Senate
Resolution
105
-
Introduced
SENATE
RESOLUTION
NO.
105
BY
McCOY
A
Resolution
to
recognize
and
celebrate
the
life,
work,
1
and
public
service
of
John
Ruan.
2
WHEREAS,
former
Chairman
and
Chief
Executive
Officer
3
of
the
Ruan
Companies,
John
Ruan
has
passed
on,
at
the
4
age
of
96;
and
5
WHEREAS,
Mr.
Ruan
filled
most
of
a
century
with
6
personal
achievement
and
public
service
at
a
local,
7
national,
and
international
level;
and
8
WHEREAS,
beginning
in
1932,
loading
and
hauling
9
gravel,
by
1957,
Mr.
Ruan
had
become
the
nation’s
10
largest
carrier
of
bulk
petroleum
products
and
over
the
11
decades
expanded
his
holdings
into
banking
with
Bankers
12
Trust
Company,
and
into
brokerage
services
and
dairy
13
transportation;
and
14
WHEREAS,
in
1975,
Mr.
Ruan
completed
construction
15
of
Des
Moines’
first
true
skyscraper,
the
36-story
16
Ruan
Center,
and
went
on
to
play
a
key
role
in
the
17
redevelopment
of
downtown
Des
Moines,
which
included
18
the
building
of
the
33-story
Marriott
Hotel
in
19
1980;
and
20
WHEREAS,
Mr.
Ruan
has
always
demonstrated
a
passion
21
for
public
service
that
has
benefitted
not
only
Iowa,
22
but
the
nation
and
the
world;
and
23
WHEREAS,
in
1970,
Mr.
Ruan
founded
the
MS/Charity,
24
providing
much
of
the
nation’s
funding
in
the
fight
25
against
multiple
sclerosis,
and
the
John
Ruan
Multiple
26
Sclerosis
Golf
Exhibition,
one
of
the
largest
MS
27
charity
fundraising
events
in
the
United
States;
and
28
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S.R.
105
WHEREAS,
Mr.
Ruan
then
became
the
principal
sponsor
1
and
Chairman
Emeritus
of
the
World
Food
Prize,
the
2
foremost
international
award
for
food
production
and
3
combating
of
hunger;
and
4
WHEREAS,
the
recipient
of
numerous
awards
and
5
accolades,
including
the
Iowa
Award
in
2001,
the
legacy
6
of
Mr.
Ruan’s
public
service
will
continue
long
into
7
the
future
through
the
John
Ruan
Foundation
Trust;
NOW
8
THEREFORE,
9
BE
IT
RESOLVED
BY
THE
SENATE,
That
the
Senate
10
honors
the
life
and
work
of
John
Ruan,
a
visionary
11
entrepreneur,
community
developer,
and
a
philanthropist
12
who,
through
decades
of
service,
provided
both
help
and
13
hope
for
his
community,
the
state,
and
the
world,
and
14
especially
for
those
in
need.
15
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