Rhode Island in 1991,

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The Honorable Bruce Sundlun was called upon to provide leadership in restoring confidence in

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Rhode Island’s credit union and banking industry. Through his skilled leadership all depositors

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were repaid their funds frozen during the crisis; and

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      WHEREAS, Through the visionary leadership of The Honorable Governor Bruce

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Sundlun, the Rhode Island Airport Corporation was formed to lead the renovations and expansion

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of T.F. Green Airport. The upgrades provided Rhode Island with extended air service, as well as

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considerable economic growth brought by the greater numbers of visitors and business travelers

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to the state; and

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      WHEREAS, In "retirement" The Honorable Bruce Sundlun continues to be active as

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Governor in Residence annually teaching two courses at the University of Rhode Island; and

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      WHEREAS, The Honorable Bruce Sundlun also continues to provide ideas for

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improving Rhode Island’s economy and state budget difficulties by lecturing, writing and

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promoting such ideas as lengthening T.F. Green runways within the current boundaries of the

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airport to allow non-stop air travel to the Pacific coast, and by proposing the savings of millions

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of taxpayer dollars by reducing the number of state school districts into one single state public

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school management system; now; therefore be it

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      RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

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Providence Plantations hereby honors Governor Bruce Sundlun on the occasion of his 88th

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birthday. We thank him for his continued ideas and leadership, and extend our sincere wishes for

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his continued success, health, and happiness; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to The Honorable Bruce Sundlun.

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LC00926

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