Harry Yourell

Harry "Bus" Yourell (February 19, 1919 – September 19, 2011) was an American politician.

Yourell was born in Hammond, Indiana on February 27, 1919. He attended high school in Chicago and La Salle Extension University. During World War II, he served in the United States Marine Corps and was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. After the war, Yourell moved to Oak Lawn, Illinois and opened Bus' Drive In. From 1959 to 1963 he served as a Trustee for the Village of Oak Lawn. He was involved with the Worth Township Regular Democratic Club and at the time of his election to the Illinois House of Representatives was the Democratic Committeeman of Worth Township.[1]

In 1966, Yourell was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives as one of three members from the 6th District. The district at that time included all of Worth Township and Calumet Township, and portions of Stickney and Thornton townships.[2] During his time in the House, he was the Chair of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.[3] The Cutback Amendment eliminated multi-member districts in favor of single members districts resulting in a large number of incumbent versus incumbent elections. In the 1982 general election, Yourell defeated Republican incumbent Herb Huskey.[4] In 1983, Yourell was chosen to serve as the Democratic Caucus Chairman.[5]

Yourell served as the Cook County Recorder of Deeds from 1984 to 1988. Yourell was elected a commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in 1988 and re-elected in 1994 and 2000. Yourell resigned from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago on November 30, 2006.[6] Yourell died at the Alexis Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.[7][8]

Yourell was active in the Democratic Party and served as involved with the Worth Township Regular Democratic Club. Yourell was the Democratic Committeeman of Worth Township at the time of his election to the Illinois House of Representatives.[1] Yourell was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1968, 1972, and 1976.[9]

  1. ^ a b Powell, Paul (ed.). "The 75th General Assembly". Illinois Blue Book 1967-1968. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois Secretary of State. p. 203. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "Representative Reapportionment: Legal Descriptions for Cook County Representative Districts Other Than Cook County". Illinois Blue Book 1967-1968. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois Secretary of State. p. 320.
  3. ^ Gherardini, Caroline (ed.). "NIPC not a state agency". Illinois Issues. 5 (8). Sangamon State University: 28. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  4. ^ Ross, Diane. "Legislative Action: Dems Win Big and Madigan Wins Bigger". Illinois Issues. 8 (12). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  5. ^ Newman Jurgens, Nora. "Legislative Action: Madigan's Team, Committee Chairs". Illinois Issues. 9 (3). Sangamon State University. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Torres, Jacqueline (Clerk of the District), ed. (December 31, 2010). "2010 Official Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago" (PDF). Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  7. ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1983-1984,' Biographical Sketch of Harry "Bus" Yourell, pg. 73
  8. ^ 'Harry "Bus" Yourell, 1919-2011,' Chicago Tribune, Becky Schlikerman, September 20, 2011
  9. ^ Tipton Jr, Virgil E. (ed.). "83rd General Assembly: Some Of The Key Members Serving You". Illinois Parks & Recreation. Vol. 14, no. 2. Illinois Association of Park Districts and Illinois Parks and Recreation Association. Retrieved February 15, 2021.