A RESOLUTION urging the Indiana department of
transportation to rename State Road 37 from Mitchell to Paoli,
State Road 56 from Paoli to French Lick, and State Road 145 from
French Lick to Interstate 64 the Frank O'Bannon Highway.
Whereas, Frank O'Bannon grew up in Harrison County, Indiana. He graduated from Corydon High School in 1948 and received a bachelor's degree in government from Indiana University in 1952. After two years in the U.S. Air Force, he returned to Bloomington to earn a law degree from Indiana University in 1957. Also that year, he and his wife, Judy, were married;
Whereas, Frank O'Bannon was first elected Governor on
November 5, 1996, and reelected to a second term on
November 7, 2000. For his first inauguration ceremony,
Governor O'Bannon invited all Indiana 4th graders, something
no governor had ever done. Fourth graders, who study Indiana
history as part of their curriculum, were invited back for the
second inauguration. More than 25,000 students and visitors
attended the second inauguration on January 8, 2001, making
it the largest gubernatorial inauguration in Indiana history;
Whereas, Governor O'Bannon's top priority was education.
On the national level, Governor O'Bannon served as chair of
the National Education Goals Panel, a bi-partisan organization
committed to improving education. He also served as co-chair
of the National Governor's Association Extra Learning
Opportunities Task Force;
Whereas, Governor O'Bannon launched the Building Bright
Beginnings initiative to emphasize the importance of emotional
and brain development of children from birth to four years of
age. The parents of every newborn now receive a colorful,
easy-to-read growth calendar to take home. So far, more than
400,000 of these calendars have been distributed. The
information helps parents give the attention, affection, and
stimulation that young children need to reach their full
potential. The program also promotes quality child care and
helps parents recognize and remove lead and mercury hazards
from their homes;
Whereas, O'Bannon also committed funds to triple the
number of families served by Healthy Families Indiana, which
teaches parenting and coping skills one-on-one in Hoosier
homes. The program has achieved a remarkable success rate in
preventing child abuse and neglect in the high-risk families
taking part. It is funded with savings achieved by moving
Hoosiers from welfare rolls to payrolls;
Whereas, When the legislature was not in session,
Governor O'Bannon rolled up his sleeves at least one day each
month in his "A Day Makes a Difference" campaign,
encouraging leaders and everyday citizens to volunteer in
community service projects. He tutored children on computers,
served food to the homeless, helped build or rehabilitate
low-income housing, and spruced up other public and nonprofit
facilities;
Whereas, Governor O'Bannon is survived by former First
Lady Judy O'Bannon, his best friend for almost half a century.
A leader in her own right, Judy O'Bannon promotes the arts,
community development, and historic preservation throughout
Indiana. She chairs the Governor's Indiana 2016 program,
helping communities statewide take stock of their roots as they
work toward a better future; and
Whereas, Governor O'Bannon was stricken on September
8, 2003, by a stroke, from which he never recovered. He
passed away September 13, 2003. On that day, in the words of
Governor Joe Kernan, "every Hoosier lost their governor and
their friend": Therefore,
HR 1548/DI 84