Title
REQUEST TO OFFICIALLY NAME
THE GYMNASIUM, A FEATURE IN WILLYE WHITE PARK IN HONOR OF D. WILLIAM “BILL” BOONE
Body
To the Honorable Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District
I. Recommendation
It is recommended that an order be entered authorizing the General Superintendent or his designee to officially name the gymnasium in the Willye White Park Field House in honor of D. William “Bill” Boone
II. Park Naming Information
Proposed Park Feature: Gymnasium in Willye B. White Park Field House
Location: 1610 Howard Street, Chicago, IL. 60626
Community Area: Rogers Park
Ward: #49th Ward
Proposed Name: D. William “Bill” Boone Gymnasium
III. Park Naming Procedures
Pursuant to Chapter VII, Section E (1) of the Code of the Chicago Park District, this request to name the Willye White Park Field House Gymnasium was forwarded to the Secretary of the Chicago Park District, who filed a copy of this request with the Committee on Programs and Recreation and initiated a notice period to solicit public input. Notices were posted in parks and sent to advisory councils located within a one-mile radius of the park site. Elected officials were also notified of the proposal, including the alderman of the ward in which the park is located.
The notice period of forty-five (45) days soliciting public input regarding the naming proposal was initiated on June 18, 2015. This proposal has the support of Alderman Joe Moore of the 49th Ward, the Willye White Park Advisory Council, community members and representatives of the Seabury Foundation.
IV. Explanation
A philanthropist who was deeply committed to the Rogers Park community, D. William “Bill” Boone (1936 - 2005) helped the Chicago Park District develop a much-needed field house for Willye B. White Park. Born and raised on Chicago’s North Shore, he attended the University of New Mexico and spent three years in the Marines before graduating from the University of Illinois in 1960. Following graduation he lived for a time in Spain and then moved back to Chicago, establishing an office at Clark and Howard, from which he did his writing. Eventually Boone moved to the Milwaukee area, but he remained involved in his family’s charitable foundation, known as the Seabury Foundation.
In 2000, Boone helped guide the Seabury Foundation towards a decision to concentrate almost all of its Chicago giving-- roughly a half million dollars a year-- to Rogers Park community north along the north side of Howard Street. For 7-8 years the Foundation was involved in funding many nonprofit agencies in the neighborhood, including Howard Area Community Center, Family Matters, A Just Harvest, Housing Opportunities for Women, and Gale School, to name a few. Boone and the Seabury Foundation were instrumental in organizing leaders from around the community to collaborate on community issues, like affordable housing, safe neighborhoods, improved schools, and most importantly, working closely with the Park District to build a recreation center in the neighborhood. With D. William “Bill” Boone as the key advocate, the foundation agreed in 2004 to allocate a significant grant if the Park District would not have all the funds necessary to get the project off the drawing board. When it was determined that there was a shortfall of roughly $500,000 to build the facility, the Seabury Foundation agreed to donate the funds that enabled the Park District to complete the project.