Illinois State Society of Washington, DC

Illinois Hall of Fame: Paul Douglas

By Mark Rhoads

Paul Douglas was an educator, economist, a decorated Marine Corps officer, and a Democratic U.S. senator. He was often called an unconventional or maverick liberal because he was an avocate of civil rights but also fought for fiscal spending controls.  He was an internationalist in favor of liberal values and human rights but he was also a staunch anti-Communist who wanted to work through the UN to stop Communist expansion. Paul was born on March 26, 1892 in Salem, Massachusetts and mostly grew up in Newport, Maine.  He graduated with honors from Bowdoin College in 1913 and later received both a Master's Degree and a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University. He married Dorothy Wolff in 1915 who was also a Ph.D. from Columbia. From 1915 to 1920, Douglas taught at different schools including the University of Illinois.

In 1921, Paul accepted a position with the faculty of the University of Chicago in the economics department. The Cobb-Douglas Function in economic theory was named for Douglas. Through meetings with social reformer Jane Addams, the founder of Hull House, Douglas became interested in political activism.  His teaching career at the University of Chicago was interrrupted in the late 1920s when his first wife Dorothy wanted him to teach near her in the East. They divorced in 1930 and in 1931 Paul married his second wife Emily Taft, who was from a socially prominent family in Chicago and was also a social reformer.  She was also a distant cousin to President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft of Ohio.   

By Mark Rhoads

Paul Douglas was an educator, economist, a decorated Marine Corps officer, and a Democratic U.S. senator. He was often called an unconventional or maverick liberal because he was an avocate of civil rights but also fought for fiscal spending controls.  He was an internationalist in favor of liberal values and human rights but he was also a staunch anti-Communist who wanted to work through the UN to stop Communist expansion. Paul was born on March 26, 1892 in Salem, Massachusetts and mostly grew up in Newport, Maine.  He graduated with honors from Bowdoin College in 1913 and later received both a Master's Degree and a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University. He married Dorothy Wolff in 1915 who was also a Ph.D. from Columbia. From 1915 to 1920, Douglas taught at different schools including the University of Illinois.

In 1921, Paul accepted a position with the faculty of the University of Chicago in the economics department. The Cobb-Douglas Function in economic theory was named for Douglas. Through meetings with social reformer Jane Addams, the founder of Hull House, Douglas became interested in political activism.  His teaching career at the University of Chicago was interrrupted in the late 1920s when his first wife Dorothy wanted him to teach near her in the East. They divorced in 1930 and in 1931 Paul married his second wife Emily Taft, who was from a socially prominent family in Chicago and was also a social reformer.  She was also a distant cousin to President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft of Ohio.   

Illinois Hall of Fame: Mary Ann McMorrow

By Mark Rhoads

Mary Ann G. McMorrow was a pioneer among women in the Illinois legal profession for almost 53 years. She was the first woman elected to the Illinois Supreme Court in 1992 and the first woman to become Chief Justice in 2002.  She therefore was also the first woman to head one of the three branches of Illinois state government.

McMorrow was born in Chicago in 1928.  She is a graduate of Immaculata High School and Rosary College (now part of Dominican University) in River Forest.  She was the only woman in her class when she graduated from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 1953. She was admitted to the bar that same year. After several years working for the firm of Riordan and Linklater in the general practice of law, she was appointed as the First Assistant Cook County State's Attorney in the Criminal Division. She was the first woman to prosecute felony cases in Cook County. In 1976, she was elected a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County. She was appointed to the Appellate Court in 1985 and elected in her own right in 1986. Chief Justice McMorrow retired from the Illinois Supreme Court in July 2006.

By Mark Rhoads

Mary Ann G. McMorrow was a pioneer among women in the Illinois legal profession for almost 53 years. She was the first woman elected to the Illinois Supreme Court in 1992 and the first woman to become Chief Justice in 2002.  She therefore was also the first woman to head one of the three branches of Illinois state government.

McMorrow was born in Chicago in 1928.  She is a graduate of Immaculata High School and Rosary College (now part of Dominican University) in River Forest.  She was the only woman in her class when she graduated from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 1953. She was admitted to the bar that same year. After several years working for the firm of Riordan and Linklater in the general practice of law, she was appointed as the First Assistant Cook County State's Attorney in the Criminal Division. She was the first woman to prosecute felony cases in Cook County. In 1976, she was elected a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County. She was appointed to the Appellate Court in 1985 and elected in her own right in 1986. Chief Justice McMorrow retired from the Illinois Supreme Court in July 2006.

Illinois Hall of Fame: Charlton Heston

By Mark Rhoads

Writer, director, and Academy Award-winning actor Charlton Heston was born on Oct. 4, 1924. Where he was born is a matter of some disagreement among thousands of sources on the web. About 40 percent of sources say he was born in Evanston, Illinois and about 60 percent say he was born in or near St. Helen in the north central woods of Michigan.  Normally authoritative sources seem split down the middle. Assuming St. Helen is the correct place, his name at birth was John Carleton Carter. His parents were Lila Charlton and Russell Whitford Carter. His parents were divorced when Charlton was ten and Lila shortly was married a second time to Chester Heston and the family moved to Wilmette, Illinois where Charlton went to grade school.  Charlton attended New Trier High School in Winnetka and graduated with the class of 1942.

While still in high school, Charlton acted in productions of the Winnetka Community Theater and that work helped him get a drama scholarship to Northwestern University. In 1944 he left Northwestern to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Force and was stationed in Alaska. 

By Mark Rhoads

Writer, director, and Academy Award-winning actor Charlton Heston was born on Oct. 4, 1924. Where he was born is a matter of some disagreement among thousands of sources on the web. About 40 percent of sources say he was born in Evanston, Illinois and about 60 percent say he was born in or near St. Helen in the north central woods of Michigan.  Normally authoritative sources seem split down the middle. Assuming St. Helen is the correct place, his name at birth was John Carleton Carter. His parents were Lila Charlton and Russell Whitford Carter. His parents were divorced when Charlton was ten and Lila shortly was married a second time to Chester Heston and the family moved to Wilmette, Illinois where Charlton went to grade school.  Charlton attended New Trier High School in Winnetka and graduated with the class of 1942.

While still in high school, Charlton acted in productions of the Winnetka Community Theater and that work helped him get a drama scholarship to Northwestern University. In 1944 he left Northwestern to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Force and was stationed in Alaska. 

Illinois Hall of Fame: Charles MacArthur

By Mark Rhoads

The photo at right is from the website of actor James MacArthur, who was known for his role as Detective Danny Williams ("Book 'em Dano") on the Hawaii Five-O TV series (1968-1979). Pictured at right are his foster parents, former Chicago journalist, playwrite, screen writer, and author Charles MacArthur and his wife, stage and film actress Helen Hayes.

Charles MacArthur and fellow Chicago journalist Ben Hecht were the authors of the The Front Page, the classic comedy about politics, the Cook County Court House, and reporters in Chicago. The play was revived on Broadway and on TV many times and was also made as a movie at least four times.

By Mark Rhoads

The photo at right is from the website of actor James MacArthur, who was known for his role as Detective Danny Williams ("Book 'em Dano") on the Hawaii Five-O TV series (1968-1979). Pictured at right are his foster parents, former Chicago journalist, playwrite, screen writer, and author Charles MacArthur and his wife, stage and film actress Helen Hayes.

Charles MacArthur and fellow Chicago journalist Ben Hecht were the authors of the The Front Page, the classic comedy about politics, the Cook County Court House, and reporters in Chicago. The play was revived on Broadway and on TV many times and was also made as a movie at least four times.

Illinois Hall of Fame: James Shields

By Pat Hickey

Guest Contributor to Illinois Hall of Fame

No textbook tells the story of James J. Shields, the man whose perch in the Capitol is coveted by admirers of Ronald Reagan, but his personal story and resume are among the most impressive of any American, in any era.

Shields' attainments are even more remarkable when you consider his modest start. He arrived in America in the 1820s a penniless Irish Catholic immigrant, without a friend or patron.

By the time he died in 1879 at age 73, Shields had ably served as a soldier, a teacher, a lawyer, a judge, an Illinois Supreme Court justice, and a state auditor. These were in addition to his service as a state representative, a brevet major general in the Mexican War; military governor of Tampico, Mexico; territorial land agent; U.S. senator for, respectively, Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri; and brigadier general of Union troops.

By Pat Hickey

Guest Contributor to Illinois Hall of Fame

No textbook tells the story of James J. Shields, the man whose perch in the Capitol is coveted by admirers of Ronald Reagan, but his personal story and resume are among the most impressive of any American, in any era.

Shields' attainments are even more remarkable when you consider his modest start. He arrived in America in the 1820s a penniless Irish Catholic immigrant, without a friend or patron.

By the time he died in 1879 at age 73, Shields had ably served as a soldier, a teacher, a lawyer, a judge, an Illinois Supreme Court justice, and a state auditor. These were in addition to his service as a state representative, a brevet major general in the Mexican War; military governor of Tampico, Mexico; territorial land agent; U.S. senator for, respectively, Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri; and brigadier general of Union troops.

Illinois Hall of Fame: Irv Kupcinet

By Mark Rhoads

Irv Kupcinet was a reporter and celebrity columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for an incredible 68 years from 1935 to 2003. He was born on July 31, 1912 near 16th and Kedzie in what was then the mostly Jewish North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago. He was the youngest of four children of Russian immigrants, Ogla and Max Kupcinet. Max was a bakery truck driver and as a boy Irv helped his father make deliveries with a horse and wagon.

Kup attended the old Carter Harrison High School at 24th and Marshall Blvd. where he was editor of the school newspaper and president of the senior class. The school is now elementary grades only and was re-named in 1981 for Maria Saucedo, a teacher who was killed in a fire.

Kup won a football scholarship to Northwestern University in 1930 but later transferred to where football opportunities for him would be better at the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks. He graduated in 1934.

By Mark Rhoads

Irv Kupcinet was a reporter and celebrity columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for an incredible 68 years from 1935 to 2003. He was born on July 31, 1912 near 16th and Kedzie in what was then the mostly Jewish North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago. He was the youngest of four children of Russian immigrants, Ogla and Max Kupcinet. Max was a bakery truck driver and as a boy Irv helped his father make deliveries with a horse and wagon.

Kup attended the old Carter Harrison High School at 24th and Marshall Blvd. where he was editor of the school newspaper and president of the senior class. The school is now elementary grades only and was re-named in 1981 for Maria Saucedo, a teacher who was killed in a fire.

Kup won a football scholarship to Northwestern University in 1930 but later transferred to where football opportunities for him would be better at the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks. He graduated in 1934.

Illinois Hall of Fame: Gustavus Swift

By Mark Rhoads

Gustavus Franklin Swift was one of several pioneers in wholesale food distribution who took advantage of Chicago's railroad center and strategic location to revolutionize their various industries in the latter part of the 19th Century.  Except for his family and his church, Swift was single minded in his determination and focus on improving his meat packing company and its services.

Swift was born on June 24, 1839 on Cape Cod near a town that was then called West Sandwich and is now called Sagamore, Massachusetts. In 1872 Swift became a partner in Hathaway and Swift, a butcher and slaughterhouse operation near Boston. Swift was the expert cattle buyer for the partnership and on his recommendation the company moved to Chicago in 1875 to take advantage of access to the Union Stock Yards.

Illinois Hall of Fame: Paul G. Hoffman

By Mark Rhoads

Paul G. Hoffman was an early automotive pioneer and businessman who was CEO and Chairman of The Studebaker Corporation in the 1940s.  He was appointed by President Harry S. Truman in 1948 to direct the Marshall Plan for the economic reconstruction of western Europe after World War II.  He also served President Dwight D. Eisenhower as U.S. Delegate to the United Nations in 1956.  The illustration at right is from a cover of Time Magazine in 1948 just after his appointment to head the Marshall Plan.

Paul was born on April 26, 1891 in Western Springs, Illinois, 15 miles west of Chicago on the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Railroad.  His father was an inventor. Paul attended grammar school at The Grand Avenue School in Western Springs. He graduated from Lyons Township High School in La Grange with the class of 1909. While he was in high school, Paul was a dare devil race car driver who competed in many early auto races in Illinois. When he was only 16 years old in 1907, Paul drove a Pierce Arrow car as one of 36 entries in the three-day Chicago Motor Club endurance and reliability test. One of his competitors was the legendary Barney Olfield who drove an Autocar.  Paul attended the University of Chicago. At age 20 in 1911, he moved to Los Angeles to work for Studebaker. He worked his way up from the bottom starting out as an auto mechanic, then a salesman, a sales supervisor, and company executive.

By Mark Rhoads

Paul G. Hoffman was an early automotive pioneer and businessman who was CEO and Chairman of The Studebaker Corporation in the 1940s.  He was appointed by President Harry S. Truman in 1948 to direct the Marshall Plan for the economic reconstruction of western Europe after World War II.  He also served President Dwight D. Eisenhower as U.S. Delegate to the United Nations in 1956.  The illustration at right is from a cover of Time Magazine in 1948 just after his appointment to head the Marshall Plan.

Paul was born on April 26, 1891 in Western Springs, Illinois, 15 miles west of Chicago on the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Railroad.  His father was an inventor. Paul attended grammar school at The Grand Avenue School in Western Springs. He graduated from Lyons Township High School in La Grange with the class of 1909. While he was in high school, Paul was a dare devil race car driver who competed in many early auto races in Illinois. When he was only 16 years old in 1907, Paul drove a Pierce Arrow car as one of 36 entries in the three-day Chicago Motor Club endurance and reliability test. One of his competitors was the legendary Barney Olfield who drove an Autocar.  Paul attended the University of Chicago. At age 20 in 1911, he moved to Los Angeles to work for Studebaker. He worked his way up from the bottom starting out as an auto mechanic, then a salesman, a sales supervisor, and company executive.

Illinois Hall of Fame: Studs Terkel

By Mark Rhoads

It might or might not have been a coincidence, but when Hollywood casting agents selected the actors for Eight Men Out in 1988, they chose several actors with close Illinois ties that certainly looked authentic in their parts as characters from the Black Sox Scandal of 1919.  Studs Terkel was one of those who played a quintessential Chicago newspaper reporter.  Another was John Mahoney from Quincy, Illinois who played White Sox Manager Kid Gleason and the great character actor John Anderson from Clayton, Illinois who played Federal Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

Illinois Hall of Fame: Jon Corzine

By Mark Rhoads

It might seem odd to describe the current governor of New Jersey as an "Illinoisan" but his roots in the Land of Lincoln are deep. Gov. Jon S. Corzine (D-New Jersey) was born on Jan. 1, 1947 near Willey Station, a small town near Taylorville, Illinois in Christian County. His father was a farmer and an insurance salesman and Jon was raised on the family farm. His mother was a public school teacher. Jon was a quarterback for the Taylorville High School football team and captain of the basketball team. He graduated from Taylorville High School in 1965.

Corzine attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.  He graduated with a B.A. degree in 1969 and earned a Phi Beta Kappa key. Corzine had also joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve while he was still and undergraduate and went on a short period of active duty for training in 1970.  He stayed in his Marine Corps Reserve infantry unit as a sergeant until 1975.  While working days in the bond department of Continental Illinois National Bank in Chicago starting in 1970, Jon was also attending classes at night and earned his MBA degree from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1973.

By Mark Rhoads

It might seem odd to describe the current governor of New Jersey as an "Illinoisan" but his roots in the Land of Lincoln are deep. Gov. Jon S. Corzine (D-New Jersey) was born on Jan. 1, 1947 near Willey Station, a small town near Taylorville, Illinois in Christian County. His father was a farmer and an insurance salesman and Jon was raised on the family farm. His mother was a public school teacher. Jon was a quarterback for the Taylorville High School football team and captain of the basketball team. He graduated from Taylorville High School in 1965.

Corzine attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.  He graduated with a B.A. degree in 1969 and earned a Phi Beta Kappa key. Corzine had also joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve while he was still and undergraduate and went on a short period of active duty for training in 1970.  He stayed in his Marine Corps Reserve infantry unit as a sergeant until 1975.  While working days in the bond department of Continental Illinois National Bank in Chicago starting in 1970, Jon was also attending classes at night and earned his MBA degree from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1973.