2015 -- H 6191

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF JAY S. GOODMAN, PH.D., J.D.

     Introduced By: Representatives Ajello, Jacquard, and Naughton

     Date Introduced: May 12, 2015

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, Professor Jay Goodman was born in 1940, in St Louis Missouri, to Harold

and Minnie Goodman. He graduated from University City High School in 1957, and later from

Beloit College. Upon graduation, he earned a Woodrow Wilson Foundation Fellowship and

attended Stanford University, where he attained a Master's degree in political science. Mr.

Goodman received his Ph.D. from Brown University; and

     WHEREAS, Professor Goodman was an esteemed teacher for fifty years at Wheaton

College and became the youngest tenured professor in the school's history. He was nationally

known for his exhaustive knowledge of American politics and authored nine monographs and

books on politics. He taught over 10,000 students during his professorial career, but what truly

made him a beloved figure was the mentoring he offered to countless students; and

     WHEREAS, Professor Goodman was also very active in other endeavors including

serving as a Democratic political strategist, as a volunteer leader for numerous civic service

causes, and as an accomplished attorney. Professor Goodman actively served on numerous

political campaigns including Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 Presidential campaign, Ed Muskie's

1972 Presidential campaign, and the Rhode Island campaigns of Governor Frank Licht, Governor

J. Joseph Garrahy, Providence Mayor Joseph Paolino and United States Senator Sheldon

Whitehouse; and

     WHEREAS, Professor Goodman, in a civil service capacity, served as the volunteer head

of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, where he distinguished himself with his

exemplary handling of affairs during the infamous blizzard of 1978. He also served as Chairman

of the Providence Civic Center Authority, and as a member of the Capital Center Commission,

where he helped to oversee the building of Providence Place Mall and Waterplace Park; and

     WHEREAS, In 1975, Professor Goodman, while serving as a pre-law advisor, was

convinced by his students to attend law school. He did so, enrolling in the evening program at

Suffolk Law School and receiving his J.D. in 1978. He was admitted to the Rhode Island and

Massachusetts Bar Associations and served as a federal clerk to the Honorable Francis J. Boyle,

Chief Judge of the United States District Court. He went on to become a founding partner of a

major Rhode Island law firm, and later established his own lobbying practice; and

     WHEREAS, Professor Goodman's enduring legacy, however, is not only found in the

enormity of his professional accomplishments as a brilliant scholar and a devoted public servant,

but also as the beloved husband of Gail Berson, a devoted father, stepfather, grandfather, and

brother, and a cherished, caring and loyal friend to countless people. He will be sorely missed by

all who knew him and loved him so much; and

     WHEREAS, Professor Goodman leaves behind his wife Gail, his son Bob Goodman and

his wife, Naama Goldstein, his stepdaughter Jessica Weaver, his grandson Amishai Goodman-

Goldstein, and his siblings Fay Cohen and her husband, Michael, and Suzanne Liss and her

husband, Michael; now, therefore be it

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

Providence Plantations hereby expresses its condolences to the Goodman Family on the passing

of Jay S. Goodman, Ph.D., J.D.; and be it further

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

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Gail Berson.

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