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H.R. 4
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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This resolution of the House of Representatives honors the life and accomplishments of
10 James L. Sorenson.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This resolution:
13 . honors the extraordinary life of James L. Sorenson, his accomplishments, and their
14 impact for good on Utah, its citizens, and the world; and
15 . expresses condolences to James L. Sorenson's family at his passing.
16 Special Clauses:
17 None
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19 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the state of Utah:
20 WHEREAS, James L. Sorenson was born in a farmhouse in Rexburg, Idaho on July 30,
21 1921, the first child of young parents Joseph LeVoy and Emma Blaser Sorenson;
22 WHEREAS, the love and encouragement provided by his parents enabled James to
23 embrace life with enthusiasm and an optimistic attitude, even while growing up in the midst of
24 the Great Depression;
25 WHEREAS, with this attitude, James overcame the poverty of his childhood to become
26 one of the world's leading inventors, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists;
27 WHEREAS, James was raised in northern California and received a basketball
28 scholarship to Sierra College;
29 WHEREAS, James was later accepted into the naval V5 pilot training and V7 medical
30 programs, but chose instead to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
31 Saints (LDS) to the New England States;
32 WHEREAS, James enlisted in the United States Marines, graduated from Officers
33 Candidate School, and completed his pharmacy internship;
34 WHEREAS, it was in the LDS Manhattan Ward in New York that James met his
35 beloved bride, Beverley Taylor;
36 WHEREAS, James and Beverley were married in the Logan LDS Temple July 23,
37 1946, and spent 61 happy years together;
38 WHEREAS, in 1947, James made his first real estate purchase, a $50 down payment on
39 a newly built home in Rose Park, and made his first real estate investment acquisition, 3.5
40 acres on the Salt Lake Valley bench;
41 WHEREAS, after an honorable release from military service, James worked eight years
42 for the Upjohn Company as a salesman;
43 WHEREAS, in 1957, James stopped selling for Upjohn and co-founded Deseret
44 Pharmaceutical;
45 WHEREAS, in 1960, James sold his share of Deseret Pharmaceutical and purchased a
46 garment manufacturer, renaming it LeVoy's;
47 WHEREAS, in 1962, the success of LeVoy's enabled James to pursue his real passion,
48 medical products, by founding Sorenson Research;
49 WHEREAS, some of James' pioneering inventions include the disposable surgical
50 mask, non-invasive plastic venous catheters, blood recycling and infusion systems, novel
51 anti-clotting solutions, and the first real-time computerized heart monitoring systems;
52 WHEREAS, many of James' inventions became standard equipment in health care;
53 WHEREAS, the host of medical innovations James invented transformed patient care
54 in hospitals and clinics throughout the world and helped save or improve millions of lives;
55 WHEREAS, James' inventions yielded more than 40 patents;
56 WHEREAS, in 1980, James sold Sorenson Research to Abbott Laboratories and
57 became its largest private stockholder;
58 WHEREAS, James founded a family of dynamic entrepreneurial organizations in
59 industries ranging from information technology to life sciences, real estate, and genetic
60 genealogy;
61 WHEREAS, enjoying success in a variety of businesses, James was constantly
62 interested in new ideas, new technologies, and potential acquisitions;
63 WHEREAS, in 1999, James broke ground on Rosecrest, a master-planned subdivision
64 on the Salt Lake Valley's southwest bench;
65 WHEREAS, in 2000, James founded Sorenson Genomics LLC;
66 WHEREAS, in 2001, James founded the nonprofit research organization Sorenson
67 Molecular Genealogy Foundation;
68 WHEREAS, in 2007, James broke ground on Jordanelle Ridge, a high-end
69 master-planned community in Heber Valley;
70 WHEREAS, James greatly enjoyed acting on new ideas, creating companies to make
71 them a reality, and getting involved in worthwhile endeavors;
72 WHEREAS, despite his professional and philanthropic accomplishments, James
73 consistently maintained that his greatest legacy was his family, including 47 grandchildren and
74 28 great-grandchildren;
75 WHEREAS, James spent many hours reading poetry, which brought him great solace;
76 WHEREAS, James loved being alone in nature and enjoying its beauties;
77 WHEREAS, James took a great interest in people and it was not in his nature to
78 distinguish himself from others; and
79 WHEREAS, the life of James L. Sorenson convincingly demonstrates the power one
80 person can have to better the lives of many:
81 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
82 state of Utah honors the extraordinary life of James L. Sorenson and all that he did to better the
83 lives of Utahns and many millions of other people throughout the world.
84 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives expresses its most
85 sincere condolences to James L. Sorenson's family at his passing.
86 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to James L.
87 Sorenson's family.
Legislative Review Note
as of 1-30-08 2:24 PM