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1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3 to learn of the death of John Meinert, who passed away on
4 December 30, 2023; and
5 WHEREAS, John Meinert was born in White Cloud, Michigan on
6 August 11, 1927; he began working at age 12, contributing
7 financial support to his mother, baby twin sisters, and
8 brother through a variety of jobs, including ranch hand,
9 grocery clerk, typesetter, and clothing salesman; he graduated
10 high school as valedictorian at age 16 and received a
11 scholarship to the University of Michigan; he was drafted in
12 the U.S. Army, serving from 1945 to 1946; he concluded his
13 studies at Northwestern University in 1949, earning his
14 Bachelor of Science and his certified public accountant (CPA)
15 license; he was drafted again and served as a sergeant in the
16 U.S. Army Reserves from 1955 to 1958; and
17 WHEREAS, John Meinert's notable professional
18 accomplishments started in 1950 at premier clothing retailer
19 Hart Schaffner & Marx, later known as the Hartmarx
20 Corporation, where he moved up the ranks over 40 years to
21 become chairman of the board; he became chairman emeritus in
22 1990; he then started a new 22-year career as a principal at
23 J.H. Chapman Group LLC, a Chicago investment banking firm,
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1 retiring as chairman in 2012 at age 85; he also worked as an
2 arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association; and
3 WHEREAS, John Meinert contributed to the accounting
4 profession in a number of ways; he educated accounting
5 students at Northwestern University and served as a faculty
6 member at the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management; he
7 served as president of the Illinois CPA Society, serving two
8 terms on the board of directors, and on numerous committees
9 with the American Institute of CPAs, where he ultimately
10 served as vice president; he also wrote a column in the Journal
11 of Accountancy for many years and was a longtime member of the
12 Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council of the
13 Financial Accounting Standards Board; and
14 WHEREAS, John Meinert donated his time to numerous
15 endeavors and volunteer positions, including the Evanston
16 Hospital Board, Northwestern University's John Evans Club, the
17 Better Business Bureau, the Duncan YMCA, and the Chicagoland
18 Chamber of Commerce; he served as president and later chairman
19 of the Clothing Manufacturers Association of the USA from 1982
20 to 1990; he was a trustee of the Amalgamated Insurance Fund and
21 the Rotary International Retirement Fund; he served with the
22 Leadership Circle Advisory Council for Northwestern
23 University's Kellogg School of Management and chaired the
24 University of Illinois Gies College of Business Advisory
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1 Council; he was president of Rotary International, where he
2 insistently advised on the worldwide inclusion of women,
3 before becoming a foundation trustee and an assistant district
4 governor, completing this service in 2000; he later served on
5 the Chicago Council for Foreign Relations and Chicago Sister
6 Cities International; and
7 WHEREAS, John Meinert accrued many accolades and honors,
8 including the Gold Medal from the American Institute of
9 Certified Public Accountants for Distinguished Service in
10 1987, the Alumni Merit Award from the Kellogg School of
11 Management at Northwestern University in 1989, and the Public
12 Service Award from the Illinois CPA Society in 1996; in
13 recognition for his wide-ranging civic work, he was named
14 Chicago Humanitarian of the Year by the Five Hospital
15 Foundation in 1995; and
16 WHEREAS, John Meinert was a member of Community
17 Presbyterian Church, The University Club of Chicago, and the
18 Rolling Green Country Club, all in the Chicago area, until he
19 moved to Davenport, Iowa; and
20 WHEREAS, John Meinert was a dependable and family-focused
21 person, engendering intense loyalty from others despite his
22 demanding and driven nature; he will be remembered for his
23 brilliance of mind, sheer force of will, spectacular energy,
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1 and stewardship; and
2 WHEREAS, John Meinert was preceded in death by his wife of
3 50 years, Ruth Joyce Meinert; and
4 WHEREAS, John Meinert is survived by his daughters,
5 Elizabeth (Scott) Tinsman and Pamela Martin; his sisters,
6 Arlene (Horst) Lichtenberger, Darlene (Tom) Rinehart, and
7 Richard (Dorothy) Reynolds; seven grandchildren; three
8 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews; therefore,
9 be it
10 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
11 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
12 John Meinert and extend our sincere condolences to his family,
13 friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further
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