[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 148 (Thursday, September 29, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE LIFE OF MR. WILLIAM GARTH, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 28, 2016

  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, Mr. William Garth, Sr. 
is the Chairman of the Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group Inc., Garthco, 
Inc. and founder/chairman of the QBG Foundation as well as chairman of 
the Chatham Business Association. Mr. Garth is the guiding force behind 
what is known as the largest Black-owned ABC audited newspaper in 
America. There is no other respected audit better than ABC.
  Having started with the Chicago Citizen Newspaper in 1969 as an 
advertising sales representative under the leadership of former 
Congressman Gus Savage, Garth purchased the Chatham Citizen, Southend 
Citizen and Chicago Weekend in 1980. He later added the South Suburban 
and the Hyde Park editions, and founded Garthco Publications, which 
also published PUSH Magazine, a bi-monthly national publication for the 
Operation PUSH organization. With Chicago's population being nearly 50 
percent Black, the Chicago Citizen Newspaper has effectively reached 
this market with its total circulation of 121,000 and weekly readership 
of over 400,000. The circulation areas cover Chicago's South and West 
sides as well as the South Suburbs.
  As a tribute to his business acumen, Garth became the first Black 
person to be elected President of the Illinois Press Association (IPA). 
The IPA is the state's largest newspaper association and the office 
trade organization for Illinois' weekly and daily newspapers. Garth is 
the second Black person in the nation elected president of a statewide 
press association. He currently sits on the Board of the Government 
Affairs Committee, of the Illinois Press Association and has served as 
a board member for more than 15 years. In addition, he was elected a 
stockholder in the Cook County South Suburban Publishers Association 
and in 2009, was elected to become Chairman of the Cook County 
Publishers Association for 2010. His business savvy and knowledge in 
the publishing industry allowed him to also serve as a board member of 
the Midwest Black Publishers Association.
  In December 1998, Garth received the honor of being appointed to 
Governor-elect George Ryan's Transition Team and was later appointed to 
the Board of Directors for the Illinois Inauguration 1998, Inc. In 
1995, Garth founded the Quentis Bernard Garth Foundation, the 
benevolent arm of the Chicago Citizen Newspaper, in memory of his 
youngest son Quentis B. Garth, and is currently the chairman. The QBG 
Foundation provides scholarships to disenfranchised, inner city youths 
in the Chicagoland area. To date, the foundation has helped over 50 
students and has disbursed over $1.5 million in scholarship awards.
  As chairman of the Chatham Business Association, Garth leads the 
organization in creating opportunities, inroads and programs to benefit 
and ensure the prosperity, economic strength and excellence of all 
businesses in the Chatham area and its surrounding communities.
  A dedicated activist and leader in the business community, Garth 
maintains memberships and positions with several business 
organizations. He is the former president of the Midwest Region III of 
the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Region III 
Advertising Representative with the NNPA, Transition Team for IDOT--Dan 
Ryan Project, board member of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a life-time 
member of the NAACP and a member of the Chatham Lions Club. Garth has 
been the recipient of numerous local and national awards and honors; 
one of such honors bestowed upon him was to carry the torch in Chicago 
during the 2002 Olympic Torch Relay.

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