WHEREAS, the members of the Senate and House of Representatives of the 126th General Assembly are happy to learn that the Wilmington Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association has named javelin thrower William Alfred (Bill) Skinner Delaware's most Outstanding Athlete in 1970; and
WHEREAS, Bill Skinner is the second son of the late Harry L. Skinner, Sr., a former resident of Holloway Terrace and a former officer of the Delaware State Senate; and
WHEREAS, Bill Skinner, now resides with his mother in Penn Acres in New Castle County after having attended Rose Hill Elementary School, William Penn and Wilmington' High Schools in his early years; and
WHEREAS, Bill Skinner, a naval veteran with an honorable discharge, has been acclaimed throughout the world for his accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, Bill Skinner, a senior at the University of Tennessee, won the coveted United States NCAA and AAU titles during 1970 with tosses exceeding 270 feet; and
WHEREAS, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt cited Bill Skinner for an outstanding achievement after a meet in Stuttgart, Germany, in which Skinner tossed the javelin 291 feet, 10 inches; and
WHEREAS, Bill Skinner in July 1970 became the first American ever to defeat the reigning Russian Olympic Champion, Jan Lusis; and
WHEREAS, both the House and Senate wish to show their appreciation to Bill Skinner for his fantastic sports exploits, especially being named Delaware's Outstanding Athlete,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the State of Delaware, with the approval of the Governor, as attested by his signature appended hereto, that the General Assembly commend Bill Skinner, a fine American from the State That Started A Nation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be entered on the Journals of both the Senate and House of Representatives, and a copy be sent to Bill Skinner and his Family living in Penn Acres, New Castle, Delaware.