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737
THE NATIONAL BANK OF MATTOON
The National Bank of Mattoon opened its doors for business on July 1, 1911.
Its antecedents were the old First National Bank and the old Mattoon National Bank and, more remotely, a private bank known as Pil- kington and Company. The National Bank of Mattoon had, just before its 1911 opening-, taken over the assets of the First National and the Mattoon National. In February, 1865, the First National was organized. It had pur- chased the furniture and fixtures of Pilking- ton and Company for one thousand dollars and began business in that company's offices at 1713 Broadway. This was just about two months before the assassination of President Lincoln.
During the same year, 1865, the new bank purchased a lot at 1613 Broadway for $1800 and moved into its new quarters in 1866, where it continued until 1911. The First Na- tional was through the years the leading bank of Mattoon. In 1874, however, it was forced to share a portion of the banking business of the community with a competitor, the Mat- toon National, organized that year. The Mat- toon National erected a building at 1704 Broadway and conducted business at that lo- cation until 1911. In its first year in business, the First National lent money to the individ- ual directors of the West Side School (Haw- thorne) rather than to the school district, which was newly organized. Thus a way was found to promote the growth of public insti- tutions for the betterment of the community, a policy still followed by its successor, the National Bank of Mattoon.
With the merger, the new bank, the Na- tional, opened for business in a new building at 1632-34 Broadway. This location had been purchased for the sum of $30,000 and a building erected on it at an additional cost of $60,000. L. L. Lehman was the bank's first president, and he has had only four succes- sors: G. S. Richmond, W. H. Ownby, Fred Grant and J. Stanley Weis. The bank, at time of organization, had capital and surplus to- taling $300,000 and deposits of $1,200,000. As of June 30, 1949, the capital and surplus totaled $500,000 and the deposits $11,461,- 851.90. The undivided profits as of that date stood at $86,548.86 and the reserve for con- tingencies and taxes at $123,880.56. In 1949, the bank paid its 76th consecutive semi-an- nual dividend. This rapid and continued growth
is evidence of the capable management and confidence cf the public, which this financial institution has enjoyed down through the years.
The bank enlarged its quarters in 1924. Continued growth and expansion soon made it imperative for still morj space to be provided. In consequence, in 1945 an extensive program of remodeling and complete modernization was undertaken. Completed in 1946, this re- sulted in the present beautiful, spacious and highly efficient quarters in which the bank now operates. A complete new floor was ad- ded to the premises by excavating a "down- stairs banking room," in which all the book- keeping is handled. New vaults were added to handle increased demand for safe deposit boxes, and new air conditioning and heating units were installed for customer comfort the year around. Accoustical treatment and new fixtures added the final touches.
When the bank began business in 1911, it had a staff of sixteen officers and employees. Today the staff comprises thirty-seven. The officers, besides President Weis, including Edward W. Vollmer, vice-president; Francis A. Hoag, vice-president and cashier; Martin F. Behrend, vice-president and trust officer; John W. Sheeks, assistant vice-president; Leo Scofield, assistant cashier and assistant trust officer; H. O. Phipps, assistant cashier and assistant trust officer, and E. C. Bauer, as- sistant cashier and assistant trust officer, all of whom are represented biographically in this edition. On the directorate are Mr. Weis, Mr. Vollmer, Mr. Hoag, Mr. Behrend and George W. Bock, Jewell I. Dilsaver, Fred Grant, Fred Kuehne, W. H. Cwnby, and Fred White.
The National Bank of Mattoon is a member of the Federal Reserve System, Federal De- posit Insurance Corporation, American Bank- ers Association, Illinois Bankers Association, Coles-Cumberland Federation of Bankers, Na- tional Association of Bank Auditors and Comptrollers, Financial Public Relations As- sociation, United States Chamber of Com- merce, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Mat- toon Association of Commerce, and Coles County Farm Bureau.
The bank has been prominent in the agri- cultural, industrial and oil development of the community. It is and has been a firm believer in the policy that whatever benefits the ter- ritory it serves benefits the National Bank of Mattoon.
ILLINOIS EDITION
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The bank carries on a complete banking service covering all functions of banking, including complete trust powers.
With the exception of the panic years 1878- 1879, the National Bank of Mattoon and its predecessors have never failed to declare divi- dends since the First National's organization in 1865. This is a record in the financial his- tory of Illinois. As a result of sound business practices, the National today enjoys a reputa- tion second to none, not only in the communi- ty but in the State. Ever mindful of duties and obligations to depositors and customers, the staff is dedicated to the preservation of policies and practices which have built the bank into the powerful financial institution it is today.
JOSEPH STANLEY WEIS
Long identified in banking circles in Cen- .tral Illinois, Joseph Stanley Weis of Mattoon has spent a long lifetime in service to his community and state. A banker since 1906, he has risen to great prominence among mem- bers of this great field of endeavor and has, in addition, been a leading figure in civic and public affairs, in industrial development and in welfare and cultural works. In World Wars I and II Mr. Weis gave vital service on the homefront through the war-financing pro- grams and in peacetime, principally in the post-World War II period, he has served in movements to ease the housing shortage. Mr. Weis is president and a director of the Nation- al Bank of Mattoon.
Mr. Weis' birth occurred on June 1, 1885, in Mattoon Township, near Wabash Point, Coles County. His parents were Dr. Joseph W. Weis, a noted physician and surgeon, and Elizabeth B. (Allison) Weis. Dr. Weis, born in Springfield, Missouri, in 1850, moved to Mattoon Township with his family in a cov- ered wagon, making the trip directly from Springfield in the coui'se of the War Between the States. At the end of the conflict the family returned to Springfield. Joseph Weis studied medicine in New York and Chicago and in 1872 took his medical degree. He prac- ticed in the area southwest of Mattoon from 1875 to 1886 and then at Coles Station north- west of Mattoon from 1886 to 1900. He ended his career at Manchester, in Scott County, where he practiced from 1900 to 1923. In 1927 he died. Elizabeth Allison Weis was also a native of Mattoon and was the daughter of Frank A. Allison, an attorney in that city,
and Zipora Allison. Her family pioneered in Coles County.
Joseph Stanley WTeis, the banker, commonly known as J. Stanley Weis, began his educa- tion in the rural schools near Coles Station, which is in Moultrie County. He attended Eastern Illinois State Normal College at Charleston for two semesters, 1899-1900, and then went to the four-year high school at Manchester, from which he was graduated in 1903. In 1905 he completed a commercial course at the Gem City Business College In Quincy.
Mr. Weis began his career as a clei'k in a general store at Manchester, where he worked from 1903 to 1904. In 1905 he became man- ager of a grocery store at Virden. In 1906 he entered the banking business as assistant cashier of the Farmers and Traders Bank at Manchester. In 1910 he resigned this position to accept appointment as assistant cashier of the Mattoon National Bank in Mattoon and continued in that position when this bank be- came a party to the merger that formed the National Bank of Mattoon. From 1918 to 1939 he was cashier of the National Bank of Mattoon and in 1939 he became vice-presi- dent. He was elevated to the presidency in 1945. He has been a director of the bank since 1920.
Soon after he first established himself as a banker in Mattoon, Mr. Weis returned briefly to Manchester to marry Catherine Gale An- dras, the daughter of John C. and Clara Andras. The date of the ceremony was May 1, 1911. They now reside at 1121 Wabash Ave- nue, Mattoon, and worship in the First Meth- odist Church and the First Presbyterian Church of that city.
Mr. Weis' experience and skill as a banker have been invaluable in his organization and civic work. He has been president, secretary and treasurer of the Coles-Cumberland Fed- eration of Bankers, been chairman of Group Seven of the Illinois Bankers Association and treasurer of the Illinois Bankers Association, 1931-1932, and has, in addition, served on various committees of the State organization. From 1917 to 1919 he was treasurer of the City of Mattoon and from 1925 to 1927 he served on the Board of Aldermen. From 1930 to 1932 he was treasurer of the school system in Mattoon Township. From 1928 to 1934 he was treasurer of the Dodge Grove Cemetery of Mattoon and he is now a director of the Illinois Good Roads Association. He served on
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
the board of the Coles County Tuberculosis Sanitarium from 1937 to 1949 and was presi- dent and a director of the Mattoon Develop- ment Corporation, an organization to assist in easing the critical housing situation, from its inception in 1946 to its dissolution in 1949. He was chairman of the Coles County for War Stamps drives in World War I and co- chairman of the Coles County War Savings Bond Committee in World War II. Mr. Weis' top associates in the National Bank of Mat- toon are Edward William Vollmer, vice-presi- dent; Francis August Hoag, vice-president and cashier, and Martin F. Behrend, vice-president and trust officer, all of whom are also sub- jects of biographical studies in this Illinois history.
Mr. Weis played a prominent role in secur- ing for Mattoon most of its major industrial plants, some of which are: Brown Shoe Com- pany, Kuehne Manufacturing Company, Mat- toon Lamp Works, division of General Elec- tric Company, Gar-Wood Industries, and Atlas Imperial Diesel Engine Company. This latter company operated in Mattoon for a number of years and the building that they occupied is now owned and occupied by Young Radiator Company. Mr. Weis also as- sisted, civic-wise, in the establishment of Mat- toon as a prominent center for oil develop- ment in Illinois.
The great growth of Mattoon and Coles County has paralleled the rise of Joseph Stan- ley Weis and there is no doubt that his ac- tivities have contributed to that growth.
EDWARD WILLIAM VOLLMER
From a humble start as a grocery clerk Ed- ward Vollmer of Mattoon has risen to a po- sition of great prominence in the banking world and in the civic life of his community. He has served the city as a Commissioner, been an official of the American Red Cross for a quarter of a century and been chairman of War Bond drives in World War II. As a banker, Mr. Vollmer is vice-president of the National Bank of Mattoon.
Born at Mattoon on March 30, 1893, Mr. Vollmer is the son of John Vollmer, a nativo of Wisconsin and a carpenter, and Mary Fos- bender, born at Oldenburg, Indiana, and the daughter of William and Anna Fosbender. He attended parochial and public schools in Mat- toon.
For about six months in 1910 Mr. Vollmer worked as a clerk in the John Martin grocery
store in Mattoon. Then, on January 16, 191 1, he began as a clerk in the old First National Bank of Mattoon which was merged with the Mattoon National Bank on July 1, 1911 to form The National Bank of Mattoon. In 1918 he was promoted to assistant cashier and in 1939 he was made cashier, being elected to the board of directors in the following year. Since January 9, 1945, he has been vice-pres- ident. The other officers of this bank are Joseph Stanley Weis, president; Francis August Hoag, vice-president and cashier, and Martin F. Behrend, vice-president and trust officer, the stories of whose lives and careers also appear in this Illinois edition of the Li- brary of American Lives..
On June 20, 1914, at Mattoon, Mr. Vollmer married Mabel Cordes, the daughter of Henry and Audiver Cordes. They are the parents of Donald E. Vollmer, who married Mary Wade Parthemer in Oak Park, Illinois, on November 27, 1948. The Vollmers reside at 1416 La- fayette Avenue, Mattoon. Mr. Vollmer is a communicant of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Mattoon, and Mrs. Vollmer is a member of the Methodist Church.
The tall figure of Mr. Vollmer — -he is five feet eleven inches tall, weighs 160 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes — is a fa- miliar one in the civic picture. He was Com- missioner of the City of Mattoon from May 1, 1937, to April 30, 1949, and from 1922 to 1947 was treasurer and a director of the Mattoon Chapter of the American Red Cross. Aside from his leadership activities in the Red Cross during the war, Mr. Vollmer headed all the War Bond diives in the community. He is a member of Coles County Lodge, No. 1057, Knights of Columbus; the Mattoon Association of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Mattoon, the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and the Mattoon Country Club. He has served in all the offices of the Coles-Cumberland Fed- eration of Bankers.
The community is considerably indebted to Edward William Vollmer for his contribution to its development.
FRANCIS AUGUST HOAG
Back in 1915, a lad who was not yet nine- teen went to work for a bank at Mattoon. His superiors soon recognized his abilities and be- gan advancing him. Today, that lad is vice- president and cashier of the institution which gave him his start — The National Bank of
ILLINOIS
EDITION
495
Mattoon. And he, Francis August Hoag, na- tive of that community, is a well known figure not only in the banking world but also in agriculture, in civic affairs and among lay Catholics. He is a veteran of World War I.
Francis August Hoag was born in Mattoon on August 17, 1896, the son of the late Au- gust Hoag, who was a native of Baden, Ger- many, and of Rosa (Steidl) Hoag. His mother, the daughter of John and Gabrella Steidl, was herself born in Chicago.
The future banker began his education in St. Joseph's Parochial School, Mattoon. He spent three years as a student at St. Francis College, Quincy, where he took both commer- cial and academic courses. Upon leaving college Mr. Hoag returned to Mattoon and on July 1, 1915, began his career with The National Bank of Mattoon. He worked through transit and bookeeping and as a teller. On January 13, 1920, he was appointed assistant cashier and on January 9, 1945, advanced to cashier. He assumed his present dual office of vice- president and cashier on January 8, 1946. On that same date he was elected to the board of directors. Serving with Mr. Hoag on the board and in the "front office" of the bank are Jo- seph Stanley Weis, president; Edward William Vollmer, vice-president, and Martin F. Beh- rend, vice-president and trust officer, all three of whom are also subjects for biographies in this Illinois edition of the Library of Amer- ican Lives.
Another interest of Mr. Hoag's is agricul- ture. He is a partner in the Hoag Brothers farm in Coles County. As a banker, he is ac- tive in the Eastern Illinois Chapter, National Association of Bank Auditors and Comptrol- lers, of which he was vice-president in 1949; the Coles-Cumberland Bankers Association, of which he is former secretary and is now (1949) vice-president; and the Association of Commerce of Mattoon and the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the Kiwanis Club of Mattoon, in which he has served on the board of directors; the Coles County Farm Bureau, the Mattoon Golf and Country Club, and the Mattoon Post of the American Legion. A prominent lay Catholic, Mr. Hoag is former trustee of the Mattoon Council, Knights of Columbus. He served as vice-president of Te Deum Forum and Inter- national in 1948 and has been through the chairs in the Holy Name Society of his church, Immaculate Conception of Mattoon.
Mr. Hoag served with the United States Navy in World War I, the period of his ser- vice running from June 15, 1918, to June 17, 1919. He votes the Republican ticket in the primaries. Golf, hunting and fishing are his favorite recreations. He likes football as a spectator and among his hobbies, in addition to farming, are backlot beekeeping, reading and shows. He is five feet eight and one-half inches tall and weighs two hundred pounds. He is a bachelor and resides at 1800 Moultrie Avenue, Mattoon.
Mr. Hoag is an influential personality in the banking and civic circles of his native re- gion.
MARTIN F. BEHREND
Various fields of interest in Coles County and the State at large have known the leader- ship of Martin F. Behrend of Mattoon. A banker^he has also become known for his ac- tivities in the fields of taxation and of agri- cultural and industrial pursuits and develop- ment. He has done much to alleviate the housing shortage in his area and has headed various civic endeavors and groups. As banker, Mr. Behrend is vice-president and trust officer of The National Bank of Mattoon.
The son of Charles F. Behrend, who was a prominent farmer in Coles County, and of Alice (Sanders) Behrend, a native of Coles County and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Sanders, Martin F. Behrend was born in Hum- boldt Township, Coles County, on January 9, 1899. His father, who was born in Germany, came to the United States with his parents at the age of four. After residing in New York State a short time, Charles Behrend moved to Illinois and as a young man located in Coles County on a farm in Humboldt Township where he made his home until his death.
Martin F. Behrend attended the rural schools in Humboldt Township and at the age of sixteen took a business course in Utter- back's Business College at Mattoon. On June 28, 1916, Mr. Behrend entered the employ of The National Bank of Mattoon. After working in different positions he was elected assist- ant cashier in 1924. Sixteen years later he was made assistant trust officer and in 1941 was elected trust officer. On January 8, 1946, Mr. Behrend was advanced to vice-president and he has since held that office while also discharging the duties of trust officer. He was elected to the bank's board of directors in January, 1947. Mr. Behrend's colleagues
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
among the bank's officers include Joseph Stanley Weis, president; Edward William Voll- mer, vice-president; and Francis A. Hoag, vice-president and cashier, the stories of whose lives and careers are chronicled on other pages of this Illinois edition of the Li- brary of American Lives.
Mr. Behrend married Florence Rankin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Rankin cf Gays, Illinois, and they have one son, David Behrend. Their home is at 1221 Wabash Av- enue, Mattoon. Mr. Behrend is a member of the Lutheran Church and Mrs. Behrend is a member of the Christian Church.
Mr. Behrend, who is in good physical con- dition, is described as five feet ten and one- half inches tall, weighing two hundred pounds, with blond hair and blue eye:;. Prominent in the Illinois Bankers Association, he is now a member of the agriculture committee. He is also active in the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, serving on that organization's federal tax committee. He served two terms as president and two terms as a director of the Association of Commerce of Mattoon and two terms as a member of the All Coles Coun- ty Agriculture-Industry Board. He is a direc- tor of the Mattoon Homes Association. In politics he is a Republican. He is interested in all outdoor sports, especially hunting and fishing.
Few men have devoted themselves co thor- oughly to public service as Martin F. Behrend.
JOHN WILLIAM SHEEKS
A man who has taken advantage of every opportunity to learn every facet of the bank- ing business, John William Sheeks of Mattoon is today one of the more prominent citizens working in this field. From a beginning as clerk in the National Bank of Mattoon, Mr. Sheeks has risen to the responsible post of assistant vice-president. He is also well known as a lay Methodist, and is active in the city's social and welfare programs.
Mr. Sheeks was born on a farm near Sulli- van, seat of Moultrie County, on September 29, 1900. His father, a farmer, was John David Sheeks and his mother Alice M. Tee- ter, the daughter of Levi M. and Elizabeth Teeter. The future banker went through the eighth grade in country schools and then at- tended Mattoon High School. After he began his business career, he studied in the night sessions of Utterback's Business College, Mat- toon, and later gave himself additional prep-
aration for success in banking by taking two summer courses of two weeks each at the Chicago campus of Northwestern University, under the sponsorship of the Financial Public Relations Association.
Mr. Sheeks' banking career began in March, 1920, when he entered the employ of the Na- tional Bank of Mattoon as a clerk. From this post he went, successively, to savings teller, note and exchange teller, commercial teller and supervisor of the bookkeeping depart- ment. In this last-named post he further im- pressed his superiors to such extent that on January 9, 1945, he was made assistant cash- ier and on January 8, 1946, assistant trust of- ficer as well. On October 11, 1949, Mr. Sheeks was elevated to his present office of assistant vice-president.
On July 2, 1927, Mr. Sheeks married Flo- rence E. Walker, the ceremony being per- formed in the First Methodist Church of Mat- toon. His children are Barbara Ann, now Mrs. William C. Freeland; Lois June, now Mrs. James E. Ferguson, Jr. ; David Eugene Sheeks and John Daniel Sheeks. His home is at 261G Prairie Avenue, Mattoon.
Mr. Sheeks is an active member of the Mattoon Lodge, Loyal Order of Moose, and the First Methodist Church. He has served the Epworth League as secretary and president and been superintendent of the intermediate department of the Sunday School. He is a member of the Mattoon Baseball Fans Club and is a director of the Mattoon Athletic As- sociation, a local professional baseball club of the Missouri-Ohio Valley League. He is a member of the Coles County Tuberculosis Sanitarium Board and the Association of Com- merce. As citizen, churchman and banker, he is giving service to the community, urban and agricultural, to the utmost of his ability.
LEO SCOFIELD
Not only as a banker but as a public of- ficial Leo Scofisld of Mattoon is serving his community and region. In the business world he is assistant cashier and assistant trust of- ficer, in charge of commercial bookkeeping and audit, of the National Bank of Mattoon. In public office he is a member of the Mat- toon City Commission, giving the municipali- ty the benefit of his long banking experience by serving as Commissioner of Accounts and Finance; and also is treasurer of the Mattoon Township Schools and of the Community Unit School District No. 2, Coles and Cumberland
ILLINOIS EDITION
497
Counties. He is prominent in Mesonry and the Methodist Church.
Born in Rose Hill, Jasper County, on May 31, 1904, Mr. Scofield is the son of Elza and Pearlie (Chapman) Scofield. His father, a laborer, was born in Bethany, Shelby County, on March 11, 1880, but was reared from boy- hood by an uncle, Ed Powell, at Rose Hill. The mother's parents were Rebecca Ann and Andrew Jackson Chapman. Leo Scofield was graduated from the Mattoon High School in 1923. He was a four-letter man in football, serving as captain of the team in 1922. He was also a letterman in basktball. In his senior year he ranked high as an orator.
Mr. Scofield went to work even before com- pleting high school. Before and after school hours he worked in the mill department of the Andrews Planing Mill as a glazier and paint- er. For one semester in 1924 he attended the University of Illinois, leaving school because the illness of his father made imperative his returning to work. He then began his career with the National Bank of Mattoon. In later years he completed home study courses in banking and commercial law with Columbia University and in accounting with the Inter- national Accountants Society. The actual starting date of Mr. Scofield's employment at the bank was December 26, 1924, and his first position was that of clerk. The following No- vember he was promoted to teller and assigned to the receiving cages. In time he rose to head paying teller and finally to head teller. On Jan- uary 9, 1945, Mr. Scofield was appointed assist- ant cashier and on January 8, 1946, the title of assistant trust officer was also bestowed upon him. He has been in charge of commercial bookkeeping and audit since 1946. He served on the board of directors of the National Building and Loan Association from May 8, 1933, through January 11, 1939; from Febru- ary 7, 1937, to January 19, 1938, he was pres- ident of the board.
On February 1, 1927, at Charleston, Mr. Scofield married Ellen Arlene Coyle, the daughter of Zachariah King and Audrey A. Coyle. Having brought up a daughter, Mrs. Scofield now finds time to work, on a part- time basis, as a jewelry saleslady. She is well known in Mattoon for her Brownie Scout ac- tivities. The daughter is Jean Alice Scofield, now a student at Eastern Illinois State Col- lege at Charleston. Mr. and Mrs. Scofield and Miss Scofield reside at 1016 Wabash Avenue, Mattoon.
The family attends the First Methodist Church of Mattoon, in which Mr. Scofield
was Sunday School treasurer from 1925 to 1929 and superintendent of the intermediate department from 1929 to 1931. Mr. Scofield'.? civic activities have also embraced service to the Mattoon Public Library. He was on the library's board of trustees, and was treasurer of the board, from 1934 to 1949. In June,
1948, he became treasurer of the Mattoon Township Schools and on July 1, 1948, treas- urer of the Community Unit School District No. 2, Coles-Cumberland Counties. In April,
1949, he was elected a City Commission- er for a four-year term, and since then has been Commissioner of Accounts and Finance. He is a past commander of the Knights Tem- plar and active in the York Rite and Associa- tion of Commerce. Public service is his hobby.
HARVEY OTIS PHIPPS
Farmer and farm manager of the National Bank of Mattoon, Harvey Otis Phipps is mak- ing an extraordinary contribution to the devel- opment and prosperity of Coles and Cumber- land Counties and is one of the better known bankers of Eastern Illinois. He is also promi- nent in the region for his leadership in fund- raising drives and campaigns of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis and othei Health and welfare movements.
Mr. Phipps is a native of Coles County. Born on August 6, 1911, he is the son of Wil- liam E. and Neppie F. (Kinkade) Phipps. His father, a native of Moultrie County, is a re- tired farmer who owns several pieces of real estate, consisting of both farm land and city property. The mother, also born in Moultrie County, comes of a family which pioneered in agriculture there. Her parents were Richard S. and Margaret Kinkade.
This banker began his education in the Smysor grade school in Moultrie County. Af- ter spending three years at the high school in Gays, another Moultrie County community, he attended and was graduated from Windsor High School in 1929. Mr. Phipps further per- fected himself for a career in banking by- taking a course in accounting at the Utter- back Business College, Mattoon, and in the ex- tension division of the University of Illinois. In 1929, he went to work in the Farmers State Bank of Gays. On April 14, 1930, Mr. Phipps was appointed to a p~sitijn in the Na- tional Bank of Mattoon. By January, 1946, he was holding the office of assistant cashier and in October, 1949, he was named assist- ant cashier and assistant trust officer. In 1949, too, he became farm manager of the bank.
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Twice married, Mr. Phipps first took as his wife Edna J. Roberts, the daughter of Charles and Emma Roberts. The ceremony was solemnized in 1937. Mrs. Edna Phipps died the following year. In 1939, Mr. Phipps married Marguerite M. Myers, the daughter of E. C. and Artie Myers. Mrs. Marguerite Phipps is one of Mattoon's best known citi- zens. A former teacher in the schools at Sul- livan and Tuscola, she is now active in the Parent-Teachers Association of Mattoon end is a leader in the Girl Scout movement. To Mr. Phipps' first marriage a son, Gary Wil- liam Phipps, was born on August 21, 1938. To the second marriage, a daughter, Mary Margaret Phipps, was born on June 21, 1941.
Mr. Phipps serves as treasurer of the Coles County Chapter, National Foundation for In- fantile Paralysis. Another of his major inter- ests is his farm, consisting of eighty acres, wh'ch is located in Cumberland County. Also, he likes hunting rnd gardening. His home is at 1109 South Seventeenth Street, Mattoon. His fellow citizens admire and frequently call upon his leadership abilities.
EUGENE C. BAUER
Among the group of men giving leadership to the development of the National Bank of Mattoon and hence to the city and the region is Eugene C. Bauer. Mr. Bauer's position with this great financial institution is that of as- sistant cashier and assistant trust officer. He is also prominent in Lutheran Church work and welfare and educational activities.
Mr. Bauer was born on the old Bauer home- stead near Strasburg, Shelby County, on Sep- tember 28, 1914. His father, Henry Andrew Bauer, also a native of the Strasburg area, is a prominent farmer there. He is the son of John Bauer, Sr., born and reared in the hills of Ohio, who moved in his youth to Illinois and became one of the leading farmers and landowners in Shelby County. The banker's mother is Martha Dora Sophia (Schroeder) Bauer, also a native of Strasburg. Her father, Gu stave Schroeder, was born in Germany. He emigrated to the United States when he was twenty years old and became one of the pio- neer settlers of the village of Strasburg. Eu- gene Bauer attended St. Paul's Parochial School (Lutheran) at Strasburg and then Windsor Community High School, from which he was graduated in 1932. At high school he was active in track, class plays and in debat- ing and oratorical societies and school publi- cations. In the vear 1934-1935 he was a
student at Utterback's Business College of Mattoon.
Until he entered the business college Mr. Bauer lived and worked on the family farm. Upon his graduation from the college in 1935 he accepted the post of assistant secretary of the National Farm Loan Association in Charleston, the Coles County seat. In May, 1936, he resigned this position to become bookkeeper at the National Bank of Mattoon, having recognized the opportunity offered him. From bookkeeper he advanced through the various departments of the bank — book- keeping department, savings, collections, ex- change, installment loans and commercial de- partment. In 1949 he was promoted to his present office of assistant cashier and assist- ant trust officer. In World War II, he was with the United States Maritime Service.
On September 5, 1936 Mr. Bauer married Madge Lorene Armer, the daughter of Eu- gene and Nelle (Vaughn) Armer. The cere- mony was performed in Mattoon. Mr. and Mrs. Bauer are the parents O- a son, Eugene Andrew Bauer, who was born in Mattoon on June 17, 1942. The family worships in St. John's Lutheran Church of Mattoon. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bauer are active in this church. Mrs. Bauer belongs to various of its societies. She is also well known for her work in the Par- ent-Teachers Association.
At St. John's, Mr. Bauer is a past member of the board of trustees and former treasurer. He is also treasurer of the Mattoon Chapter, American Red Cross, and secretary of the board of education in the Community Unit School District No. 2, Coles and Cumberland Counties, and a member of the Mattoon As- sociation of Commerce. Mr. Bauer has a va- riety of hobbies. Among these are beekeeping, metal turning (lathe work) and cooking. He is also addicted to reading, music and hunting. His home is at 2320 Richmond Avenue, Mat- toon. Like his father and grandfathers before him, Eugene C. Bauer is participating in the program of building his region of Illinois.
HON. CARUS STANLEY ICENOGLE, LL.B.
Since his youngest days the Honorable Carus Stanley Icenogle has served his native Coles County and his State to the utmost of his unusual abilities, and today he is one of the outstanding citizens. An attorney, he is former Master in Chancery of the City Court of Mattoon and former City Attorney of that community. A veteran of the armed forces of World War I. he served in various major
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homefront capacities in World War II. He has also given leadership in civic, church and Little Theatre programs, and in the field of music, and is well known as a writer on legal and technical subjects.
Mr. Icenogle was born in Trilla, Coles County, on June 15, 1898, the son of Joseph Daniel and Anna L. (Thornton) Icenogle. His father, a merchant, was a native of Cumber- land County, and his mother, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Thornton, was also born in Cumberland County, Illinois.
Carus Icenogle began his education in the elementary schools of Mattoon and after his graduation from high school entered the Uni- versity of Illinois at Urbana. In 1923, he was graduated from the university's College of Law, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He had had quite a distinguished career in college. For five years he was a member of the concert band, and even today he is asso- ciated with the university in a musical capac- ity, being a member of the advisory board of the concert band. While at the university he was elected to Theta Chi, the national social fraternity, and Phi Alpha Delta, hon- orary legal fraternity.
On June 23, 1924, Mr. Icenogle married Lois Cromer, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cromer, the ceremony taking place at West Chicago. Like Mr. Icenogle, his wife is interested in music, civic activities and wel- fare. She is a member of the United Charities of Mattoon and of Delta Theta Tau Sorority. Mr. and Mrs. Icenogle are the parents of two children — Joan Icenogle, born on January 2, 1926, and Stanley T. Icenogle, born on January 1, 1928. The daughter, now the wife of John Matherly, resides at 3312 Cham- paign Avenue, Mattoon. She is a graduate of Stephens College. She and Mr. Matherly are the parents of John Carus Matherly and Julie Matherly. Mr. Matherly is manager of the J. and J. Shoe Store, Mattoon. Stanley T. Icenogle is a member of the Class of Febru- ary, 1950, of the College of Commerce of the University of Illinois and a member of Theta Chi fraternity. He married Carleen Bock, a Stephens College graduate and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Bock of Mattoon, and they are making their home in Urbana. Mr. and Mrs. Carus S. Icenogle reside at 115 South Twenty-sixth Street, Mattoon, and wor- ship at the Central Community Church, in which Mr. Icenogle serves on the board of deacons.
Mr. Icenogle began his legal career in 1924, in Mattoon. From that year to 1938 he was associated in a general practice of the law
with Bryan H. Tivnen. Since March, 1938, he has maintained his own offices and is now located in the Icenogle Building, 1703 Broad- way, Mattoon. He is the author of the "Hand- book on Illinois Oil and Gas." From 1927 to 1930 Mr. Icenogle served as City Attorney of the City of Mattoon and from 1938 to 1948 he was Master in Chancery of the City Court of Mattoon. To his homefront service in World War II he brought not only his long legal and civic experience but also the expe- rience of a soldier of World War I. He was chairman of the Civilian Defense Coi-ps and of Red Cross War Fund and March of Dimes campaigns and was a member of the ad- visory board for the Selective Service System in Coles County. He has also served as presi- dent of the Rotary Club and on Chamber of Commerce committees, and is a director of the Mattoon Little Theater. Other of his mem- berships are in the American Bar Association, the American Legion and Mattoon Country Club. He has won a lasting place in the history of Illinois.
RUSSELL W. ALFRED
When Russell W. Alfred of Mattoon, in the transportation 'business since he left the farm in 1917, took over a small transfer and storage company in 1944, it had only two trucks and was doing an annual business of about $4,000. Today, as a result of Mr. Al- fred's handling of the operations, that busi- ness uses thirty pieces of equipment and grosses more than $200,000 every year. He has renamed the firm A and B Transfer, Inc. He is one of the well known figures in his industry in the Middle West.
Born in Coles County, not far from Mat- toon, on September 15, 1896, Mr. Alfred is the son of Edward C. and Emily (Borror) Alfred. His father, born near Bristol, Vir- ginia, in 1855, farmed near Mattoon in Coles County until his retirement in 1931. He and his family came to Illinois in a covered wagon in 1876, taking six months to make the trip. His mother, born at Heyworth, Illinois, is the daughter of John and Susan Borror.
Russell Alfred left the farm on August 1, 1917, and went to work for the Hayes Transfer and Storage Company in Mattoon. This firm was later called the Hayes Freight Lines. From 1917 to 1927 Mr. Alfred work- ed for the firm as a truck driver in Mattoon. Then he was promoted to agent of the termi- nal at St. Louis, Missouri, where he remained until April 1, 1940. At that time he was trans- ferred to the main office in Mattoon as oper-
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ating manager, with responsibility over sixty- two terminals and 1400 pieces of rolling1 stock.
On July 1, 1944, Mr. Alfred, who had also served on the Hayes Freight Lines' board of directors from 1929 to 1944, resigned from that company to go into business for himself. He bought out the Zurheide Transfer Com- pany at Humboldt, Illinois, the aforemen- tioned small line with the two trucks which was then doing a business of $4,000 a year. Mr. Alfred transferred the line's headquarters to Mattoon and renamed it A and B Trans- fer, Inc., and in the short time that has elapsed has built the company into one with thirty pieces of rolling stock and grossing in excess of $200,000 annually. Mr. Alfred main- tains a branch in Chicago, and offers over- night service on the general moving of com- modities between the metropolis and about one hundred municipalities in Central Illi- nois. He is president and general manager of the firm.
On July 20, 1917, at Mattoon, Mr. Alfred married Irene E. Wilson, the daughter of Abraham and Martha Wilson. Mrs. Alfred devotes herself to her responsibilities as a wife and mother. The Alfreds have one daughter, Angela J. Alfred, who was mar- ried to Douglas D. Byars on August 21, 1946. Mr. Byars is associated with Mr. Alfred in the A and B Transfer, Inc., being assistant general manager of the company and a mem- ber of the board of directors. Mr. and Mrs. Alfred reside at 1117 South Fourteenth Street, Mattoon. They worship in the Pres- byterian Church, which Mr. Alfred has been attending since childhood.
. In the days Mr. Alfred was with the Hayes Freight Lines he became a charter member of the Missouri Trucking Association at St. Louis. He was a director and treasurer of that organization from 1935 to 1940. He is now active in the Mattoon Association of Commerce. He votes Democratic and his hob- by is sports, especially hunting, fishing and baseball. Through his activities he has been one of the builders of Central Illinois and he is a highly admired citizen of that region.
CHARLES J. COVINGTON
The Dowzer Electric Machinery Works, Inc. of Mount Vernon is the largest company in its field — the rebuilding of electric transform- ers— in the United States. It has achieved this position through the leadership of its presi- dent, Charles J. Covington, a man whose reputation in this technical field is widespread.
Mr. Covington, who just before and during World War II built many of the major ad- juncts to the military forces, thus aiding in the on-to-victory program, enjoys leadership in civic and welfare movements as well as in his field of business.
Mr. Covington was born in Farmington, Missouri, on January 8, 1914, and lived there the first six years of his life. His parents, Mabry J. and Ethel Ann Covington, then moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma, with the children. The father, an electrical engineer, was a native of Joplin, Missouri, the mother of Bonne Terre, Missouri. Both the paternal grandparents were natives of Kentucky. Hav- ing moved to Ponca City when he was six, Charles Covington attended the schools there. Throughout his scholastic life, which con- tinued until he left Wichita University at Wichita, Kansas, Mr. Covington displayed extraordinary qualities as a leader. In high school he was an outstanding athlete, and also active in debating and Glee Club. He won numerous oratorical contests in his sen- ior year, and was president of his senior class. In the same year, 1933, he was voted the "best citizen" of the high school. At Wichita University Mr. Covington studied his- tory, social science and pre-law. Here again he participated in debating and oratorical act- ivities. He was president of the non-fraternity groups on the campus and led them in many programs. Upon completion of his education Mr. Covington entered the employ of the Kan- sas Gas and Electric Company, in Wichita, working on the Ripley power plant near the city. In 1939 he became second line foreman for the Dowzer Construction Company at Hutchinson, Kansas. In a few months he was assistant foreman and in less than a year was superintendent. In his time with the com- pany Mr. Covington worked in many states. Just prior to and in the course of World War II he was engaged in the construction of large industrial plants, including airfields, ordnance depots, shipyards and oil refineries, always specializing in the electrical phase of the work. During this period he was general superintendent of electrical construction. In the building of a refinery at Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 1940, Mr. Covington fell. His left leg was broken in several places, and to this day he must wear a strong brace on the leg. But he has not allowed this to handi- cap him. Later in the war period he was super- intendent in the building of the shipbuilding yards at Houston, Texas, and in February, 1943, he established himself at Mount Vernon as manager of the Dowzer Electric and Ma-
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chine Works. In 1944 he was made general manager, but four years later he bought Mr. Dowzer's holdings in the company and, after reorganizing it, he became president. Mr. Covington has extended the operations into ten states.
Mr. Covington married Lois Ellen Combs of Oklahoma City, who finished her education at Wichita University. The ceremony took place in Wichita in December, 1939. Mrs. Coving- ton had taught art in several public schools in Kansas. There are two children — Joe J., born in December, 1942, and Patricia Ann, born in June, 1946.
Mr. Covington belongs to the American In- stitute of Electrical Engineers, the Illinois Society of Petroleum Engineers; is chairman of the standards committee, transformer sec- tion, National Industrial Service Association; and former president of King Cole Chapter, National Industrial Service Association. He was president of the Lions Club 1948-49, is a director of the Chamber of Commerce, presi- dent of Ambrow-Wabash Area Council, Boy Scouts of America 1950, a member of the Elks and the Masonic Order, having attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite and becoming a Noble of Ainad Temple, A.A.O.N.- M.S. He has made a tremendous industrial and civic contribution.
HON. JOHN DAVID UPCHURCH
A veteran of World War II, the Honorable John David Upchurch of Eldorado, Illinois, has served his community, State and nation with extraordinary pride and in an unselfish fashion. Upchurch enlisted in World War II in June 1942 and served till December 1943. He was with the Office of Naval Intelligence. He was an enlisted Aviation Cadet in World War I serving only a short period before the armistice. After serving sixteen months in the Navy during World War II he was dis- charged and transferred to be a civilian buyer of supplies and expediter of materials in the Navy Bureau of Supplies and Accounts. In this capacity he saved the government mil- lions of dollars in purchases through the ex- perience gained in the Naval Intelligence con- cerning needed materials in strategic places.
Upchurch is the present Mayor of Eldorado and is a member of the Eldorado-Raleigh Park Board. He has been City Clerk of his city and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives at Springfield in 1932 from the 51st Senatorial District. As a first termer he gained state wide attention through his introduction of legislation to prohibit and re-
strict investment of Insurance company assets in certain kinds of securities. The strong and protective insurance laws of Illi- nois are the results of Upchurch's tough and intensive investigations. He introduced and had passed changes for the betterment in the banking laws of Illinois. He was a student of the State's financial problems and served as chairman of several sub-committees studying the revenue laws of the state. He was ap- pointed during his first term as a member of the Century of Progress (Chicago World's Fair). He was the only first termer so hon- ored by the Governor.
John David Upchurch was born in Spring- field, Missouri on June 28th, 1897, the son of William David Upchurch and Ellen Elder Upchurch. His father, a native of Galatia, Illinois, was cashier of the C. P. Burnett's Bank of Eldorado for over fifty years until his death in 1946. He was the son of Taylor David Upchurch, cashier of the Webber Bank at Galatia for over fifty years, whose father was David Upchurch who was the first Judge of Saline County serving by appointment in his first term. Ellen Elder Upchurch was the daughter of John Wesley Elder of Eldorado, whose grandfather Samuel Elder was the first elected Judge of Saline county. The family on both sides have been life long Democrats. Eldorado was first named ELDEREADO, get- ting its name from Elder and Read. Samuel Elder and Ed Read who laid the town out on the old Goshen Road. Mayor Upchurch had a sister Dorothy who died in 1927. She was the wife of the late Dr. James Y. Welborn of Evansville, Indiana. Mayor Upchurch's par- ents moved back to Illinois from Missouri when he was less than a year old. He went through the grade schools of Eldorado and was graduated from the Eldorado High School in 1915, having been captain of the football, basketball and baseball teams in his senior year as well as president of his senior class. Upchurch was an outstanding athlete in high school and college. He made his freshman numeral in football at Northwestern Univer- sity in 1916 and the following year he was varsity quarterback at McKendree College, Lebanon, Illinois. In 1918 he was a student at Washington University in St. Louis taking a pre-medic course. He was married to Ruth Chamberlain, daughter of Judge and Mrs. C. E. Chamberlain of Lebanon, Illinois in 1917. To them were born two daughters, Jane Eliz- abeth on August 2nd, 1918 and Dorothy Ruth on Sept. 6th, 1923. Both of the daughters are now married and living in New York. This
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marriage was dissolved by divorce in 1927 and in August of 1944, Mayor Upehurch mar- ried Mildred Ruth Gardner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Gardner of Eldorado.
In his youth, between school terms, Up- church worked in the C. P. Burnett and Sons Company store for which his father was sec- retary-treasurer. Here he gained experience that started him in a merchandising career that he has followed ever since. His first job after World War I was as a traveling salesman for a furniture manufacturer out of Chicago. In 1922 Mr. Upehurch entered the retail furniture business for himself at Centralia, Illinois. This he sold out and short- ly afterwards opened up another retail furni- ture store in Benton, Illinois. He sold this store in 1928 and returned to Eldorado to join his father in the banking business. He was connected with the bank for years and in the meantime he was elected in 1932 to the Illinois House of Representatives. In 1934 he was the downstate Supervisor of the Illi- nois Occupational Tax Division and from 1936 to 1940 he was the personnel officer for the Illinois State Department of High- ways. After World War II Upehurch pur- chased a wholesale Oil and Gas distributor- ship in his home town and also founded the same year the John David Inter City Transit Co. Active for years in Eldorado's civic and political life, Upehurch has been honored on several occasions by his fellow townsmen. He is known as a militant Democrat. He was the Democratic candidate for Congress from the 24th District of Illinois in 1948, receiving 56,- 262 votes to his opponent's 57,732 in what is considered a strong Republican district. In 1949 Upehurch was elected Senior Vice-Com- mander of the American Legion in the Illi- nois 24th District. He gives much time to Veteran affairs and has been named numer- ous times as delegate to conventions. Up- church is again the Democratic candidate for Congress having been nominated by his party in the April primary of 1950. He is a former president of the Southern Illinois Golf Asso- ciation and a former member of Rotary. Other organizations he now belongs to are the Loyal Order of Moose, the Fraternal Order of Ea- gles, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Masonic Fraternity. He is a Methodist. Civic work is his hobby. He is active in Democratic politics. Throughout Southern Illinois it is well known that Mayor Upehurch has devoted himself to community and regional development. He gave his may- or's salary of $600.00 to start a fund for the
erection of a Veteran's Memorial Library for Eldorado.
MELBOURNE WILLIAM GRIMM, O.D.
The conservation of vision and the correc- tion of the visual defects of adults and children are not the only interests of Collins- ville's prominent optometrist, Dr. Melbourne William Grimm. Dr. Grimm is also interested in movements aimed at making character- building programs available to children, in the Boy Scout movement, in work for underprivi- leged children, in civic improvement projects and in health and welfare programs for the public at large. He is known throughout Madison County and beyond.
Born in Collinsville on February 20, 1913, Dr. Grimm is the son of William August and Mary (Goetz) Grimm. His father is super- intendent of the gas division of the Illinois Light and Power Company. Both parents were also born in Illinois. Dr. Grimm began his education in the public schools of Collins- ville, graduating from its high school in 1931. He became famed locally as the member of the high school track team who ran the half mile.
Dr. Grimm's first ambition was to become a civil engineer and to achieve his dream he spent four years with the surveying depart- ment of the Illinois Department of High- ways, working on the construction of roads. In his high school days he had worked spare time as a delivery boy and clerk. When he was with the road department, he began courting the girl who later became his wife. Her father was an optometrist and influenced his decision to adopt the same profession. The result was that Melbourne Grimm went to the Northern Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, from which he received the degree of Doctor of Optometry in 1938. He then returned to Collinsville, where he has since been practicing his profession. He now has considerably larger quarters than when he began. His patients come from as far as East St. Louis and from many of the communities outside Collinsville.
The girl Dr. Grimm courted was Cleora Wedel, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. P. J. Wedel of Collinsville. They were married in that city on October 23, 1939. Two children have been born to them — Carole, on Novem- ber 1, 1942, and Douglas, on February 12, 1946.
Dr. Grimm is a member of the Illinois State Optometric Association and is active in the Lions Club of Collinsville, the Boy Scout movement (he is an Eagle Scout himself), the
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Collinsville City Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce and St. John's Evangelical Church of that city. He was president of the Lions Club in the year 1948-1949 and in that year furthered an extensive program for underprivileged chil- dren and physical improvements of the city. In 1947, he was chairman in Collinsville for the Red Cross. He votes independently in the interest of good government. Motor boating and fly fishing are his favorite outdoor sports. Among his hobbies are color and black-and- white photography, the collecting of stamps and Indian relics of the immediate area and woodworking. For the last-named hobby he has modern power tools. Another hobby is his family. He has done so much for others as to have become, without realizing it, a be- loved figure in the community.
ROLAND E. WINKELMANN, LL.B.
In practice since 1920, Roland E. Win- kelmann of Urbana is today one of the out- standing attorneys of Eastern Illinois — a man who has served his city, region and State in many important capacities, public, quasi-pub- lic and private. He is a former Master in Chancery of the Circuit Court in Champaign County and former Corporation Counsel of the City of Urbana. At present he is chair- man of the board of trustees of the Police Pension Fund of the City of Urbana. Mr. Winkelmann is one of the leading figures in fraternal work in his area and, a veteran of World War I, a leader in the American Le- gion's Department of Illinois.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 5, 1893, Mr. Winkelmann is the son of Alex and Lucy (Hoffman) Winkelmann. His fath- er, a stove and range designer and pattern maker, was a native of St. Louis, his mother of Cincinnati, Ohio. The future lawyer be- gan his education in the public schools of Dexter, Missouri, continuing in those of Belle- ville, Illinois. From 1912 through 1914 he was at Western Military Academy, Alton, and from 1914 to 1917 at the University of Illi- nois. World War I interrupted his education. He was with the 68th Coast Artillery from April 1, 1918, to March 6, 1919, and in 1918, when in France, attended the Saumur Artil- lery School. Upon his discharge from the service in 1919, Mr. Winkelmann returned to the University of Illinois, where in 1920 he was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Laws. At the university he was elected to Pi Kap- pa Alpha and Phi Alpha Delta fraternities. In November, 1920, he was admitted to prac-
tice by the Supreme Court of Illinois and since that time he has been established at Urbana. From February 1, 1921, to April 27, 1943, he was in partnership with F. E. Wil- liamson. Then, from April 1943, to Septem- ber 1, 1949, he practiced alone. Since Sep- tember 1, 1949, he has been the senior part- ner of the law firm of R. E. Winkelmann and Wendell G. Winkelmann. As might be suspected, the latter is his son, who has al- ready established a reputation as a member of the bar. Among the elder Mr. Winkel- mann's business connections are Frank A. Somers, Inc., and the J. M. Bean Electric and Hardware, Inc., of both of which he is secre- tary.
Mr. Winkelmann's marriage occurred at Mound City on March 27, 1919. His wife is the former Gail Gaunt, the daughter of Charles and Eleanor Gaunt. Mrs. Winkel- mann was graduated from the University of Illinois with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1918 and was elected to Alpha Delta Pi Sorority. Wendell G. Winkelmann is the old- est child. He holds the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws from the Uni- versity of Illinois and is the husband of Mar- garet Pierson Winkelmann. In World War II, he served with the 75th Division, United States Infantry. Mr. and Mrs. Winkelmann's other children are Martha, now Mrs. Robert N. Urash, and John, who in 1950 was a stu- dent at the University of Illinois. The family worships in the Presbyterian Church and re- sides at 712 Indiana Avenue, Urbana.
Mr. Winkelmann served as Corporation Counsel from May 1, 1925, to May 1, 1933. His service as Master in Chancery ran for two years. He became board chairman of the Police Pension Fund in 1933. In the Ameri- can Legion, he has served as commander of Post No. 24, Champaign, as executive com- mitteeman, Department of Illinois (1923-24); as director of building committee, Post No. 71; and he is also active in Champaign County Voiture, No. 238, La Societe des 40 Homines et 8 Chevaux. He is past exalted ruler, Ur- bana Lodge, No. 791, Benevolent and Protec- tive Order of Elks; past president, Rotary Club of Urbana; and in his profession is past president of the Third District Bar Associa- tion and also a member of the Champaign County and Illinois State Bar Associations. He is past worshipful master, Urbana Lodge, No. 157, A. F. and A. M.; past high priest, Urbana Chapter, No. 80, Royal Arch Masons, and present district inspector, 15th District; past commander, Urbana Commandery, No.
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16, Knights Templar, and present prelate; and also a member of the Red Cross of Constan- tine, Saxa Ruba Council; Urbana Council, Royal and Select Masons; Ansar Temple, An- cient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic- Shrine, and Hope Chapter, Order of the East- ern Star. In addition, he is a member of the Urbana Golf and Country Club. Mr. Winkel- mann's affiliations, like all his activities, have made it possible for him to render extraor- dinary service to his community.
MA J. GEN. HARRY LYNN BOLEN
One of the outstanding' personalities of World War II — especially in the Pacific The- ater of Operations and more particularly in the Philippines — was a man who in 1920 had joined the Illinois National Guard in Cairo as a private and who in the middle of American participation in World War II rose to the rank of Colonel. This distinguished soldier of the last great conflict is also a renowned citizen of Southern Illinois — Harry Lynn Bolen. To- day General Bolen devotes his talents to many fields on the civilian front, but he has by no means ceased serving the nation as a military man, for he is a Major General in the National Guard and division commander of the Forty- fourth Infantry Division. In business, he is the owner and operator of the Harry L. Bolen Agency of Cairo, a large and active real estate and insurance firm, and in civic affairs he is one of the prime movers in the direction of progress, health and welfare and industrial development.
General Bolen was born on February 3, 1896, at Anna, in Union County, the son of John M. and Etta (Farmer) Bolen. John M. Bolen, a native of Tennessee, was twenty-one years old when he established himself at Anna. He entered the retail grocery business and soon was an influential Republican, active on the Anna School Board and in the Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges.
The future Major General was graduated from the Anna High School in 1914. He then moved to Cairo, where in the Spring of 1915 he completed a course at Brown's Business College. His first job was with the Cairo Motor Company as bookkeeper, cashier and salesman. In April, 1917, the United States entered World War I and, in the following August, Harry Bolen went into the infant air force of the United States Army as a flying cadet. He was given ground school training at the University of Texas at Austin and flight training at Kelly Field, San Antonio, and Scott Field, Illinois. He was at Scott Field when the war ended. Discharged from
there on November 30, 1918, he returned to Cairo as salesman and manager for the Tri- State Motor Company, with which he con- tinued until 1919. In 1920 General Bolen join- ed the Thistlewood Motor Company, Chrysler distributors, as manager. This firm was dis- solved in 1933, and General Bolen became di- rector of the Cairo Transit Bureau, a relief agency for transients, with thirty-six person; under him.
General Bolen married Louise Broughton, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse B. Brough- ton of New Madrid, Missouri, on November 8, 1924. Mrs. Bolen is today active in St. Patrick's Church, in Girl Scout work and the American Legion Auxiliary.
In 1936 General Bolen entered the insurance field as a junior partner in the Dever-Bolen Agency of Cairo. Before going on active duty in World War II he sold his interest to his partner, but upon returning to Cairo in April. 1946, after he had returned to inactive status, he bought the Baur Agency, which he re- named the Harry L. Bolen Agency. He is both an insurance and real estate broker, and writes all types of insurance. He is a director of the Security National Bank of Cairo and was a director of the Cairo Building and Loan Association, which on liquidation paid its stockholders $1.15 for each $1 of stock. Gen- eral Bolen is a former president of the Cairo Association of Commerce, and during his ad- ministration brought to the city such in- dustries as the Valley Steel Products Com- pany, the Thomas A. Edison Company, and also the new post office. In that period, too, the Alexander County Housing Authority was organized. General Bolen is a former director of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and is a charter member of the Cairo Post of the American Legion, and active also in the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Elks Lodge. He is a Republican.
General Bolen's National Guard work is his hobby. He joined the National Guard in Cairo in 1920, as a private. By 1922 he had advanced through non-commissioned ranks to Second Lieutenant and in 1923 he was pro- moted to First Lieutenant. Shortly afterward he was made a Captain and placed in com- mand of Company K, 130th Infantry. In August, 1932, he rose to Major and in 1940 he was made Lieutenant Colonel. It was as Lieutenant Colonel that he went into active duty in World War II, in which he served five years and four months. He was called to duty on March 5, 1941, with the Thirty-third Di- vision. In May, 1942, he was transferred to the Sixth Division, and later served as Chief
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of Staff and Deputy Base Commander in the Philippine Islands. In August, 1945, he was promoted to Colonel and on November 29, 1946, he became Brigadier General. On March 16, 1950, he was promoted to Major General and command of the 44th Division. He holds the combat infantryman's badge, the Bronze Star with one oak leaf cluster and several other decorations and ribbons. The contribu- tion he is making to development in Southern Illinois is widely acknowledged.
HENRY L. HEINEKE
Hand and power-operated lawn mowers and lawn-and-leaf sweepers made by the Heineke Manufacturing Corporation of Springfield are known and used the country over. This is a company headed by a Springfield citizen and native, Henry L. Heineke, who has been an outstanding figure in this field since his young manhood and whose father entered the in- dustry in 1883. Aside from his prominence in the industrial world, Mr. Heineke has made a reputation for his interest in the civic af- fairs of the capital.
Born on April 1, 1905, Mr. Heineke is the son of Martin L. Heineke, a native of Carlin- ville, Illinois, who died in 1945 at the age of eighty-three, and Anna Rescho, also born in Illinois. There were also three girls in the family. The father was an inventor as well as industrial executive. Henry L. Heineke was educated in the elementary and high schools of Springfield.
After leaving school he joined his father in the Heineke Manufacturing Corporation, which the elder Mr. Heineke had founded in 1902. Martin Heineke had established him- self in Springfield in 1883, at the request of Sattley Brothers, who had taken over the property of C. W. Post, later the head of the Post cereal business. Sattley Brothers made farm implements. Martin Heineke had in- vented and patented a straw stacker used with old-time grain-threshing machines and later a self-feeding device for combines and grain- weighing device. After considerable pressure by his employers, the son recalls, he sold them these patents for $15,000. Later they resold them for more than $100,000, he relates. Sattley Brother-s manufactured Mr. Heineke's inventions, which eventually included a corn planter. In 1895 they made him superintend- ent of their plant. Soon afterward the firm consolidated with the Racine Company of Wis- consin, and the new name of the business was Sattley-Racine Company. The World's Co- lumbian Exposition, in 1895, awarded Mr.
Martin Heineke a certificate attesting to his skill as an expert artisan. In 1902, Martin Heineke established the Heineke Manufac- turing Company, licensed by his old employers to manufacture, the straw stacker he had pat- ented. He also made the self-feeding device for threshing machines and the grain-weigh- ing device he had invented. In 1921, after his combine had gone into general use, the other items became obsolete. In 1922 Mr. Heineke began making lawn mowers, and shortly after he adopted this item his son Henry joined him in the business. The firm continued making lawn mowers until World War II, when they switched to sub-contract war work for Allis-Chalmers, General Motors and other big corporations. In 1945 the Corps of Engineers of the United States Army awarded the company a contract for clam shell buckets for earth moving and excavating work. It was in this year that the elder Mr. Heineke died and the son became president and general manager. After the war Mr. Heineke led the company back to popular- priced hand and power-operated lawn mow- ers and also to lawn-and-leaf sweepers. By 1949 Henry Heineke had made the company the second largest producer of these items in the nation and was employing 200 men.
In 1944 he married Henrietta Hofferkamp, also a native of Illinois. They have two chil- dren, Leslie Ann, born in 1945, and Roger, born in 1948, and they worship in the. Luth- eran Church. Mr. Heineke's plant is at 1900 South Eighth Street.
He is a member of the Sangamo Club and the Springfield Lodge, Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks. His leadership is not only furthering the fortunes of a company founded by his famed inventor-father but helping the continued development of one of America's greatest state capitals.
KARL V. PFLANZ
A part-time job, taken in high school days "to help out," has, in a sense, proved a life- time job for Karl V. Pflanz of Belleville and led him to his great success. As vice president and general manager of the St. Clair Ice Company at Belleville, Mr. Pflanz is still with the concern with which he started, the Du- Quoin Packing Company, the parent concern. He is one of the leading citizens of St. Clair County and, as the operator of a vitally needed service, is one of those helping to build some of the communities in the county.
Mr. Pflanz was born in 1910 at DuQuoin, in Perry County, the son of Charles C. and
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Delia (Johnson) Pflanz. Both parents are also natives of DuQuoin. They were married in 1906. The elder Mr. Pflanz is a retail mer- chant. Another child of the family, Melita Pflanz, makes her home in Chicago. Karl Pflanz was educated in the elementary and high schools of DuQuoin. It was when he was attending the high school that he obtained the part-time job with the DuQuoin Packing Com- pany. When he was graduated, he was given a full-time position with this company start- ing in the sales department. He worked up to the position of sales representative, but soon afterward was transferred to Belleville to work for the affiliated St. Clair Ice Company. There, too, he was attached to the sales de- partment, and little by little his ability brought him greater responsibility until he was made vice president and general manager. Under his jurisdiction, the company has extended its territory and increased its volume of business, while Mr. Pflanz himself has achieved a posi- tion of eminence in the county and surround- ing region.
Mr. Pflanz married Elizabeth Corden, a school teacher, in 1931, and is now the father of two daughters — Karol Kay, born June 23, 1933, and Shelia Ann Pflanz, born July 14, 1936. The family worships in the First Chris- tian Church of Belleville.
Active in community enterprises, Mr. Pflanz serves on the board of directors of the Belle- ville Chamber of Commerce and is also a mem- ber of the Rotary Club of Belleville. Baseball is his favorite sport, while woodcraft is his hobby. Service to customers, Mr. Pflanz holds, is the medium by which success is achieved and the growth of a company is promoted. He believes, too, that there is a great need for training in business. He is one of St. Clair County's most respected citizens.
H. EDWARD MEYER
A man who is making a contribution to construction and home ownership at Alton, H. Edward Meyer is secretary-manager and a member of the board of directors of the Home Building and Loan Association of that city. He has a reputation throughout the State's building and loan business for his skill in problems relating to the business and in the necessary public education work. In Alton, too, he has been active in educational activities and in work on behalf of young people, especially boys.
Mr. Meyer was born in Alton on September 11, 1911, the son of Harry L. and Carolyn (Kramer) Meyer, who are natives, respective- ly, of Madison and Macoupin Counties. From
the time he was sixteen the father, born on December 11, 1883, worked for the Alton Brick Company and at the time he resigned was its superintendent. Edward Meyer was graduated from the Alton High School in 1928. He played football and was on the track team, as well as a clarinet player in the high school band. In 1932, he was awarded the degree of Bache- lor of Science at Shurtleff College, Alton. At college Mr. Meyer was business manager for the athletic group for four years, was a mem- ber of the "S" tribe and of the track and other athletic squads. He played in the college band and was a member of the Glee Club. Also, he was business manager of the yearbook "Retrospect" and it was the first year the venture did not go into the red. Without real- izing it, Mr. Meyer was preparing himself for his present field of business, for he studied architectui-e and engineering. In 1933, he com- pleted a one-year course at Rubicam Business School of St. Louis. In his last year at Shurt- leff Mr. Meyer painted houses and roofs to earn money. In 1932, the year he obtained his degree, his father became manager of the Home Building and Loan Association and he himself followed the older Mr. Meyer into that organization, working at $60 a month as a clerk. In 1939, Edward Meyer was elected sec- retary-manager of the organization and a member of its board of directors. His father became executive vice president. The business was organized in 1902 and because of good management and its prestige in the community has always paid dividends and served the area.
On November 17, 1937, H. Edward Meyer and Dorothy Jenkins, daughter of William J. and Louise K. Jenkins of Alton, were married in that city. Their daughter is Carole Louise Meyer, born December 9, 1940. The family lives at 1612 Maple Street, Alton, and worships in the Evangelical Church.
Mr. Meyer has been on the Alton Board of Education as director of curriculum since April, 1946, and Secretary since April, 1950. He was president of the Rotary Club of Alton in 1947-48 and for two years before then was its secretary. He attended the International Rotary convention in Atlantic City in 1946. He is a director of the Junior Achievement Organization of Alton and the Greater Alton Association of Commerce. He is a member of the Alton Board of Realtors, the United States Savings and Loan League, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, the education com- mittee of the Illinois Savings and Loan League, and the Masonic order, including the Shrine. He is assistant secretary of the Alton Locker Systems Co. of Alton, owned by the
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Meyer family. He is a Republican. His hob- bies are shopwork and his family, and Boy Scout activities. Through all his activities he has promoted the welfare of all Madison County.
HON. HARRY LEE CRISP
The largest employer at Marion, William- son County, is the Marion Pepsi-Cola Bottl- ing Company, owned and operated by Harry Lee Crisp. Aware of his responsibilities to the community as employer, business man and citizen, Mr. Crisp, unlike many others in his position, has devoted himself to civic improvement programs — and with such zeal and earnestness as to be elected first a City Commissioner and then Mayor, the only man ever to hold this high office for three terms. He has also been active in Red Cross and Boy Scout work and in every type of health, wel- fare and general betterment project. In ad- dition to the bottling company, Mr. Crisp heads the Goreville Box Company, Inc., at Goreville, in nearby Johnson County, and the Squirt Bottling Company at Paduach, Ken- tucky. He is the founder and former owner of the Marion Bowling Alley and former owner and publisher of the Marion Evening Post.
Mr. Crisp was born in Franklin County on December 25, 1901, the son of Charles and Laura (Burns) Crisp. His father, also a native of Franklin County, is a retired merchant re- siding in Marion. His mother is a native of DuQuoin. Harry Crisp began his education in the grade schools at Benton. Following his graduation from the Benton High School in 1921, he spent two years at Southern Illi- nois University in Carbondale. For two years he managed his father's grocery store at Logan. In 192 6, he moved to Marion and established the Marion Hatchery and Produce Company. He bought poultry and eggs, which he shipped east in carload lots and which he sold in heavy concentrations in Southern Illi- nois. In 1936, he sold this business to the Ohio Valley Creamery Company and it was at that time that he took over the Pepsi- Cola franchise he now holds. Though he started on a small basis, he undertook to handle twenty-one Southern Illinois counties, his present territory. There were five em- ployees in the beginning. Today there are seventy, the greatest number in any one in- dustry in Marion. His capacity was less than 500 cases at the outset, but now in an eight- hour shift he can produce 10,000 cases. His
thirty-three trucks go into every portion of the twenty-one counties. The Marion plant is valued at a half million dollars. He em- ploys fourteen persons at the Squirt Bottling Company in Paduach.
On October 2 5, 192 7, Mr. Crisp married Violette Fairless, the daughter of Charles and Nola Fairless of Marion. There are two children — Carole, born September 3, 1933, and Harry Lee, II, born November 21, 1935.
In 1941 Mr. Crisp built the Marion Bowl- ing Alley, with twelve lanes. This he later sold. From 1943 to 1948 he was owner and publisher of the Marion Evening Post, oldest paper in the county, with Associated Press and United Press affiliations. The paper had a circulation of 8 00 when Mr. Crisp bought it. At the time he sold it, the circulation was 4400, a phenomenal growth in five years. He is a director of the Williamson County Fair Association. The Fair is staged in Marion. Also, he helped organize Class D baseball for Marion.
From 1931 to 1935 Mr. Crisp was a City Commissioner and from 1935 to 1947 he was Mayor. When he ran for his third and final term, he was unopposed. When he was first elected, the city was in debt, but he left it debt-free. He was the first to order radios installed in police cars in Southern Illinois and he organized what is rated as one of the best and most modern fire departments in that region. During his administration, too, twenty mil.es of street were paved; the city took over the water works, which it is operating at a profit, and he was instrumental in inducing the Government to establish the Veterans Ad- ministration Hospital in Marion. In the year which was his last as the city's Mayor, he accepted only one dollar as salary. As a spon- sor of boys' work, he was active in setting up the Boy Scout Cabin in the southeast end of Marion, now used as a recreation center. He has also been active in Red Cross, bond drives and similar campaigns, and is a prominent member of the Marion and Ilinois State Cham- bers of Commerce, the Illinois Manufacturers of Carbonated Beverages, the National As- sociation of Bottlers, the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks, the Rotary Club of Marion and the Masonic order. He likes all outdoor sports, especially boating. He owns the cruiser Violette C, which he operates on the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. Also, he likes gaited and harness and show horses. His is a story of tremendous achievement and extra- ordinary public service — all pressed into a comparatively few years.
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MAXWELL RHOADES HOTT
In 1958 the Hott family will be able to cele- brate a century and a half of residence in Piatt County and a contribution of an out- standing character to the development of the entire State of Illinois and the Central States in general. Maxwell Rhoades Hott, of Monti- cello, the county seat, has made his name fa- mous in the fields of pharmaceuticals, agri- culture and banking and in 1950 was entering still another field — that of the super-market. Former vice-president of the Sterling Drug Company, he is the owner of the Pinus Medi- cine Company, with office and factory in Monticello. A World War I veteran, Mr. Hott has made reputations as a swimmer, as a worker in the fields of education and health and as a Naval officer procurement advisor in World War II.
He was born in Monticello on January 16, 1897, the son of John F. and Nellie J. (Rhoades) Hott. His father was the principal builder of the Pepsin Syrup Company, later absorbed by the Sterling Drug Company, and founder of the National Bank of Monticello. His family settled in Piatt County in 1808. John Hott was a charter member of the Rotary Club of Monticello and was also a leading figure in the Knights Templar, the Shrine, the Jesters and in the community at large. Nellie Hott's family, the Rhoades, settled in Piatt County about 1800. Later the family pioneered in Kansas, joining with the Hutchinsons to build the first homes in Hutchinson, Kansas. As pioneers, they also settled in California. Maxwell Hott was educated in the University of Chicago and, while a member of the Amer- ican Expeditionary Force in France, at the University of Aix Marseilles, France. In that period he won the A.E.F. 200-meter breast- stroke swimming championship. He had gone into World War I as a First Sergeant in the Fifth Division. At the time of his discharge he was a Second Lieutenant. He participated in the Battle of Frapelle and other major engagements.
Mr. Hott began his business career just be- fore entering the armed forces. This was in January, 1917, and he worked as a salesman in his father's firm, the Pepsin Syrup Com- pany, at Monticello. After the war he resumed his place with the company, which in 1924 was sold to the Sterling Drug Company. On No- vember 1, 1946, Mr. Hott retired as vice presi- dent of the Sterling Drug Company, in charge of the Caldwell Company Division. The Pinus Medicine Company, which he owns today, manufactures Fritola, Traxo, Abbotto Brothers
Compound and Dieners. He also owns and operates 1160 acres of farm land in eastern Piatt County and a ranch in California. He grows grain and breeds livestock. In 1950 he began the erection of a super-market, Cali- fornia style, in Monticello. He is a director of the National Bank of Monticello.
On May 22, 1920, at Oak Park, Mr. Hott married Alice Frances Dunn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Frank Dunn. They have one daughter, Frances Jeanne, now Mrs. Charles W. Bennis and the mother of Charles Michael and John Maxwell Bennis. Mr. and Mrs. Hott reside at 810 North State Street, Monticello. They worship in the Methodist Church. They own Deer Lodge, Fifield, Wisconsin.
Outside the commercial world Mr. Hott gives service to his fellow citizens as a member of the executive committee of the advisory com- mittee of the University of Illinois and as a director and president of John and Mary E. Kirby Hospital. In World War II he was civilian representative for Naval Officer Pro- curement in the Ninth Naval District. He is active in the Masonic order and the Shrine and Jesters, in the Monticello Golf Club and the Champaign Country Club. Hunting and fishing are his favorite recreations. Hr. Hott is regarded by his neighbors as one of the most important citizens in Illinois.
HIRAM C. POLLITZ
One of the proud and treasured possessions of Hiram C. Pollitz of Watseka, seat of Iro- quois County, is a letter from the United States Government lauding him for the distinguished work he did in that county to further the sales of War Bonds and thus help finance the American war effort in World War II. Mr. Pollitz has been active in many other forms of public service, and is one of the lead- ing citizens of the county. His prominence ex- tends into Indiana, where he operates a farm and breeds prize hogs. At Watseka Mr. Pollitz operates the Watseka Department Store, a lead- ing business of the community. He has been in this field of merchandising since the 1890's.
Mr. Pollitz was born at Havana, seat of Mason County, in 1874, the son of Frederick and Henrietta Pollitz. His father, born in St. Louis, Missouri, came to Illinois when he was eighteen years old and lived there the rest of his life. He was a dry goods merchant at Havana, and taught his son the business. Henrietta Pollitz was, like her son, a native of Illinois. Hiram Pollitz went to school at Havana until he was sixteen. His father's ill health forced him to leave school. When his father recovered, he went to work for him at
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Havana. Four years later, when he was twenty, Mr. Pollitz entered the employ of J. V. Farwell at Chicago, Illinois, and there he re- mained three years. When he left Farwell's, Mr. Pollitz returned to Havana and his father's store. In 1917, he bought a half in- terest in a dry goods store at Kewanee, in Henry County. Thirteen years later he sold out his interest and in 1932 bought his Watseka store.
In 1912, Mr. Pollitz married Marion Gray, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Gray. A son and daughter have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Pollitz — Edwin Brown Pollitz, who serv- ed in the United States Coast Guard in World War II and who is married and the father of Patricia and Catherine Pollitz; and Fay, who is now Mrs. Hamilton and the mother of Mrs. Mary Jane Olson. Mrs. Pollitz celebrated her sixty-eighth birthday in 1949, Mr. Pollitz his seventy-fifth.
Mr. Pollitz's pure-bred Hampshire hogs, which he raises on his 240-acre farm near Purdue, Indiana, have attracted much atten- tion from experts. He is a former member of the Kiwanis Club of Watseka and is active in Masonic circles. Baseball and boxing are his favorite sports, and he has refereed fights. In addition to a letter, written him by the Fed- eral Reserve Bank at Chicago, Mr. Pollitz holds a medal awarded him for his outstand- ing War Bond sales record and leadership. He is a popular citizen of Iroquois County.
WILLIAM FREDERICK KULL
Since the days in 18 90 when he entered the brewing business William Frederick Kull of Mattoon has had a hand in developing the beverage industry in Illinois. He has long since ceased making beer and for more than a half century has been an influential figure in the soft drinks world. He now operates the Mattoon Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Mat- toon and the Freeport Coca-Cola Company of Freeport. Also, among his other business in- terests, he operates the Kull Lumber Com- pany and the Kull Oil Company of Mattoon. In these enterprises he has the administra- tive assistance of his six sons and one of his two daughters. The entire family has, of course, become prominent throughout Central and Southeastern Illinois.
William Frederick Kull was born in Stutt- gart, Germany, on February 4, 1873, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Kull. He came to the United States in 1890 and in January of that year he went to work for the Fairbanks Soap Factory in St. Louis, Missouri, where he re-
mained until August, 1890. He then went to Murphysboro, Illinois, to enter the employ of the Rudolph Stecher Brewing Company. He bottled the first bottle of Red Seal beer at the Stecher plant on February 1, 1891. In April, 1892, Mr. Kull started to work for his brother-in-law, Joseph Steinle, in the Steinle Soda Water Company. On September 1, 1898, the company was merged with the Egyptian Bottling Works, of which Ruben Hayes was the owner, and the new concern was in- corporated as the Murphysboro Bottling Com- pany. Joseph Steinle, Ruben Hayes, A. .1. Will, and Mr. Kull were the stockholders.
On March 1, 19 05, Messrs. Steinle, Will and Kull bought the Hayes interest in both plants and in June, 192 7, Mr. Will acquired the Herrin plant for himself and Mr. Kull the Murphysboro plant. In the same month Mr. Kull sold the Murphysboro plant to Wil- liam R. Hayes of DuQuoin. Then Mr. Kull purchased the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Columbia, Missouri, where he remained six months. He then sold the Columbia plant and bought the Mattoon Coca-Cola Bottling Company. He has since expanded all his busi- ness interests, including the Kull Lumber Company, Freeport Coca-Cola Bottling Com- pany and the Kull Oil Company of Mattoon.
Mr. Kull, married Elizabeth Steinle, daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. John Steinle, at New Ulm, Minnesota, on September 15, 1898. Mrs. Kull was born at New Ulm on February 16, 187 7. She has devoted her life to her eight child- ren, but has also been active in Home Bureau and other organizational work. She is a col- lector of antique glassware and is a member of the Church of the Immaculate Conception of Mattoon. The six sons are William C, Joseph A., Adolph F., Rudolph C. and Robert C. Kull of Mattoon and Fred J. Kull of Free- port; the two daughters are Miss Pauline Kull and Mrs. W. E. Darnell of Mattoon. There are six grandchildren.
Fred J. Kull was born in Murphysboro on November 2, 18 99, and was educated in that city's grade and high schools. He worked for his father in Murphysboro and Mattoon, and is now manager of the Freeport Coca- Cola Bottling Company at Freeport. He mar- ried Helen Owens, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Owens of Mattoon, at Freeport on April 1, 1935. He is a member of the Elks and the Germania Clubs and is well known in both Mattoon and Freeport.
William C Kull was born in Murphysboro on November 14, 1901, and he, too, was edu- cated in that community's grade and high
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schools. He is now plant manager for the Mattoon Coca-Cola Bottling Company. He is unmarried.
Joseph A. Kull, born in Murphysboro on January 30, 1910, is another graduate of its grade and high schools. He is the manager of the Kull Lumber Company and the Kull Oil Company in Mattoon. He also is unmarried.
Rudolph C. Kull and Adolph F. Kull are twins. They were born in Murphysboro on July 3, 1914. Rudolph Kull, after completing his education in that city, joined his father in business and is now advertising manager for the Mattoon Coca-Cola Bottling Company. He married Anona Wheeler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Claude Wheeler, in Terre Haute, Indiana, on July 17, 1939. They have a daughter, Karen Ann, who was born on Feb- ruary 2, 1942.
Adolph F. Kull was also educated in the schools of his native area. After completing elementary school at Murphysboro, he went to the Mattoon High School. His position is that of sales manager for the Mattoon Coca- Cola Bottling Company. He married Victoria Chernisky, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Chernisky, in Quincy on April 21, 1939. They have two daughters — Linda Lee, born July 23, 1941, and Anita Kay Kull, born August 2, 1943.
Robert C. Kull was born in Murphysboro on December 8, 1917, and received his edu- cation in Murphysboro's grade schools and the Mattoon High School. He is the secretary of the Kull Lumber Company in Mattoon. He married Jean Redman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Redman, in Marshall, Illinois, on July 3, 1946. They have a son, William Frederick Kull, born October 8, 1947.
Of the two daughters, Pauline M. Kull was born in Murphysboro on January 8, 1904, and was educated in the elementary and high schools at Murphysboro. She is bookkeeper for the Mattoon Coca-Cola Bottling Company.
The other daughter is Elizabeth A., born in Murphysboro on August 17, 1912. She went to the elementary schools in Murphysboro and high school in Mattoon. On August 16, 1942. she was married to William E. Darnell at Farmington, Missouri. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. William E. Darnell of Bismark, Missouri. They have a daughter, Elizabeth Ann, born April 9, 1944, and a son, William E., born November 16, 1945.
The father of these eight children, William Frederick Kull, is a member of the Elks and St. Peter's Reformed Church in Murphysboro. His hobby is horses and harnesses. He is an
extensive traveler, having been to Europe and other foreign lands. The Kull mansion on Western Avenue, Mattoon, is one of the show places of the area. Mr. Kull's vigorous personality has been an influence for progress in that area for years.
CLARENCE B. KROEHLER
A name prominent in the history of the furniture manufacturing industry is that of Clarence B. Kroehler of Kankakee. In this industry since 1910, Mr. Kroehler is now general manager of the two plants of the Kroehler Furniture Manufacturing Company at Kankakee. His home is at 841 Cobb Boule- vard, in that city. Mr. Kroehler and the two plants have behind them a record for a tremen- dous contribution to the American war effort in World War II, having produced vitally needed items. Mr. Kroehler is a familiar figure in the civic life of Kankakee as he is in the trade life of his industry.
He was born in Houston County, Minnesota, on March 13, 1892, the son of William and Louisa (Ziegler) Kroehler, both of whom were also natives of that state. The father's death in a hunting accident in 1898 caused the mother and her six half-orphaned children to move to Naperville, DuPage County, Illinois, the home of Clarence Kroehler's uncle, P. E. Kroehler, founder of the Kroehler Furniture Manufacturing Company. There Clarence Kroehler was educated in the grade and high schools and there he learned the furniture business as an employee of the Kroehler Furniture Manufacturing Company, Naperville, Illinois, now the No. 1 Kroehler plant. Later, Mr. Kroehler was placed in charge of the manu- facturing cost department and in 1922 he was elevated to the post of works manager at Naper- ville. In 1926 he was transferred to Kankakee as general manager in charge of the Kroehler Furniture Manufacturing Company's two large plants there — one manufacturing bed- room furniture, the other manufacturing up- holstered living room furniture. More than 1,000 persons are employed under Mr. Kroeh- ler's jurisdiction. In World War II Mr. Kroeh- ler supervised operations on Government con- tracts under which the two plants made fur- nishings for Liberty Ships and aircraft car- riers, including desks, chairs, bunks and other items, as well as ailerons and flaps for planes and numerous other needed material.
On August 14, 1914, at Naperville, Mr. Kroehler married Patra Sieber, who was born in that community on April 18, 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Kroehler are the parents of one daugh- ter, Marjorie, who was born in Naperville on
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May 5, 1919. She is now Mrs. James P. Reed and living at Madison, Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Reed have three children who are as dear to Mi'. Kroehler as his own life — Barbara, born on June 7, 1938; Leslie, born on March 12, 1941, and James, born on August 20, 1945.
Mr. and Mrs. Kroehler worship in the Con- gregational Church in Kankakee. Mr. Kroeh- ler is active in the Kankakee Chamber of Commerce and the Kankakee Lodge, Bene- volent and Protective Order of Elks. He is a popular citizen of the community and an influential member of the furniture industry.
JOHN WALKER RUSSELL
For years John Walker Russell of Mattoon has enjoyed a national reputation as an inde- pendent oil man. He is not only a leading figure in that industry, but is also an out- standing worker in the Mattoon Chamber of Commerce and in Coles County's aviation de- velopment movement.
Mr. Russell was born on March 17, 1884, near Easley, South Carolina. His father was Edward A. Russell, a farmer also born near Easley and a veteran of the War Between the States. In 1891, with his wife, Nancy Eliza- beth (Rosamond) Russell, and his ten chil- dren, he moved from South Carolina to Tex- as. John Walker Russell was educated in one of the oldtime "little school houses" on the prairie of Texas near the City of Paris, La- mar County. Meantime he helped his father on the farm. In 1914, when he was thirty years old, he left the farm to enter the oil business. This was in Texas, but he hardly had gone into the business when he was sent to Tampico, Mexico. From late 1914 to 1922 he lived in Mexico, working as a toolpusher for Ernest J. Nicklos, a contractor. He re- signed that position in 1922 and went to La- redo, Texas, where for some time he was an independent operator in the oil fields. From Laredo he went to Mexia, Texas, also as an independent. Subsequently, he became Dis- trict Land Man for the Texas Company in 1928 at Wichita, Kansas. In 1936 he came to Illinois as The Texas Company's District Land Man. This post he resigned in March, 1939, to return to independent operations in the oil business. This he has continued to this day, with constantly increasing reputa- tion.
On August 7, 1919, at Little Rock, Arkan- sas, Mr. Russell married Leona Johnston, the daughter of J. O. and Mary Johnston, de- ceased. Mr. and Mrs. Russell reside at 3100
Western Avenue, Mattoon. Mr. and Mrs. Rus- sell are the parents of two sons and two daughters — John Walker Russell,' Jr. ; Mary Ellen Mirza, the wife of John Mirza and the mother of Nancy Ann Mirza; Rosamond Rus- sell; and Robert A. Russell. The family wor- ships in the Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Russell's prominent position in his field of business is attested, partly, by the fact that since 1939 he has been a member of the board of directors of the Independent Petro- leum Association of America. Evidence of his leadership in Coles County lies in his service, from 1938 to 1946, on the board of directors of the Mattoon Chamber of Commerce and his present service as chairman of the Coles County Airport Authority. He continues ac- tive in the Chamber of Commerce, and also in the Mattoon Country Club. He is inde- pendent in politics and golf is his favorite sport. Mr. Russell is five feet ten inches tall, weighs 155 pounds, has brown hair and blue eyes. Of excellent health, he is the pos- sessor of an affable disposition and a host of friends. His contribution to the develop- ment of the Illinois oil fields and to the wel- fare of Mattoon and Coles County is widely recognized.
GILBERT REINHARDT VAUGHT, D.D.S.
A former dental college faculty member and a writer on dentistry who has gained wide ac- ceptance in the dental education and profes- sional fields, Dr. Gilbert Reinhardt Vaught is now practicing dentistry in Mount Vernon, seat of Jefferson County, with a reputation that has spread throughout Central and South- ern Illinois. He is also vice president of the Vaught Oil Company and is prominent in the Baptist Church and civic and welfare pro- grams.
Born at Eldorado, Saline County, on De- cember 24, 1915, Dr. Vaught is the son of John Russell and Hattie (Watson) Vaught. His father, born at Stonefort, also in Saline County, on March 29, 1892, was a grocer and . president of the Vaught Oil Company. He was the son of John Wesley Vaught of Burnt Prairie, White County, who came to Illinois from Pennsylvania with his parents by way of Tennessee and Kentucky. Hattie Watson Vaught was born in Eldorado, the daughter of Alfred Penny and Malinda (Dooley) Wat- son. Her father was born near Eldorado and was a farmer and manufacturer of concrete building blocks. Her mother was of Indian- Irish blood. On his father's side Dr. Vaught is a distant relative of Daniel Boone.
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JOHN WALKER RUSSELL
FRED HAROLD VVASSON
Dr. Vaught began his education in the pub- lic schools of Eldorado. In high school he played in the school band and orchestra and was a member of the dramatic club. After high school he attended Southern Illinois Uni- versity at Carbondale and then spent two years at the University of Illinois at Urbana. For his professional training he went to the St. Louis University School of Dentistry in St. Louis, where he received the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. He was elected to Delta Sigma Delta, the dental fraternity, and Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the honorary dental society. Graduated in 1946, he started teach- ing in the Fall of the same year and con- tinued until 1946, attaining the rank of As- sistant Professor of Crown and Bridge Work on the St. Louis University School of Den- tistry faculty. Throughout this four years of teaching he operated a part-time dental office in St. Louis. While in that city, also, Dr. Vaught, active in Boy Scouting, became a member of Alpha Phi Omega, the Scout serv- ice fraternity. Late in 1945 he opened a dental office in Mount Vernon; in that year he built himself a new ultra-modern dental office build- ing at 1404 Broadway, designed by himself. He now has one of the heaviest practices in his pi-ofession in the Mount Vernon area. He is also vice president of the Vaught Oil Com- pany, a chain of oil and gasoline filling sta- tions in Central and Southern Illinois. In his teaching days, Dr. Vaught wrote a manual on "Operative Dentistry," which is used in dental schools and by dentists.
Dr. Vaught married Lillian Gholson, born at Eldorado on August 27, 1916, the daughter of Ely Gholson, a grain and stock farmer at Saline County, and Malinda Alice (Reasons) Gholson. Mrs. Vaught is a graduate of the Eldorado High School and Lockyear Business College, Evansville, Indiana. She is active in the First Baptist Church of Mount Vernon and is chairman of one of its mission's circles and also of the church's Mission Board. In this church Dr. Vaught is superintendent of the Sunday School and a member of the Board of Christian Education. Mrs. Vaught is prominent in sorority work and in Mount Vernon's P.-T.A. circles. There are two children — Karen Sue Vaught, born August 14, 1943, and John Daniel Vaught, born September 13, 1946.
Dr. Vaught was president of the Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon in 1950. He is also a Shriner. Photography, china painting and the growing of flowers are his hobbies. He is wide- ly recognized for his contribution to the ad- vancement of dental science and for his gen- eral citizenship.
FRED HAROLD WASSON
A family famed in Southern Illinois is the Wasson family, for which the community of Wasson, in Saline County, is named. The family has numbered among its members farmers, timber dealers, mine operators, min- isters, school teachers, a medical practitioner and merchants. Outstanding in this family is Fred Harold Wasson, the operator of the Wasson Department Store in Carrier Mills, Saline County. Aside from the contribution he has made through this store and through military service in World War I, Mr. Wasson is furthering the progress and welfare and growth of his community, county and region through activities channeled through a multi- tude of organizations. He is a civic and re- ligious leader of tremendous influence.
Mr. Wasson was born in Pope County on January 31, 1894, the oldest of five chil- dren, the others being Chester P., Carrie Belle, Dewey L., and Mabel, who is now Mrs. Orval J. Dean. His father was Val Wasson, also a native of Pope County, the founder of the Wasson Department Store. He was a farmer, timber contractor and merchant. In 1908 Val Wasson traded his farm for a small stock of merchandise at Raleigh, Illinois, and this was his start in the mercantile business. At one time he operated as many as four stores. His first bi'anch store was at Was- son, where a large coal mine owned by a member of the family was located. Later he opened a store at the Wasson No. 2 Mine, and still another, the surviving one, in Carrier Mills. Fred Wasson's mother was Mellie (Parker) Wasson, the daughter of Nathaniel and Nancy Parker of Calloway County, Ken- tucky. The Wasson family came to Illinois from Rhea County, Tennessee. Each year a family reunion is held on the old home place in Pope County, near the family burial ground. This is sponsored by Fred Wasson and has an extensive program. About three hundred members of the family attend.
Mr. Wasson was educated in the public- schools of Pope and Saline Counties and in two select summer schools. The recipient of a teacher's certificate, he taught in Saline County at Rudement in the year 1912-1913 and at the Mount Pleasant School in 1913-14. To go to his teaching job, he walked from home about three and one-half miles each way. He boarded at home. In the spring of 1914 he took charge of his father's store at Wasson. In the Fall of 1916 he took over a branch of the Carrier Mills store. The
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First World War intervened in his career, and in the spring of 1918 he went into the Army, with which he served in France. He was a Private First Class in the 138th Field Artil- lery. Upon his discharge from the service he returned to Carrier Mills and worked with his father. In 1925 his father made him man- ager of the Carrier Mills Store. The elder Mr. Wasson died in 1931 and Fred Wasson and a brother took over the business as managers and trustees for the family. It sells every- thing from groceries to hardware, all types of dry goods, electrical supplies, furniture and floor coverings. It occupies several store buildings on both sides of the main street. Mr. Wasson is also interested in rental prop- erties in Carrier Mills.
On May 20, 1919, Mr. Wasson married Katie Cable, the daughter of George and Elizabeth Cable of Raleigh. They have three children — Fred Harold; Doi*is Colleen, now Mrs. Waldo Killman, and Martha Katherine. The family worships in the Baptist Church, a church which for years has known and prof- ited from the leadership of Mr. Wasson. Mr. Wasson is a deacon, serves as chairman of the local mission board and member of the State executive board, and is a past president of the Baptist State Brotherhood. He is a charter member of the Illinois Brotherhood, and has twice headed it. Among Mr. Was- son's other organizations are the Lions Club; the Masonic fraternity,, in which he has ad- vanced to the 32nd degree of the Scottish Rite; the Gideons; the American Bible So- ciety; the Egyptian Retailers' Association, the Illinois Federation of Retailers, the American Retailers Association, the Illinois Hardware Retailers Association, the American Legion and its Past Commanders Club, the Greater Egyptian Association, of which he is now (1949) treasurer; Ozark Tours, Boy Scouts of America, the American Red Cross, Illinois Public Aid Commission, Illinois Temperance League, the AAA Auto Club of Egypt, Saline County Historical Society, Illinois State His- torical Society, Illinois Archeological Society, Saline County Executives Club, National Geo- graphic Society and Agriculture and Indus- trial Committee of Saline County. He is past president of the Lions Club and of the Egyp- tian Retailers' Association. He is now execu- tive secretary and a director of the latter organization. As is evident from this list of organizations and bodies, Mr. Wasson, like his father, who was a civic leader and served as the Raleigh Township representative on the Saline county board of supervisors, and his
grandfather, Dr. John A. Wasson, who trav- eled to Southern Illinois from Rhea County, Tennessee in the early 1840's in a covered wagon and served for years as a physician, gives much time to major welfare, civic and religious problems. As a result he has become a leading and popular citizen of the entire state, but he is held in special affection in Southern Illinois and the Greater Egyptian area.
WALLACE LONG
The name of Wallace Long of Champaign is known in the lumber business throughout the United States, for Mr. Long is not only president of the Long Lumber Company, Inc., of Champaign but also president of the Skagit Valley Lumber Mills at Rockport, Washing- ton, and the North Idaho Shingle Mills, Inc., of Priest River, Idaho, and vice-president of the Illini Lumber Distributors of Champaign. He is also an active and outstanding citizen of Champaign County and is a veteran of World War I.
Born at Litchfield, in Montgomery County, on February 2 7, 18 95, Mr. Long is the son of Charles F. and Sarah (McCullough) Long. His father, a farmer, was born in a log house in Pike County on April 9, 1866. His parents were Robert M. Long, born in Kentucky in November, 1837, and Ann G. (Slight) Long, born in England in 18 33; they were married in Pike County in 1859. Sarah McCullough Long was born in Litchfield on March 9. 1870, and was the daughter of Robert Y. Mc- Cullough, born November, 18 40, in Carlin- ville, Macoupin County, and Josephine (Fog- land) McCullough, born November, 1850, in Sweden; her parents were married in Illi- nois in 1869.
Wallace Long was educated in the Burnett Grade School near Waggoner, Montgomery County. He worked on his father's farm un- til he enlisted in the United States Air Corps in 1917. After sixteen months in the Army (November 15, 1916, to April 20, 1918), he. returned to the farm. Two years later his father retired and, leaving the farm, the son worked as an automobile salesman in Litch- field until 1930. At that time he moved to Champaign. In 1934 Mr. Long entered the real estate business and in 1942 he purchased the Leavitt Manufacturing Company in Urb- ana. This he sold in 1943, when he bought a farm at Urbana which he later subdivided and sold in city lots. In 1946 Mr. Long, in partnership with his son-in-law, Edward E. Armstrong, Jr., opened up a retail and whole-
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sale lumber business. The following year, however, they split this retail and wholesale yard into separate businesses, and the retail yard is now Long Lumber Company, Inc. with Mr. Long as president. Mr. Armstrong is treasurer and manager and Mrs. Betty Lou Armstrong, Mr. Long's stepdaughter, is the other stockholder. As president or vice-presi- dent of four firms in this general field, Mr. Long has made a reputation for leadership in an important business. The headquarters of the Long Lumber Company is at 1300 South Neil Street, Champaign.
Mr. Long's stepdaughter was born on August 14, 1921, her husband on August 2, 1922. They were married in 1942 and their children are Kande Armstrong, born on December 14, 1945, and Dan E. Armstrong, born on April 14, 1943. Mr. Long makes his home in the Hamilton Hotel, Champaign. He worships in the Christian Church of Wag- goner. Fishing is his favorite sport. Describ- ed as in very good health and with a good, even disposition, he has become a popular fig- ure in the business and social life of Cham- paign and is known for the leadership he has given toward the development of the lumber business.
EUGENE AUGUST COMTE
A man of many interests and activities — all of which have resulted in immeasurable benefit to Murphysboro and all Jackson Coun- ty— Engene August Comte is an outstanding citizen of Southern Illinois. An insurance and real estate man, Mr. Comte has served his community as Alderman and Mayor and is at present furthering its growth and prosperity through the operation of the Jackson County Resource Development Commission, which he organized and which makes extensive studies of natural resources, conducts an intensive educational program among the people and recommends programs for economic welfare. He is a veteran of World War II and a leader in veterans affairs in Downstate Illinois.
Mr. Comte was born in Murphysboro on November 27, 1906, the son of August and Josephine Comte. His father, a coal miner born in France, came to the United States in his youth. Both he and the mother are de- ceased, the latter having passed away when Eugene Comte was three months old. Mr. Comte, an only child, went through the eighth grade in Murphysboro and then went to work. His first job was that of logger in the timber- land. Later he worked in the production de-
partment of the Brown Shoe Company, St. Louis, where he remained from 1921 to 1943. In the latter part of this period he took a correspondence course with LaSalle Extension University of Chicago and in 1943 he entered the real estate and insurance business in Murphysboro.
On January 31, 1929, Mr. Comte married Lillian Mileur, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Mileur of a rural district near Murphys- boro. They have three children — William Earl, Eugene David and August Francis Comte. When in World War II Mr. Comte served with the armed forces, Mrs. Comte operated his insurance and real estate business. Mr. Comte was with the 1263rd Combat Engineers in the European Theater of Operations from 1943 to 1945. In 1948 he organized a combat engineers unit for the Illinois National Guard organization in Murphysboro. He is the first veteran of World War II to have served as commander of the Fifth Division of the Illi- nois Department of the Legion. He is at pres- ent service officer for both the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars Posts in Murphysboro.
Mr. Comte began the study of natural re- sources of a community when he was in Eu- rope, especially in Western Germany. Since his return home he has pursued this study as applied to his native area, and he has since done considerable work toward community de- velopment through his Jackson County Re- source Development Commission. He is a recognized authority on local natural re- sources and conservation work. He is also well known as a labor leader and when he was with the Brown Shoe Company he helped organize the first union in the shoe industry in Murphysboro. He is a former president, now serving as secretary, of the Rotary Club of Murphysboro and he has twice served as president of the Murphysboro Sportsman's Club. He helped organize the Crab Orchard Sportsman's Club, but is no longer a member of that organization. He has been through the chairs in the Murphysboro Lodge of the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, and is also a member of the Murphysboro Chamber of Commerce, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and such Masonic bodies as the Blue Lodge and the Murphysboro Chapter, Royal Arch Masons. A man who stands six feet two inches in height and weighs 220 pounds, Eugene August Comte is an impressive figure in more ways than one in Downstate Illinois.
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ROBERT DuFAY MONTGOMERY
Since 1869 two generations of the Mont- gomery family have occupied the same office room in Decatur, and from that center have made a tremendous contribution to the de- velopment and welfare of Macon County and the surrounding territory. Robert DuFay Montgomery is the second generation of this family, and in the years he has been active in the family business, insurance, real estate and management, has become an outstanding- citizen of the downstate area.
Mr. Montgomery was born in Decatur on February 19, 1881, the son of Robert Richard and Clara (King) Montgomery. His father, who was born in 1843 and died in 1930, went into the insurance and real estate business at an early age. It was he who opened the family office in the room which the son oc- cupies today. This is at 141 East Main Street, Decatur. Clara King Montgomery, the daugh- ter of Dr. Joseph and Maryette (Packard) King, was born in 1849 and died in 1908. The children of the family included Iola A. Perry and Lida M. Stafford, half sisters of Robert DuFay Montgomery, and Cora Mae Black and R. Jay Montgomery, his sister and brother. The half-sisters are deceased and they, along with others of the family, including R. R. and Clara Montgomery and Dr. and Mrs. Jo- seph King, are buried in Greenwood Ceme- tery, Decatur.
Robert DuFay Montgomery went to a busi- ness college after completing his academic education, which was obtained in the elemen- tary and high schools of Decatur. In his youth he joined his father in the real estate and insurance business, and today he and a nephew, F. DuFay Montgomery, operate what is called the DuFay Montgomery Agency.
Robert DuFay Montgomery married Amelia Mustin George, the daughter of Emerson H. and Amelia (Mustin) George, in Decatur on June 12, 1923. Mrs. Montgomery, who was born in 1887, died in 1949. She, too, lies in Greenwood Cemetery. She was active in the Episcopal Church throughout her lifetime. Mr. Montgomery has two stepchildren — Dr. William H. Requarth, whose wife is Nancy C. Requarth, and Pauline R. Smith, whose hus- band is Elbert S. Smith and who is the mother of Mary Jane Smith. Mr. Montgomery's home is at 423 Ewing Avenue, Decatui*.
Mr. Montgomery, who is described as five feet five and one-half inches tall, blond and blue-eyed, weighing 140 pounds, has a great liking for trapshooting and hunting. He is
active in the Decatur Lodge, No. 401, Benev- olent and Protective Order of Elks; the De- catur Club and the Decatur Gun Club. In politics he is a Republican. Having dedicated his life to the development of his region, he has won widespread popularity and great stature as a citizen.
ARMIN C. KURZ
The Illinois Democrat, published at Carlin- ville, seat of Macoupin County, is one of the state's best known publications. It has achiev- ed its position of prestige and influence through such men as Armin C. Kurz, its pres- ent publisher and editor, and Jim McClure, its previous owner. Mr. Kurz, who has been active in journalism since he was sixteen years old in 1907, has been identified with both German - language and English - language papers, and he has practiced his profession in various communities of his native state. He is known in Illinois not only for his pub- lishing and editing activities but for his in- terest in community progress and in fraternal and civic organizations.
Mr. Kurz is a native of Maine, in Madison County. Born on August 9, 1891, he is the son of the late Reverend Carl Theodore Kurz and Emma (Thurnau) Kurz. His father, an Evangelical minister, was born in Germany, but came to the United States at a compara- tively early age. The mother was a native of the United States.
The future editor began his education in Madison County schools, and was graduated from the Highland High School. He then at- tended Barnes Business College at St. Louis, and in 1907 entered the employ of the High- land Leader, an English-language paper, and the Highland Union, a German-language paper owned by his father, who in 1913 sold them to purchase a paper at Jerseyville, in Jersey County. Three years later he went to work for the Star-Times at Staunton, in Macoupin County. When in 1918 the editor of the Star- Times retired, Mr. Kurz, with a partner, W. C. Moser, purchased this publication. In 1922 Mr. Kurz bought his partner's interest in the enterprise and until March 1, 1933, operated the paper as sole owner, publisher and editor. When he left Staunton, Mr. Kurz went to St. Louis to operate a job printing plant. There he remained until on January 1, 1934, he re- turned to Macoupin County and purchased the Carlinville Democrat from Jim McClure. He has been operating in Carlinville since that time, and has extended the fame and circula- tion of the newspaper far beyond the dimen-
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sions achieved under previous sponsorship. He is himself widely known as a progressive and aggressive editor.
Mr. Kurz married Iva L. Hagnauer on June 8, 1910. Mrs. Kurz is also active in Carlin- ville's community life. Mr. Kurz is a mem- ber of the Rotary Club of Carlinville and of such Masonic bodies as the Blue Lodge, the Royal Arch Masons, the Knights Templar and the Order of the Eastern Star. His newspaper is a member of various organizations of the publishing trade, including the Illinois Press Association. The citizens of Macoupin County have come to regard Mr. Kurz as a leader in all projects seeking the prosperity and welfare of the entire region.
HON. FRANK E. BLAKE
From his position of eminence in North- eastern Illinois the Honorable Frank E. Blake of Watseka, seat of Iroquois County, has risen to a national reputation. Mr. Blake is not only president of the farspread Peoples Coal and Lumber Company and a former mayor of the county seat, but he is the donor of Blake Field to the Watseka High School and a leader in educational, health, welfare, religious and general public affairs.
Born in Wellington, Iroquois County, on January 19, 1882, Mr. Blake is the son of Edmund James and Rebecca Margaret Blake. He was graduated from the Watseka High School in 1900 and spent two years in aca- demic courses at the University of Illinois, following up with study in the university's College of Pharmacy, from which he received the degree of Graduate in Pharmacy in 1907. From 1907 to 1909 Mr. Blake worked in drug- stores in Chicago, chiefly to get the expe- rience and the "big city" point of view. He is president of the Peoples Coal and Lumber Company at Watseka. He is also a director of the First Trust and Savings Bank of Wat- seka. His office is at 115 East Walnut Street, Watseka, his home at 328 East Mulberry Street.
On January 1, 1913, Mr. Blake married Helen Harrown. They have one daughter, Mary Margaret, who is the wife of John W. Duff, a Watseka insurance man, the marriage having taken place in 1942. Mrs. Duff spent a year at Lake Forest Girls School and three years at the University of Illinois, and holds a degree from the College of Liberal Arts. Her husband is also a graduate of the university. They have three daughters, Mary K. Duff, who was born in 1944, Martha Jo Duff, born in 194G and Elizabeth Ann born in 1950. The family worships in the Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Blake gave the City of Watseka a long- progressive administration, for he was Mayor from 1935 to 1941. He served for sixteen years on the Watseka Board of Education and in that period donated the athletic field to the high school which bears his name. In grati- tude for the donation, the pupils took up a collection and presented Mr. Blake with a Silver Loving Cup. This is one of his treasured possessions. He is also a former member of the Board of Tax Review and in World War II was on the Iroquois County Rationing Board. He is now president of the Iroquois Hospital in Watseka and a member of the Board of the Iroquois County Tuberculosis Sanatorium. Besides his coal and lumber busi- ness, Mr. Blake is active in farming and is president of the Goodwine Grain Company. In his past, in addition to his professional career as pharmacist, was a year of school teaching. He is a member of the Iroquois Club, a char- ter member of the Kiwanis Club of Watseka, various Masonic bodies, including Mohammed Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the B.P.O. Elks. He is influential in virtually every activity aimed at the general welfare in Iroquois County.
CHARLES LINCOLN WILKINS
The Wilkins Pipe and Supply Company of Peoria is one of the outstanding firms in its field in Central Illinois, and its founder, Charles Lincoln Wilkins — known affectionately to many as "Todd" — holds a position of equal popularity among the citizenry. Mr. Wilkins has given the community leadership in many improvement projects and is especially well known in the Chamber of Commerce move- ment.
He was born in Columbus, Ohio, on April 26, 1895, and is the son of Charles Law- rence Wilkins, a native of Erie, Pennsylvania, who died in 1926, and Elinore (Mitchell) Wil- kins, also a native of the Ohio capital, who survives her husband.
"Todd" Wilkins, a graduate of Peoria's elementary and high schools, spent a year at Bradley Polytechnic Institute, Peoria. In 1915, he joined his father in business. The father then was the owner of the Illinois Pump and Brass Company. Two years later, "Todd" Wilkins entered the United States Army Air Corps for World War I service. Ordered to duty as flight instructor, he was stationed at Lake Charles, Louisiana, through- out most of his period of service. In 1918, after the Armistice, he was discharged at Dorr Field, Arcadia, Florida, at which time he was holding the rank of Second Lieutenant. To
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this day Mr. Wilkins maintains his interest in flying and in the nation's hopes of sustain- ing its supremacy in the air.
In 1919, after his return to civilian life, Mr. Wilkins entered the employ of the Wal- worth Co. of Chicago, Illinois through 193.'}. In the latter year he established the Wilkins Pipe and Supply Company, which today from its headquarters at 1008 South Adams Street, Peoria, distributes pipe, valve fittings, plumb- ing and heating supplies in an area with a radius of about seventy miles of Peoria, em- ploying fifty persons.
On August 30, 1927, at Peoria, Mr. Wilkins married Edythe Lowe of that city. Mrs. Wil- kins is a member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, of Peoria. She and Mr. Wil- kins make their home at 203 Holly Ridge Circle, Peoria. Mrs. Wilkins is the daughter of Frank H. Lowe, of Lacon, Illinois, an adver- tising man who died in 1939, and Emma C. Lowe, of Peoria, who died in 1935.
Mr. Wilkins, besides operating the Wilkins Pipe and Supply Company, runs a dairy farm of two hundred acres. He is president of the Robein Water Works and a former director of the Peoria Association of Commerce. He is also active in the Peoria Chamber of Com- merce, the Illinois State Chamber of Com- merce and the Chamber of Commerce of the United States; in the Mount Holly Country Club, the Peoria Country Club and in various Masonic bodies, including the Shrine. He is one of the small group of citizens who are promoting the progress of Peoria and the surrounding area.
HON. HENRY BRUCE BURNETT
Still a young man, Henry Bruce Burnett has served Eldorado in his native Saline County as business man and public official for years. He was Mayor of the city when only thirty-one years old. In the business world, Mr. Burnett, with his wife as partner, operates the Burnett Motor Company of El- dorado, the Chevrolet agency which also handles truck and automobile parts on a re- tail and wholesale basis. He is a veteran of World War II.
Mr. Burnett was born at Raleigh on May 25, 1912, and is the son of Rex C. and Fay- ette (Wesley) Burnett. His father, also a native of Saline County, was one of Southern Illinois' outstanding citizens. He was a bank- er at Raleigh and a leading civic worker. He served as president of the Rotary Club in El- dorado and in other civic offices. His death occured on July 29, 1943. He was the son of
Dr. Henry L. Burnett, physician and surgeon of Raleigh who was also prominent in civic life.
Henry Bruce Burnett began his education in the elementary schools at Raleigh. In 1930 he was graduated from the Eldorado High School, where he had served on the debating team for three years. After high school, he spent two semesters at the University of Illi- nois. Among Rex Burnett's activities was the operation of a Chevrolet agency in El- dorado. H. Bruce Burnett entered this busi- ness in 19 32, as a worker in the body and paint shop. He then became service manager, parts manager and finally, in 1937, sales manager. In 19 41, he was taken into partner- ship with the elder Mr. Burnett. At about this time he attended a post-graduate school in Michigan for the sons of Chevrolet dealers, and this fitted him further for operation as a dealer. When his father died in 1943, Mr. Burnett and his wife bought the business as a partnership, continuing the name of Burnett Motor Company. Only a few months later, however — in December, 1943 — Bruce Burnett went into the United States Army. He served until January 2 7, 19 4 8. In this period he spent ten months in the European Theater of Operations, two of them in combat in medium tanks. He is the recipient of two Battle Stars and of a Battalion Citation. Since his return to civilian life he has operated the Burnett Motor Company, which now employs seven- teen persons. Mr. Burnett owns the building housing the business. The firm goes back to November 1, 1923, the date when it was founded by Rex Burnett. On January 1, 1950 Mr. Burnett acquired an interest in the Family Bank of C. P. Burnett & Sons and was elected a director.
Bruce Burnett married Virginia Stinson, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar N. Stinson of Eldorado, in that community on June H, 1931. A son, Hal Bruce Burnett, was born to them on August 2 7, 1934. Mrs. Burnett is also well known in Eldorado's business, social and civic life. The entire family wor- ships at Calvary Baptist Church, where Mr. Burnett is a trustee and deacon.
Mr. Burnett's civic leadership, which took him into many fields of interest and continues to do so today, culminated in his election to the office of Mayor of Eldorado in 1943. He also serves on the board of trustees of Shurt- leff College, at Alton. In 1949 he was elected president of the Rotary Club of Eldorado and he is currently serving on the board of di- rectors of the Eldorado Chamber of Com-
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merce. He was president of the Lions Club of Eldorado in the year 1939-1940. In addition, he is a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is a Re- publican and his favorite sports are fishing, hunting and «olf. Mr. Burnett has establish- ed himself among the group doing their ut- most for the welfare and prosperity of South- ern Illinois.
AUSTIN COLE
Famed throughout the United States is Omega and FFFG flour, the major product of a plant operated by five generations of the Cole family. Head of the business today is Austin Cole, who, in association with his son, Austin Cole, Jr., manages the great H. C. Cole Milling Company at Chester, in Randolph County. The Coles have been prominent in Southern Illinois since 1837, when the founder of the business, Nathan Cole, first moved into that section of the State, one of the earlier pioneers. He had come from New York. From the early efforts of Nathan Cole, expanded by his son, Herman Camp Cole — after whom the H. C. Cole Company is named — has arisen the present enterprise, with its great plant on the Mississippi at Chester.
Austin Cole, was born in Chester on Janu- ary 27, 1876. His father took the family to Chicago when the son, Austin, was six years old. There the father operated a flour mill, in accordance with what has become a family tradition, and there the son attended the pub- lic schools. Later, he traveled through Europe with his mother, the former Martha Kennedy of St. Louis, for two years. Then he attended St. Luke's School in Philadelphia and after that Trinity College at Hartford, Connecticut. Here he took his Bachelor of Science degree in 1898.
Before Austin Cole returned to the family business, he worked in many fields and tra- veled some more. He was employed by an irrigation company in California, operated as a tool dresser in the oil fields of that State, worked as a chemist in a gold mine in Mexico, later assuming complete charge of the mine, and then held various jobs in sugar beet fac- tories in California, Canada and Colorado. Re- turning to Chicago, he became associated with the Bates Valve Bag Company of that city and, later, founded and was president of the Western Valve Bag Company. This concern made special bags to package cement. Event- ually, Mr. Cole was called back to Chester to head the H. C. Cole Milling Company, and this is the post he fills today.
Mr. Cole married Ivy Ingraham, the daugh- ter of Colonel and Mrs. Prentice Ingraham of Mississippi, on October 14, 1902. Two sons were born to the marriage — Austin Cole, Jr., now active in the making of Omega and FFFG flour, and Prentice Ingraham Cole, who now resides at Palo Alto, California. Austin Cole, Jr. married Lois Anne Roper of Mem- phis and is the father of Austin Cole, III, and Lois Anne Cole. Prentice Cole, married, is the father of Prentice Ingraham Cole, Jr., and Sally Cole. Ivy Ingraham Cole died in 1928. Austin Cole married, in 1929, Mrs. Margaret Brown of New York State. The Austin Cole, Jr. family occupies the famed original H. C. Cole home, which stands high on a wooded bluff overlooking the Cole mill and the river. Austin Cole maintains a Cape Cod home on a modern farm at the southeastern edge of Chester. It too commands a view of great majesty, the Southern Illinois hills. Mr. Cole's hobby is a herd of registered Jerseys.
The Coles have contributed greatly to the progress and culture of Chester. Aside from providing employment to many — there are sixty in the plant, seventeen salesmen on the road — they have aided local improvements and erected the Chester Public Library and Cole Memorial Park. The entire ai-ea looks to the Coles and will continue to look to the family for leadership in the development of an area in which five generations of Coles have already done so much.
MRS. EILEEN ALDERMAN
A long career of public service behind her — in war time as well as peace — Mrs. Eileen Alderman is now secretary of the Illinois Real Estate Board at Springfield. As such she handles the executive work at the state capital for an organization which, through its great membership of individuals and city boards and its tremendous legislative program, has brought about amendment of state laws to protect public and home buyers. Mrs. Alder- man is known throughout the state among real estate men and is one of Springfield's best known women.
Born in Hillview, Greene County, on Aug- ust 24, 1912, Mrs. Alderman is the daughter of Charles Roper and Nora Claire (Crabtree) Roper. Her father, a native of Kansas, is a farmer. Her mother, born at Winchester, Illi- nois, died in 1948. Mrs. Alderman was edu- cated in the high school at Winchester, Scott County, and in the Gem City Business Col- lege, Quincy. In 1931, she was married to Clarence G. Alderman, a clei'k for the San-
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gamon Dairy Company, and on March 20, 1933, she became the mother of Sharon Lou Alderman.
Mrs. Alderman began her career as cash- ier's clerk in the Abraham Lincoln Life In- surance Company of Springfield. She was with this concern for two years, and then became secretary to the executive in charge of Rural Electrification in Adams, Pike, Scott, Greene and Calhoun Counties in Illinois. Sub- sequently, she was secretary to the purchasing agent of the Warner Aircraft Corporation in Detroit, Michigan. In the World War II pe- riod, she was secretary to the special assign- ments engineer in the general manager's de- partment at the Midland Ordnance Depot at Illiopolis, Illinois. Also, Mrs. Alderman served as adjutant and secretary to the commander of the Illinois Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.
Following World War II, Mrs. Alderman became assistant editor of the Illinois Inspec- tor, a trade publication. From this post she went to the Illinois Association of Real Estate Boards in Springfield. She began as secretary to C. J. Kellum, who was then executive vice president of the state real estate organization. When Mr. Kellum resigned this office on June 30, 1949, the board of directors asked Mrs. Alderman to remain as secretary of the organ- ization, a top executive office. The organization has 2,355 members and is the coordinating agency for 46 local real estate boards of the state. In addition, it coordinates the work of the local boards with the National Associa- tion of Real Estate Boards. Its main office is in Springfield, Illinois. Mrs. Alderman has had a hand in shaping legislative and mem- bership programs of the organization, and in extending its prestige and influence. She is a member of the Creative Arts, Springfield Branch, American Association of University Women and is an art enthusiast. She has won a high place in the community and state through her activities.
EDWARD XAVIER LINK, M.D.
For nearly three decades Dr. Edward Xavier Link of Mattoon has contributed to the maintenance of the health of the Central States. He is not only one of the partners operating the famed Link Clinic in Mattoon but he is also Health Commissioner of the City of Mattoon and an official in varous other agencies devoted to the public health.
Dr. Link was born in Litchfield on Febru- ary 1, 18 89, the oldest of the seven children of Adam and Ellen (Lynch) Link. Born in Carlinville, Adam Link was the son of Joseph
J. and Katherine Link who came to Illinois form Heidelberg, Germany. Adam Link be- gan his career as a farmer but was later a boilermaker for the New York Central Rail- road at Mattoon. He died in 1941 at the age of 81. Born in Irving. Ellen Link was the daughter of Martin and Honara Lynch, who came to Illinois from County Clare, Ireland. Ellen Link died in 1938 at the age of 83.
After attending the elementary and high schools of Mattoon, the future Dr. Link served as machinist apprentice for four years in the NYC shops in Mattoon. In 1910 he went to the National University of Arts and Sciences, St. Louis, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine in June, 1916. He was licensed in Missouri that month and in Illinois in 1940. From July 1, 1916, to July 1, 1917, Dr. Link served as interne and house physician at St. Anthony's Hospital, St. Louis. In April, 1917, he was commissioned a First Lieutenant in the United States Army Medical Corps and wound up as camp surgeon, with the rank of Captain, at Camp Orono, Maine. Honorably discharged on December 28, 1918, Dr. Lirk returned to St. Louis, where until December, 1921, he served as receiving physician at St. Louis City Hospital. Then he joined his uncle, Dr. J. J. Link, a prominent surgeon, in private practice. Both were on the staffs of St. An- thony's Hospital, Lutheran Hospital, Jose- phine Heitkamp Hospital, St. Louis City Hos- pital and St. Louis Isolation Hospital. In 1926 Dr. Link was appointed assistant epidemi- ologist on the St. Louis Board of Health. He resigned in June, 1940, to move to Mattoon, where he was in general practice until 1947. At that time he formed a partnership with his brother, Dr. J. J. Link, and with Dr. E. N. Zinchlag, and the Link Clinic was esablish- ed. The clinic building at 213 South 17th Street was purchased and remodeled. Since then each year the partners have added a new specialist, with plans to add up to twenty members, including all specialists. X-ray lab- oratory and complete laboratory service are already available.
On May 1, 1938, Dr. Link married Ruth Fisher at St. Louis. Mrs. Link, a daughter of James and Emma Fisher, is active in the American Legion and Elks Auxiliaries. Their home is in the Manor Apartments, Mattoon, and they worship in Immaculate Conception Church of Mattoon.
Aside form serving as Mattoon's Health Commissioner, Dr. Link is chief examiner of the Coles County West Side Draft Board. He
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EDWARD XAVIER LINK, M.D.
is also medical director of the State Veneral Disease Clinic and of the Coles County Polio Chapter, medical advisor to the Community Health Council and vice-president of the Mat- toon Methodist Hospital staff. His organiza- tions include Coles-Cumberland Medical Soc- iety. Illinois Valley Medical Association, Aes- culpean Medical Association, St. Louis Medi- cal Society, American Public Health Associa- tion, St. Louis .Medical Society, American Public Health Association, Illinois Public Health Association, American Legion, 40 and 8 Society, Te Deum Society, Kiwanis Club, Elks, Knights of Columbus (4th degree) and Mattoon Association of Commerce. Say some of the associates of this slender white-haired medical leader: "Pleasant . . . courteous . . . kind and generous. Sympathetic and gentle. Truly a meat citizen!"
HUGH T. WRIGHT
When you want to go somewhere in Mur- physboro and do not have a car of your own, you usually go by a vehicle operated by Hugh T. Wright. For Mr. Wright is the owner of the Yellow Cab Service Company and the Murphysboro Bus Company, Inc., operating cabs and busses throughout the Jackson County seat, with its population of nearly nine thousand. Mr. Wright is a noted figure among Illinois' taxicab owners and a leader in Murphysboro's civic affairs.
He was born in Murphysboro on June 8, 1900, the son of James H. and Anna (Dallas) Wright. Both parents were also natives of Illinois. The father, a prominent Democrat, was superintendent of the City Street Depart- ment. Hugh Wright has a brother, Freeman D. Wright, vice president of the Murphys- boro Bus Company, and a sister, Mrs. Edith Blocklock. Hugh Wright attended grade school in Murphysboro and then went to work.
His first job was in the cutting room of a shoe factory in his native city, where he worked from 1918 to 1921. From 1921 to 1925, he was employed by the Railway Ex- press Agency and then, until 1929, he was traveling field auditor for the Diamond Oil Company, now the Mid-Continent Oil Com- pany, with headquarters in Louisville, Ken- tucky. For a year after leaving the oil con- cern he remained in Louisville, selling insur- ance for the Western Life Insurance Com- pany. He then returned to Murphysboro, where until 1933 he operated a service station for the Shell Oil Company. In 1936, he bought the Yellow Cab Service Company of Murphysboro from the estate of his brother, James H. Wright, Jr., who died in Murphysboro on
March 29, 1936. It was then operating four cabs, but Mr. Wright so developed the busi- ness that today his fleet consists of six cabs. In 1936, he organized the Murphysboro Bus Company, Inc., of which he has since been president, treasurer and general manager. This concern operates four buses within the city limits of Murphysboro. Altogether, Mr. Wright employs twenty-three persons.
On June 9, 1928, in Murphysboro, Mr. Wright married Ina May Sauerhage, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Sauerhage of that city. They have two sons — James H. Wright, who was born on January 29, 1935, and Hugh T. Wright, Jr., better known as "Tom," who was born on September 24, 1939. In 1950 both sons were attending the public schools of Murphysboro, their birthplace. The family church is the First Methodist of Mur- physboro.
Mr. Wright, a member of the Illinois Asso- ciation of Taxi Cab Owners since 1937, was elected president of that organization in 1948. He is also active in the American Taxi Asso- ciation. In 1945, he served as president of the Lions Club of Murphysboro, and he has taken leading roles in the fund drives of the American Red Cross and the Community Chest and in the War Bond campaigns. He is also a member of Boys' Town, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Benevolent and Protec- tive Order of Elks and such Masonic Bodies as the Blue Lodge; Ainad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at East St. Louis, and the Carbondale Com- mandery, Knights Templar. He is a former member of the Jackson Country Club, where he played golf. He is a popular figure in the community.
CHESTER EVERT WALKER
The man who has made the Peoria Cas- ket Company of Peoria a leader throughout the undertaking and casket industries of the Middle West is Chester Evert Walker, president of the concern. In the casket-making field since 1910, he is the second generation of his family in this business. He is prominent in Peoria's civic life and is a veteran of World War I.
Mr. Walker was born on March 6, 1892, at Erie, Pennsylvania, the son of Thomas W. and Echo E. (Ewing) Walker. Both parents were also natives of Erie. The father was in the casket business at both Erie and Peoria. He died in 1926, and is survived by the mother. Chester Walker was educated in Erie's ele- mentary and high schools. In 1910 he began working with his father in the casket business
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at Erie. In 1912, he and his father learned of a defunct casket company in Peoria and Ches- ter Walker was sent to that community to revive and reorganize it. This became the Peoria Casket Company. Chester Walker was forced to leave the business temporarily when the United States entered World War I. From early 1918 until June 15, 1919, he was with Company B, 32nd Battalion, United States Army Tank Corps. He was overseas with this outfit for a long period and rose to the non- commissioned rank of sergeant. After his dis- charge he returned to the Peoria Casket Com- pany. Since then (1919) he has been its presi- dent and guiding spirit. The company, located at 408 North Jefferson Avenue, Peoria, not only manufactures caskets but also under- takers' supplies. The entire Middle West is its trading territory and it employs forty-five persons.
In 1914 Mr. Walker married Jane R. Row- land of Chicago and on January 28, 1916, a son, Chester Evert Walker, Jr., was born to them. Mrs. Jane Walker died on March 10, 1922. On October 14, 1924, Mr. Walker mar- ried Vivian Cochran of Wyoming, Illinois. Two sons have been born to this marriage — Wal- lace Niel Walker on May 22, 1928, and Jos- seph S. Walker on November 13, 1941. Mr. Walker has two grandchildren, Cheryl Ann Walker and Curtis Niel Walker. The fam- ily resides at 830 Moss Avenue, Peoria, and worships in the First Methodist Church of Peoria.
Mr. Walker is a member of the Peoria Asso- ciation of Commerce, the Casket Manufactur- ers Association, the Masonic Order and the Creve Coeur Club. Flying is his hobby, and he is the holder of a private flying license and the owner of a private plane. His leadership has helped stimulate industrial growth in the North Central States.
ERNIE L. GARRISON
A frequent and familiar spectacle on the highways of the Middle West is one of the numerous vans of the Melvin Trucking Com- pany of Peoria — enroute with goods moving in the great flow of commerce of the region. The head of this common carrier is Ernie L. Garrison, a Peorian with extensive experience in this field since he left his native farm back in 1918, when he was less than eighteen years old. Mr. Garrison has held offices of vast leadership in the organizations of his trade and he is also an influential figure in Peoria's civic life. Another world in which he is well
known is the harness horse racing, for har- ness horses are his hobby.
Mr. Garrison was born at Wayne City, Wayne County, on October 21, 1900, the son of James S. and Alzetta (Saxton) Garrison. His father, a farmer, died in 1932. His mother died in 1936. Both were also natives of Wayne City. Ernie Garrison was educated in a prim- ary school at Wayne City. He worked as a farmer with his father until he was sixteen and for two more years on a farm at Loda, in Iroquois County. In 1918 he moved to Peoria and entered the employ of the Avery Farm Implement Company. Two years later he established a trucking business of his own in that city, and this enterprise he operated for six years, or until 1926. In that year he became as- sociated with the Peoria Cartage Company, of which he was a director for two years. From 1928 to 1936 he was in charge of this concern's shop and equipment and from 1936 he was its secretary and treasurer and manager. In 1943, he sold out his interest in this concern and bought an interest in the Melvin Truck- ing Company. Later that same year he ac- quired control of the company and since then has been its president. The company does a general trucking business as a common car- rier, employing 290 persons. It maintains branches at Chicago, Streator, Lincoln, Spring- field, St. Louis and Fort Madison, Iowa. He is secretary and treasurer of Transport De- velopment Co. and also a partner in Garrison and Associates.
On April 12, 1921, Mr. Garrison married Ruth M. Rowe of Matherville, Mercer County, the daughter of Joseph Rowe, a coal miner in that community, and Adelaide (Worley) Rowe, a native of Coal Valley, Rock Island County, who died in 1935. Mr. and Mrs. Gar- rison became the parents of three children. Their first son was Leroy Dale Garrison, who was born on December 30, 1922, and who married Edith Stanley of Peoria. He was the father of two children, Larry Leroy Garrison, born in 1945, and Jeannette Lea Garrison, born in 1942. He was in the service in World War II and was with the 32nd Airborne Divi- sion at Guam when he was killed on April 12, 1945. There are two other children of Mr. and Mrs. Garrison — Eugene Kenneth Garrison, born on August 28, 1924, who married Edith Stanley Garrison, and became the father of Terry Eugene Garrison, born in 1947; and Ernest Melvin Garrison, born on September 28, 1926, who married Mary Friedinger and is the father of Allen Ross Garrison, also born in 1947. Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Garrison
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ERNIE L. GARRISON AND RICHARD DANIELS OF THE MELVIN TRUCKING COMPANY
reside at 82 Southgate Road, Peoria. Mr. Gar- rison's office is at 1818 South Washington Street, Peoria.
In his business activities Mr. Garrison is a former president and director of the Central Motor Freight Association; a member of the Advertising and Selling Club of Peoria, the Peoria Association of Commerce, the Peoria Transportation Club and active in committee work in the American Trucking Association, headquartered at Washington, I). C. In his avocational life he is president of the Illinois Colt Association. He is a popular citizen of Peoria.
HON. VIRGIL HARVEY CENTER
Benton, the seat of Franklin County, has long known and profited under the leadership of the Honorable Virgil Harvey Center. Now Mayor of the community, he has participated in all major civic programs for years and is a business as well as political leader. A spe- cialist in piece goods, he is known as The Fabric King. His place of business is Virgil Center, The Fabric King. At one time Mr. Center owned a small chain of stores. He now gives more time to public affairs, such as building Benton and aiding the growth of Southern Illinois and the so-called Greater Egypt region, than he does to business.
Mayor Center was born in Pulaski County, near the village of Pulaski, on February 4, 1888, the son of George Halleck and Mary Josephine (Eubanks) Center. His father, a native of Ohio, was a coal miner, the son of Jackson Center, also of Ohio. The mother was born in Franklin County, Illinois. The fourth of eleven children, Mayor Center completed elementary school and one year of high school at DuQuoin. His first job was in a coal mine near his birthplace. Over a twelve-months' period in 1906-1907, he worked for a clothing firm at DuQuoin, handling the duties of both clerk and janitor. Afterward he was in the employ of the Pope Dry Goods Company of DuQuoin. In 1911, Mr. Pope made him man- ager of a Pope store at Benton. In the follow- ing year he resigned from the Pope organiza- tion to become associated with the Nolen Mer- cantile Company of Benton as buyer of piece goods and kindred merchandise. He remained with the Nolen organization until 1915, when he opened his first business in Benton. This was known as the Center Dry Goods Com- pany, Inc., and he was its president and general manager. He has since specialized in piece goods and earned his title of The Fabric
King. In 1926, having dissolved the original corporation, he organized the Virgil Center Stores, a sole ownership, and by 1930 had six stores. One by one he sold these out, so that none were left in his possession by 1944. He then established Virgil Center, The Fabric King, in Benton, and his specialization in piece goods has continued to make him suc- cessful as a business man.
Mayor Center was still working for Nolen 's when, on October 19, 1914, he married Lura Marie Casey, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ephraim Casey of Ewing. The wedding took place in Benton. One daughter, Laura Joseph- ine, now Mrs. Robert L. Strauss, was born to the marriage.
Active in all phases of civic life for years, Mr. Center was elected Mayor of Benton in 1947 and continues to hold this high office. He is also president of the Greater Egypt Association (for the year 1949-1950) and has served on its board of directors for several years. He is a charter member of the Rotary Club of Benton, an organization which held its first meeting in his store. He was presi- dent of the Benton Chamber of Commerce in 1944 and has been on its directorate for years. Other of his organizations include the Masonic fraternity; he belongs to both the Blue Lodge in Benton and the Benton Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons. Another field in which Mayor Center is a leader is the Chris- tian Science Church of Benton. He was its first reader — 1932 to 1934 — and has served on its board several times. Though a Republi- can, Mayor Center introduced President Harry Truman when the latter visited Benton in 1948. Fishing is Mayor Center's favorite re- creation. His five feet six and 170 pounds makes him a familiar figure in the region, and there is barely a corner of the entire territory in which he is not a popular figure.
HARRY JOSEPH MACKEY
As president of the Decatur Brass Works, Decatur, Harry Joseph Mackey has achieved a position of prominence in the industrial world and a reputation for the contribution he has made to the general economic advance- ment of Central Illinois.
Mr. Mackey was born in Syracuse, New York, the son of John J. and Johanna (Mautz) Mackey. His father was a native of Ireland. Mr. Mackey went through the eight elementary grades and three years of high school, and then spent a year at business college. At the outset of his career, he entered the employ of the Chicago, Burlington and
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Quincy Railroad at Chicago and his three years with that line were in the office of sup- erintendent of transportation. For another four years he was with the Illinois Central Railroad, as auditor. He then spent seven years with the Liquid Carbonic Company, also at Chicago, becoming manager of the Federal Brass Works, the wholesale branch of the company, and later of the bottlers' machinery department. He has been with the Decatur Brass Works in Decatur for thirty- three years (as of 1950). Hi his first five years he was vice president. Since 1922 he has been president.
On May 3, 1906, Mr. Mackey married Hazel E. Watson in Chicago. She is the daughter of Robert Sleight and Emma Watson. A son and daughter have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Mackey — Floyd Harris Mackey, a gradu- ate of the University of Illinois, married Dorothea Daniels also a graduate of that same institution, and is the father of Gloria C. Mackey. Lois Constance Mackey, a gradu- ate of Northwestern University, is now the wife of Jack C. Flora, who graduated from the University of Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Harry J. Mackey make their home at 1527 West Macon Street, Decatur, and worship in the First Presbyterian Church of that city.
Mr. Mackey is a member of the Decatur Association of Commerce; the Decatur Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Decatur Chapter, No. 21, Royal Arch Masons; the Country Club of Decatur and the Decatur Club. His recreational interests include fish- ing, golf, hunting and travel. A man of great business and executive ability, Mr. Mackey has given leadership to an enterprise which has aided in the growth and prosperity of Central Illinois.
ROBERT GORDON COURTNEY
Son of a man who pioneered in the mov- ing and storage business in Southern Illinois, Robert Gordon Courtney of Marion is him- self one of the leading figures in this industry not only in Illinois but in a good deal of the rest of the nation. He owns and operates the Courtney Moving and Storage Company of Marion. A former grade school principal, he is considerably interested in education and is active in promoting better schooling and in civic affairs in general.
Mr. Courtney was born at Marion on April 22, 1912. His father, William Thomas Court- ney, son of Thomas Courtney, farmer and native of Tennessee, was one of Williamson County's foremost citizens. He not only
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founded the Courtney Moving and Storage Company, in 1919, but served on the board of directors of the Williamson County Fair Association, helping to stage the Fair in Ma- rion, and was a leader in the Lions Club. He owned harness race horses. The mother of Robert G. Courtney was Annetta Mae (Cocke) Courtney, also a native of Williamson Coun- ty.
Mr. Courtney began his education in the elementary schools of Marion. He was grad- uated from high school in 1932 and in 1938 took the degree of Bachelor of Education at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Active in athletic affairs at the university as he had been in high school, he was busi- ness manager of the athletic association. Also, he was an occasional physical education in- structor. He was elected to Chi Delta Chi and Kappa Phi Kappa Fraternities. Upon leaving the university, Mr. Courtney went to work as a clerk in his father's moving and storage business. Then, in 1939, he accepted the office of principal of the Jefferson grade school in Marion. This post he held until 1946. He then returned to the Courtney Mov- ing and Storage Company. In 1948 he bought the business, and he has since specialized in household goods and the moving of heavy ma- chinery equipment. The possessor of inter- state rights, Mr. Courtney operates in twenty- eight states and maintains a branch in Mount Vernon. The firm is not only a pioneer in the transfer business as a whole, but also in some of its outstanding features. His father designed, built and owned the first enclosed furniture van in Southern Illinois, for exam- ple.
On August 15, 1938, Mr. Courtney married Vivian V. Buford, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Buford of Bluford, in Jefferson County. Mrs. Courtney, also college-educated, is a member of Delta Sigma Epsilon Sorority and of the Woman's Club of Marion. She is well known in civic and welfare activities. Both she and Mr. Courtney are interested in harness horses, and Mr. Courtney owns such . a horse. Mr. Courtney is a member of the National Education Association, the Illinois Education Association; the Lions Club of Marion, of which he was president in 1947; Southern Illinois, Inc., the Williamson County Sportsman's Club and the Marion Boat and Yacht Club. Fishing and hunting are among his favorite sports. He is active in Red Cross work in Marion and otherwise participates in movements aimed at the general commu- nity welfare.
LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
ROBERT GORDON COURTNEY
UHMLkmiY OF hi i
HAROLD W. REED, A.B., M.S., Th.D.
HAROLD W. REED, A.B., M.S., Th.D.
As Dr. Harold W. Reed puts it himself, Olivet Nazarene College at Kankakee, of which he is president, "is a college with a purpose. The deep and ever-abiding motive of Olivet is the development of Christian character." As president of this institution, which in 1959 will celebrate a half century of service to youth, the Nazarene Church and the nation. Dr. Reed has dedicated himself, with effectiveness, to the "purpose and mo- tive." In the process he has justly earned a reputation in the religious and secular world as an educator and builder of youth.
Dr. Reed was born in Dundy County, Ne- braska, the son of Edwin W. and Cleo P. (Randall) Reed. His father, a native of South Bend, Indiana, became a large scale rancher in Nebraska. The mother was born in Illi- nois. Dr. Reed is the oldest of three children, the others being Edwin P., George J. and John Wesley Reed. He went through grade school and one year of high school in his na- tive state, then spent three years at the Colo- rado Springs Bible Training Academy in Col- orado. He earned his Bachelor of Arts de- gree at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, his Master of Science degree at Colorado State College, Fort Collins, and his Doctor of Theology degree at the University of South- ern California in Los Angeles.
"Not only well trained, Dr. Reed has had a wealth and variety of experience which ad- mirably fits him for his task as president of Olivet Nazarene College," says a state- ment issued by the college. Ordained to the ministry in the Nazarene Church in August, 1935, Dr. Reed has been a successful pas- tor, having served churches at Loveland, Col- orado; Junction City and Newton, Kansas, and Huntington, Indiana. He has been pro- fessor of sociology at Pasadena College, Pasa- dena, California; dean of religion and vice- president at Bethany-Peniel College, Bethany, Oklahoma, and president of Bresee College at Hutchinson, Kansas. Dr. Reed was a mem- ber of the important editing committee which prepared the 1948 Nazarene Manual. He is a member of the educational committtee ap- pointed at the 1949 General Assembly of the Nazarene Church to define the educational philosophy of the church. Ha is a member of Phi Delta Lambda and three other national honor societies.
Founded in 1909, Olivet Nazarene College had an enrollment of 1277 in 1950. Recently completed is a women's dormitory, costing
$350,000. It will house 225 girls. Plans were under way soon after this dormitory was completed to spend $30,000 to install new furniture and otherwise equip the building. Another recent addition to the college was a heating plant costing $105,000. Among those functioning at the college under Dr. Reed is Carl S. McLean, professor of English since 1923 and dean since 1929.
Dr. Reed married Maybelle E. Ripper in Colorado on June 19, 1933. Mrs. Reed, who was born at Armel, Colorado on October 6, 1911, and educated in her native state, is active in the various college programs. She and Dr. Reed are the parents of Holdor Wil- liam Reed, who was born on November 19, 1936.
For the record he has made at Olivet Naz- arene College in expanding the size of the student body, in adding to the physical plant and improving housing conditions, in elevating the teaching standards and perpetuating Christian character, Dr. Reed has become a figure of renown in the Nazarene Church and in the world at large.
BRUNO WILLIAM KOENEMAN
It is perhaps as insurance man that Bruno William Koeneman of Chester is best known, though his reputation in the real estate and financial field is far from limited. As an insurance man, he is general agent for the Illinois Bankers Life Assurance Company of Monmouth, with branches in five Southern Illinois communities. His headquarters are in the Royal Hotel at Chester, which he owns. He is also president of the Chester Coach Lines, Inc., and of the Continental Home Construction, Inc., and owner of citrus groves in Texas.
One of the best known natives of Southern Illinois, Mr. Koeneman was born on a farm in Welge, Randolph County, on December 5, 1908, the second of the seven children of Ed- ward J. Koeneman, farmer and building con- tractor of Steeleville, and Martha (Bram- mer) Koeneman. Bruno Koeneman was edu- cated in Randolph County, completing his schooling at the high school in Steeleville. In 1926, he went to work for the Interna- tional Shoe Company at Steeleville and by 1937 was assistant foreman of the plant. Sometime before this he had begun working in the insurance business, finding "leads" for other insurance agents. Also, he had made an affiliation with the Abraham Lincoln Life Insurance Company. This was merged with
ILLINOIS EDITION
.,. .)
the Illinois Bankers Life Assurance Company. When he left the shoe company in 1937, Mr. Koeneman began giving full time to insurance and has been in this field ever since, except for three months when he was too ill to work. At first Mr. Koeneman maintained offices in Steeleville, but in 1948 moved to Chester. He opened an officie in Marion in 1941, Belle- ville in 1945, McLeansboro in 1946. He. also continues the Steeleville office. He entered the real esate business in 1938 and the fi- nanc business somewhat later. He now serv- ices more than a million dollars in loans. As hotel, coach lines and home construction company operator, he is further serving Southern Illinois. His citrus land in Texas consists of forty-two acres. Mr. Koeneman is one of the highly honored members of the Illinois Bankers Life organization. On December 5, 1947, his friends and officials of the company gave him a birthday party at Chester in recognition of his high standing in the field, and he is a former vice-president of the company's Leader Club. Also, he ber longs to its App-A-Week Club, having writ- ten at least one life insurance policy a week for fifteen years. Both he and his wife have also for years qualified to attend company conventions.
Mrs. Koeneman, who has assisted Mr. Koe- neman in his business, is the former Margue- rite Finley, daughter of William and Mary E. Finley of Belleville. They were married on April 16, 1930, and have three children — - Billy Edward, born on April 6, 1931; Don Paul, born on March 24, 1934, and Kay, born on March 18, 1937. The Koenemans have a beautiful home in Chester. They at- tend the Methodist Church, and Mr. Koene- man is president of the church's official board.
Mr. Koeneman is active in many organiza- tions and is past master of the Masonic Lodge at Steeleville and past patron of the Steele- ville Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star. His other organizations include the Steeleville and Chester Chambers of Commerce, the Amer- ican Hotel Assosiation, the National Associa- tion of Life Underwriters, the National Asso- ciation of Insurance Agents, Ainad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the Mississippi Valley Consistory, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. He is a charter member of Elks Club and Optimist Club of Chester, and the Lions Club of Steele- ville, of which he is also a past secretary. Bird hunting, horseback riding, fishing and tennis are his favorite sports. He is one
of the most popular figures in Southern Illi- nois and is counted among those doing their utmost for the development of that region.
STEVE L. BENNIS
In Lincoln and Logan County in general people look to Steve L. Bennis for leader- ship whenever a problem arises. For Mr. Bennis has proved through the years that he can guide his fellow citizen to the solution of such problems as financial stabilization, unemployment, business development and gen- eral civic and cultural improvement. He is always the one to redeem lost causes. Mr. Bennis is credited with restoring normal bank- ing operations to Lincoln, and thus accelerat- ing the business and agricultural growth of the city and surrounding territory, and with opening a new mine, thus giving employment to many. He is the owner of the Deer Creek Mine, outside Lincoln, and of three theaters in the city, among them the big Lincoln The- ater.
Mr. Bennis was born in Sanga, Greece, on May 22, 1882. He came to the United States at the age of seventeen, still a young boy, first settling in Chicago, where he attended grade school. After Chicago he lived in Jack- son, Michigan, where he worked in a confec- tionery store after school hours. He then went to St. Louis, Missouri, where for a time he was employed at the World's Fair. This was in 1904. After a short time, Mr. Bennis purchased the candy concession at the fair and remained until the fair closed. Later in 1904 he established himself in Lincoln. Here he also opened a confectionery store. In 1909, he founded a "nickelodeon," exhibiting the the somewhat primitive motion pictures of the time for a "nickel." This was the start of what has proved to be an illustrious career as a film exhibitor. In 1911 Mr. Bennis also opened an open air movie business. This was, of course, an outdoor project, and after two years Mr. Bennis was forced to close it down because of so much bad weather. In 1915 he installed free motion pictures in the confectionery store, which he had kept going all through his early film-exhibiting days. This business — candy and free pictures and all — he later sold to his brother.
In 1922, Mr. Bennis "sold" the people of Lincoln on his plan to open a new and mod- ern motion picture house. To help him es- tablish it the citizens purchased a bond issue he floated. This first modern theater in the city was named the Lincoln Theater. And Mr. Bennis, who has paid back all the money
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STEVE L. BENMS
invested in the bonds, remains its owner. He has since purchased two other motion picture houses in the community. The year 1933, when the depression hit one of its worst stretches, found Mr. Bennis ready again to give leadership. He was made president of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce then and, because the local bank had closed, he ar- ranged for the chamber to issue script money to the local business men so that business could continue. While this temporary expe- dient was resorted to, Mr. Bennis thought of a better and more permanent solution to the money problem. He therefore led in the movement that succeeded in raising the nec- essary capital, more than one million dollars, to open another bank in Lincoln. This was all done on Mr. Bennis' part in true civic spirit without a self-profit motive. When the bank — called the Bank of Lincoln — was opened, Mr. Bennis even refused any office in it or a membership on the board of direc- tors. He was merely happy the city had a bank. In 1936 he started the Deer Creek Mine., which produced 40 to 50 tons a day. Now, under his leadership, the mine has de- veloped to a production point of 400 tons a day. The mine, which is 100 per cent mechan- ical, employs 68 miners. By 1950 Mr. Bennis had retired 13 miners on an income of $100 a month each.
On June 5, 1907, in Lincoln, Mr. Bennis married Anna P. Eckert. They had six chil- dren, one, Stephen, having died. The five children are Leo, Joseph, Charles, William and Mary Bennis. The family, which is Cath- olic, worships in St. Mary's Church, Lincoln.
Mr. Bennis is himself somewhat retired these days, but he is still "always doing some- thing," as his fellow townsmen say. Civic af- fairs and work in general are his hobbies, and, besides, he feels it is his duty to help his city grow. Besides the Chamber of Com- merce, he is a member of the Knights of Co- lumbus, the Red Men and the Elks. He is one of the beloved citizens of Logan County — a man long to be remembered and hon- ored there.
NEWTON CAMP FARR
Though he began his career as a civil engi- neer, Newton Camp Farr has made his name in other fields of endeavor, chiefly real es- tate. As a real estate man he has a national reputation. He is also well known in the edu- cational world, in welfare work and in gen- eral civic programs. He is a former senior partner in the real estate firm of Farr and
Company, founded by his father in 1872, but is now retired. He is a veteran of World War I who was active in home front projects in World War II.
Member of a family which made early American history, Newton Camp Farr was born in Chicago on December 25, 1887, the son of Marvin Andrus and Charlotte (Camp) Farr. His father was one of the men who helped rebuild Chicago after the great fire. Newton Farr obtained his preparatory educa- tion in the Harvard School in Chicago and the Lawrenceville School for Boys in New Jersey. In 1909, he won the degree of Civil Engineer at Cornell University. From 1909 to 1912 he was with the Raymond Concrete Pile Company, Chicago. In 1912 he joined his father's real estate firm, then already forty years old, and climbed steadily in im- portance until he achieved senior partnership status.
His interests in other fields are numerous and variegated. He was president of the Chi- cago Railways Company, vice-president of the Sovereign Hotel, chairman of the board of directors of the Flamingo Hotel, and vice- president and treasurer of the Fairfax Ho- tel. He is a director of the Columbus, Vene- tian, Stevens Building, Inc., the Chicago Title and Trust Company, and a trustee of the Edith Rockefeller McCormick Trust. In World War I he held the rank of Second Lieutenant in the United States Army and for a time served as assistant resident engineer at Win- chester, England. He was in the armed forces from 1917 to 1919. Among his activities in World War II was his service as chairman for the State of Illinois in the United Service Organizations (U.S.O.). He is a trustee of the Illinois Institute of Technology, the Faulk- ner School, Lincoln Memorial University, Ur- ban Land Institute, Kenwood Church and the Chicago Sunday Evening Club. In 1930 he was president of the Chicago Real Estate Board; in 1938 and 1939 he was vice-presi- dent and in 1940 president of the National Association of Real Estate Boards; in 1936, he was president of the Illinois Chapter, American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers; in 1932 he was president of the Chicago Bet- ter Business Bureau and in 1938-39 president of the Chicago Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation. He was president of the Civic Fed- eration of Chicago, 1941-44, and president of the Urban Land Institute, 1943-47. He is also a member of the Cornell Alumni Associa- tion, Delta Phi Fraternity, the Cornell Club of New York City, and the Chicago Univer-
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sity, Tavern, Commercial and Indian Hill Country Clubs of Chicago. In 1939, he served as Governor of the Society of Colonial Wars. Lincoln Memorial University conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Law on him in recognition of his service to that institu- tion. He is a contributor of articles to jour- nals in the real estate world. Mr. Farr's office is at 111 West Washington Street, Chicago, his home at 4737 Woodlawn Ave- nue. The record makes evident that he has been giving his native city and the nation extraordinary service for more than four decades.
JAY BORRIES CASE
In the pharmaceutical world an outstanding firm is Sutliff and Case Company, Inc., ox Peoria. This is not only a manufacturing house, which does a wholesale and surgical supply business, but is also a company oper- ating eight retail drug stores in Peoria. Of this great concern Jay Borries Case is presi- dent. His reputation in the field is nationwide.
Jay Borries Case was born in Peoria on June 25, 1906, the son of George Willard and Irma (Borries) Case. His father, a native of Peoria, Illinois, is chairman of the board of directors of Sutliff and Case; he is the son of Ansley Jay Case, who in 1883 established the business and who died in 1924. Mrs. Emma Case, a native of Peoria, died in 1916. Jay B. Case first attended the grade and high schools of Peoria. For two years he was a student at the University of Illinois, Ur- bana, and for another two years at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. In 1930, he was graduated from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, with the degree of Graduate in Pharmacy.
In 1931 Mr. Case started with his father's and grandfather's company as purchasing agent, but from time to time thereafter he transferred from one department to the other, the plan being that he learn the business thoroughly. By 1938, when he was ready for the presidency, he was elected to that office. Sutliff and Case employs 275 persons. Its manufacturing, wholesale and other opera- tions— except, of course, for the eight Peoria retail drug stores — covers the entire Middle West. The pharmaceuticals it manufactures are both for human and animal therapy and the concern is equally well known to physi- cians and veterinarians. The Case name has kept pace with the reputation of the com- pany.
Jay B. Case married Charlotte Nelson of Peoria on October 6, 1942. They have an
adopted child, Robert Nelson Case, who was born on July 13, 1934. Mrs. Case is the daugh- ter of Sam L. Nelson, a native of Indiana. He was associated with a street railway com- pany in that state, and died in 1924. The Cases live at 103 Holly Ridge Circle, Peoria. Mr. Case's offices are at 201 Spring Street, Peoria.
Mr. Case is a member of the Peoria Asso- ciation of Commerce, the Illinois State Cham- ber of Commerce, the American Surgical Trade Association, the American Pharma- ceutical Manufacturers Association, the Alum- ni Association of Culver Military Academy (which he attended from 1922 to 1924), the Masonic order, the Peoria Country Club, the Creve Coeur Club and Alpha Delta Phi Frat- ernity. Hunting and golf are his favorite sports. The third generation in the pharma- ceutical business, Mr. Case is giving leader- ship to this field and thereby contributing to the promotion of standards in the medico- veterinary world and to the health of the nation.
RALPH EUGENE WILTON
A statewide reputation as mortician and civic leader is the possession of Ralph Eugene Wilton of Peoria. In the mortuary busi- ness since he was fifteen years old, Mr. Wil- ton is now vice-president of the Wilton Mor- tuary of Peoria, an institution in which he is associated with his father. He is a former head of the Illinois Funeral Directors Asso- ciation and is a leading figure in community enterprises in Peoria County.
Mr. Wilton was born on January 10, 1911, at Peoria. His father, Richard S. Wilton, a native of Bushville, Ontario, Canada, has been in the mortuary business since 1890 and is a renowned practitioner in this field. The mother, who was the former Sarah E. Milli- son, born, like her son, in Peoria, died in 1948. Ralph E. Wilton obtained his early education in the elementary and high schools of Peo- ria and in 1932 was graduated from the Cin- cinnati College of Embalming. He had gone into the business in 1926, when his father was operating in a partnership with his uncle. In 1927, Richard and Ralph Wilton bought out the uncle and since then the Wilton Mor- tuary has been under their sole ownership. When the business was incorporated Ralph Wilton became vice-president.
On April 5, 1936, Ralph Wilton married Lillian Schad of Mansfield, Ohio, the daugh- ter of Adam E. and Elizabeth (Kittleberger) Schad. Both Mrs. Wilton's parents were born
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in Austria. Her father is a carpenter. Mr. and Mrs. Wilton have four children — Richard S. Wilton, who was born on December 20, 1938, Robert C. Wilton, who was born on April 2.'!, 1948, and twins, Lynn Elizabeth and Ralph Eugene, who were born on Octo- ber 17, 1950. The family lives at 729 Ayres Avenue, Peoria, and worships in the Presby- terian Church. Mr. Wilton's business address is 1212 South Adams Avenue, Peoria.
Mr. Wilton's mortuary, employing four- teen persons, covers Peoria and Tazewell Counties, and Mr. Wilton is well known in both these counties. A former president of the Illinois Funeral Directors Association, he is now a member of its board of directors. He is also a member of the Peoria Associa- tion of Commerce and of the Girls' All-Amer- ican Baseball Club, a character-building pro- gram, and is secretary of the West Peoria Fire Protection District. He is a member of the Peoria Advertising and Selling Club, the Transportation Club of Peoria, the Peoria Lodge No. 20, Benevolent and Protective Or-- der of Elks, the Bradley Boosters Club and the Creve Coeur Club. He is very active in Masonry, being a member of the Peoria Lodge, No. 15, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Peoria Chapter No. 7, Royal Arch Masons, Mohammed Temple, A. A. O.N. M.S., Peoria, a Sir Knight in Peoria Commandery No. 3, and one of the electing orders of St. Helena Con- clave No. 3, Royal Order of Jesters of Peoria. Bowling, boating and baseball are his favorite recreations. His leadership has helped to ele- vate standards in many fields, including the mortuary.
DOMINICK SHALLA
A successful and well known Illinoisan, Dominick Shalla is the founder and presi- dent of The Continental Fireworks Manu- facturing and Display Company, Inc., of Jacksonville, seat of Morgan County. Through his company Mr. Shalla has contributed to the success of numerous public events and celebrations and to the pleasure of hundreds of thousands of persons. A veteran of World War I, he is active in programs conducted by or in behalf of ex-service men and is also a participant in other civic enterprises.
Mr. Shalla was born on June 13, 1895, at Marcianise, twelve miles from Naples, Italy, one of the six children of Pasquale and Ma- ria (Sciarra) Shalla. The father, likewise a native of Italy, was also in the fireworks business most of his life. His entire family, including Dominick, were associated with him
in that business. Educated in grade school in Italy, Dominick Shalla came to the United States in 1913, establishing himself for a time in Pennsylvania, where for two years he worked in a coal mine. When the United States entered World War I, Mr. Shalla joined the United States Army and was sent over- seas, where he saw action on several fronts. After the war, he returned to Pennsylvania and for two years was employed by the New Castle Fireworks Company. Then he went to St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked for the United Fireworks Company.
On December 15, 1925, at St. Louis, Mr. Shalla married Josephine Pagano, also a na- tive of Italy. To them have been born a daughter and a son — Maria A., in 1926, now Mrs. J. O. Hocking and residing in Jackson- ville; and Pasquale Shalla, in 1927, who mar- ried Evelyn Frye of Jacksonville and is the father of Dominick Jo Shalla, born in 1949. The family worships in the Pentecostal Church.
When he married, Mr. Shalla took his bride to Pennsylvania for a honeymoon. But in- stead of returning to St. Louis, they came to Illinois and for two years Mr. Shalla worked for the Illinois Fireworks Company. Then he did go back to St. Louis, where he established his own business, the Eagle Fire- works Company. This he operated from 1932 to 1942. Soon after the United States was propelled into World War II, Mr. Shalla was given a big war contract. This came from the National Enameling and Stamping Company of Jacksonville. The Jacksonville firm was itself under contract to the United States Government to build shell casings in several sizes and also to make flares and hand gre- nades. Mr. Shallla was placed in charge of the flare-manufacturing work. After the war Mr. Shalla decided to remain in Jacksonville. He dissolved his Eagle Fireworks Company in St. Louis and in the Morgan County seat launched the Continental Fireworks Manu- facturing and Display Company, Inc., of which he has since been president and which he has guided to great success. Mr. Shalla makes fireworks for display purposes only, no small items such as firecrackers and the like used by boys or families in personal celebrations of July Fourth. Mr. Challa not only fur- nishes the fireworks for displays, but sets up, organizes and fires the displays. He has built and supervised the firing of pyrotech- nics for many July Fourth, homecoming and county fair celebrations in virtually all parts of the United States. He is a member of
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the American Legion and its 40 and 8, of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Loyal Or- der of Moose and the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks. His home is at 1538 South Main Street, Jacksonville. Mr. Shalla not only enjoys leadership in his field of busi- ness but personal popularity.
ERNEST S. KLEIN, M.D.
A noted psychiatrist who has given dis- tinguished service in the public mental hy- giene program and in the armed forces in World War II, Dr. Ernest S. Klein is now superintendent of the Kankakee State Hos- pital at Kankakee. He is prominent not only in medicine and psychiatry, but also in state employee's work, in Welfare and Veteran's programs and in civic activities.
Dr. Klein was born in Chicago on January 7, 1911, the son of Edward and Anna Klein. The future psychiatrist and institutional ad- ministrator began his education in Chicago's schools. In 1936 he was graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. After completing his rotating internship at St. Elizabeth Hospital, Chicago, in 1937, he ac- cepted appointment as junior physician at Dixon State Hospital. Ten months later he transferred to Chicago State Hospital in the same capacity. Soon afterward, he was pro- moted to senior staff physician.
While on the Chicago Hospital staff Dr. Klein took postgraduate work in clinical psy- chiatry at the Illinois Neuropsychiatry Insti- tute, receiving a certificate. In 1940, he be- came a member of the faculty of the Nervous and Mental Diseases Department of the Uni- versity of Chicago College of Medicine. In 1941 and 1942 he was on the medical faculty of the University of Illinois. Meantime, he was continuing as senior staff physician at Chicago. On November 4, 1942, Dr. Klein resigned this post to enter the armed forces. He served as Assistant Chief or Chief of Psy- chiatry at various Army installations, finish- ing up as a Major serving as Chief of Psy- chiatry and Commanding Officer of the Dis- ciplinary Barracks hospital at Fort Leaven- worth, Kansas. Separated from the service in July, 1946, Dr. Klein returned to Chicago State Hospital as psychiatrist. On November 15, 1947, Dr. Klein was promoted to assist- ant superintendent of Kankakee State Hos- pital, where he served under Dr. George W. Morrow (q.v.), superintendent now retired. When Dr. Morrow retired, Dr. Klein was made acting superintendent on December 1, 1949,
and was appointed superintendent April 1, 1950.
Dr. Klein married Helen Blumenfeid, daughter of Max and Sophie Blumenfeid, on September 5, 1936. They have two daugh- ters— Nancy, born on March 19, 1939, and Maxine, born on May 1, 1940. Mrs. Klein, prominent in Kankakee, is a former Girl Scout leader and is on the Parent-Teacher Association program committee. She is second vice president and hospital chairman of Temple B'nai Israel.
Dr. Klein has a reputation as practicing psychiatrist and institutional administrator. He is the co-author of articles on the shock treatment in mental cases. He is a member of the Kankakee County Medical Society, the Illinois Psychiatric Society, the Illinois Medi- cal Society, the American Psychiatric Asso- ciation, the Chicago Society for Personality Study, the Illinois Mental Hygiene Society, the Physicians Association of the Illinois State Department of Welfare and the Kan- kakee Post of the American Legion. He is former president of Chapter Ten of the Illi- nois State Employees Association. His medi- cal fraternity is Phi Lambda Kappa. Work, he says, is his hobby and recreation. By work he has made himself a figure of national im- portance in the medical field.
GLYNN WILLIAM WHITE
Glynn W. White, Painting and Decorating, is a business name well known at Champaign and the surrounding region. Now owned and operated solely by Glynn William White, the firm traces its beginnings to the activities of his father, whom he joined in the enterprise in 1914. Mr. White, who was in the United States Army on Mexican border patrol in 1916 and later in World War I, is active in veterans' and public affairs at Champaign and in labor circles. He is known for his work on behalf of city beautification and recreation, and vocational apprenticeships and his numerous other activities.
Mr. White was born at Bement, Piatt Coun- ty, on April 5, 1896, the son of William C. and Margaret (Glynn) White. His father founded the painting contracting firm, which he conducted until his death on March 1, 1936. He was a native of Illinois. Margaret Glynn White was born in Scotland. She came to the United States with her parents when she was still a young girl.
Glynn W. White was educated in Cham- paign's public schools, being graduated from Champaign High School in 1914. Upon leaving
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school, he began serving his apprenticeship in the painting and decorating trade under his father. When the elder Mr. White died, the son took over the business, giving it its present name.
Mr. White married Dorothy Price of Cham- paign in that city on December 25, 1922, and they have become the parents of three chil- dren: Francis Robert White, William Arthur White and Marilyn Ruth White. Francis Rob- ert White, born September 22, 1923, is a graduate of Davis and Elkins College, class of 1949. He married Mary Lou Laing of Beckley, West Virginia, September 17, 1949. William Arthur White, born March 22, 1925, is a student at Davis and Elkins College of Elkins, West Virginia. Marilyn Ruth White, born April 12, 1930, is a student at the University of Illinois. Both Mr. and Mrs. White are active in the affairs of the First Presbyterian Church of Champaign. Mrs. White teaches the Bible in the Sunday School. She is a past president of the American Le- gion Auxiliary, Post No. 24, and is a past Chief of Harmony Temple, Pythian Sisters, No. 323, and the Champaign County Falon No. 231. She is a volunteer hospital worker at the Veterans Hospital at Danville, Illinois. The Whites reside at 311 Stanage Avenue, Champaign.
Mr. White has achieved such prominence in the community as to be elected to the Champaign Park Board. Also he was appoint- ed Supervisor of the Town of Champaign, on August 22, 1949. He has served on the board of the Family Service Agency in Champaign and during World War II he was a member of the Champaign County Home and War Chevst Board. He has also been appointed a director of the Champaign Health District. A member of the Painters Local No. 363, he is prominent in the Twin City Federation of La- bor and serves on the joint advisory council for the Champaign Apprenticeship School. In addition, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and Champaign Post No. 24, Ameri- can Legion and the Forty and Eight. He is a life member of the D.A.V. and member of the Army-Community Relations Committee. In 1916 he went to the Mexican Border with the 1st Illinois Field Artillery and in World War I he was with the 124th Field Artillery, United States Army, serving overseas, in which he became a Sergeant. Politically, he is a Republican.
Mr. White's efforts on behalf of his city and county have been widely recognized.
HENRY JOSEPH MACKIN
In the Venetian blind business since 1923 and inventor of the Mackin Premier Blind, Henry Joseph Mackin of Momence, in Kan- kakee County, is now one of the prominent manufacturers of these household items in the United States, with a trading territory that covers most of the nation. His company, with plant in Momence, is the Mackin Venetian Blind Company. He is president of the en- terprise and his son, Robert J. Mackin, is both treasurer and general manager. Another son, Henry J. Mackin, Jr., is sales manager and secretary, while a third son, James F. Mackin, also in the sales end of the business, is assistant secretary and treasurer. The sen- ior Mr. Mackin has led his family into a posi- tion of prominence in the industrial, civic and social life of the community and county.
Mr. Mackin was born in Lockport, Illinois, on November 13, 1889. He completed his education at the Creighton High School, Oma- ha, Nebraska, whither the family had moved when he was a young boy. He was first employed in home furnishings stores, chiefly in drapery departments, in Omaha. In 1919, he went to Kansas City, Missouri, where he worked for Robert Keith and Company, an- other such store. In 1923 Mr. Mackin re- turned to his native state and became a Vene- tian blind salesman for the Western Venetian Blind Company of Chicago. He was with this concern several years. In the course of that period he came to recognize the need of something other than the conventional type of Venetian blind. He proceeded to develop a substitute, and in 1927 patented it. The Mackin Premier Blind has no cords running through the slots but works by a chain ar- rangement. In 1927, Mr. Mackin opened a small plant at 1302 North Halsted Street, Chicago, and began manufacturing his blind. In the Fall of 1928 he moved the factory to Kankakee, though he continued maintaining the Chicago office. The family moved to Kankakee in 1929. Four years later Mr. Mackin transferred factory operations to Bradley, in Kankakee County. In 1935 Mr. Mackin added a second floor to this con- verted plant, and there he developed the busi- ness into a nationwide enterprise, which in the World War II period worked on war contracts. After the war, in 1946, Mr. Mackin erected a modern brick building in Momence, where he has since centered all his manufac- turing activities. Though he ships his blinds into all parts of the United State, Mr. Mackin, who was representatives everywhere, concen-
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trates on the North Central and Northeast- ern States.
Mr. Mackin married Elizabeth A. Roller of Des Moines. They have three sons, Robert J. Mackin, born on April 19, 1915, completed his education at St. Viator Collge, where he took the degree of Bachelor of Science in Accountancy in 1937. For a time he worked with an uncle in the floor covering jobbing business in Omaha, but in 1942 returned to Rankakee to operate 640 acres of farm land. In 1945 he joined his father in the Mackin Venetian Blind Company. He married Monica Cotter of Rankakee on November 26, 1937, and is the father of Robert J. Mackin, Jr., born in 1942, Cynthia Ann Mackin, born in
1948, and Larry born in 1950. He is active in the Elks and St. Patrick's Holy Name So- ciety. Henry Mackin, born in 1916, married Florence Frechett and is the father of Ter- ence, Michael Mackin and twin girls, Pamela and Patricia. He belongs to the Elks, Lions and Rnights of Columbus. James F. Mackin, the third son, married Jermaine LaMarr and is the father of Jeffrey Mackin, born in
1949. He was with the Navy Air Corps in World War II. Henry J. Mackin, Sr., a mem- ber of the Chamber of Commerce, the Elks and the Rnights of Columbus and various organizations of his trade, is known through- out the industry and is a highly respected citizen of Eastern Illinois.
GEORGE CLYDE HEBERLING
At one time a leading figure in the indus- trial and business world, as well as in civic affairs, George Clyde Heberling of Blooming- ton is today, in retirement, still one of the outstanding and active figures of his city, McLean County and the state. One of the founders of the great G. C. Heberling Com- pany of Bloomington, Mr. Heberling sold that organization in 1938, remaining as manager until 1943. Since then he has been retired. He is one of the best known Masons in Illinois.
George Clyde Heberling was born on a farm March 12, 1875, near Cadiz, Ohio, in Harrison County. He was the son of Warner Spurrier Heberling and Rosanna Hagan He- berling of the same location. Mr. Heberling lived on the farm in Ohio until 1895, when he moved to Iowa, and worked on a farm, by the month, for two years, in order to save sufficient money to enable him to take a business course in Valparaiso, Indiana. He had placed his savings in a bank at West Liberty, Iowa, and just before the time to
leave for school the bank broke up, and he lost his savings. Not to be thwarted in his plans to get a business education, in the fall of 1897 he arranged with the officers of the Browns Business College in Valparaiso, to work for his board, providing he could pay his tuition.
After completing his business course in Valparaiso he moved to Chicago in 1898 and obtained a position with the Griffin Car Wheel Company as stenographer and account- ant, where he remained for a period of four years.
On September 20, 1900, Mr. Heberling was married to Miss Mertle A. Dickerson of West Liberty, Iowa; the daughter of John C. and Sarah A. Dickerson. To this union was born one daughter, Mrs. Lucile Barnes, now living in Chicago.
In the Spring of 1902 Mr. Heberling re- signed his position with the Griffin Company and moved to Bloomington, Illinois, where he and his brother, John C. Heberling, of Wi- nona, Minnesota, organized the G. C. Heber- ling Company for the manufacture and sale of a line of household remedies, flavoring ex- tracts, spices, toilet articles, perfumes, etc. Bloomington and McLean County, Illinois, were selected as the best location to start a business of this kind on account of being almost in the central part of the state and because of the splendid railroad facilities.
Mr. C. W. Webb from New Athens, Ohio, a brother-in-law of Mr. Heberling, came to Bloomington in 1905, and bought an interest in the Company and was made Secretary — which position he held until his death in June, 1939.
The business was conducted jointly by G. C. and J. G. Heberling until 1911 when G. C. Heberling bought his brother's interest and became the President and General Manager. The business prospered and grew until the Company had 500 salesmen on the road and was doing business in 28 states. The Company occupied the entire floor space of a five-story brick building, 70x120, located at the corner of Prairie and Douglas Streets.
In 1938 Mr. Heberling sold the business to Mr. E. L. Ring, of Winona, Minnesota, which business is still being conducted under the name of G. C. Heberling Company, Bloomington, Illinois. At this time Mr. He- berling remained with the new owners, as manager, until August 1943, at which time he retired from business.
Mr. Eberling took a very active part in local and community affairs and occupied
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HENRY JOSEPH MACKIN
GEORGE CLYDE HEBERLING
many positions of honor and trust. He served twelve years as a Director of the Bloom- ington Association of Commerce, and in 1916 was elected its president. During his many years of activity in Bloomington he was at one time president of the Interestate Manu- facturers Association with headquarters at Winona, Minnesota — a Director for four years of the Illinois Manufacturing Association of Chicago — a State Director of the Traveler's Protective Association and President of the Bloomington Club.
Mr. Heberling was very active in the Ma- sonic Organization and was a member of the Shrine. He joined the Masonic Order in 1914. He was made Chairman of the Consistory Pe- tition Committee, which position he held for ten years. In September 1944 he was ad- vanced to the 33rd degree in Masonry and was formerly president of the Delmar D. Dar- rah 33rd Degree Club, in Bloomington, Illi- nois. Mr. Heberling is a member of the Sec- ond Christian Church of Bloomington Coun- try Club and the Bloomington Club.
THOMAS P. HOUDE
The Tom Houde Dairy in Kankakee, one of the largest in its field in Eastern Illinois, has grown from a business which bottled a few quarts of milk a day and gave most of it away to build a delivery route, to an organization not only serving numerous fam- ilies but most of the schools and institutions in the area. It has pioneered in many respects and has built tremendous prestige among the public. Founded by Thomas P. Houde, one of Kankakee's outstanding citizens, it is oper- ated by him and his son, Thomas R. Houde, a disabled veteran of the United States Army Air Forces of World War II, also a prominent Kankakeean.
Thomas P. Houde was born at Bourbon- nais, near Kankakee, on January 24, 1904, and was educated in the schools of Kankakee County. In his youth he worked as a clerk in an ice cream parlor. He made candy that was sold in this store. Later he operated a candy business of his own. Then he learned the furniture upholstery business and worked at this a short time. Subsequently, he and his brother operated a grocery store. After this was sold, Thomas Houde worked as a butcher. In June, 1931, he founded the Tom Houde Dairy, and began business operations in a small concrete building about the size of a garage. The first output was fifteen quarts of milk a day, most of which was given away
to build a milk route. Business increased quickly, and has continued to grow. Today the Tom Houde Dairy bottles more than six hun- dred fifty gallons of milk a day. Mr. Houde was the first to introduce the half-gallon bottle of milk to Kankakee and also the first in the Kankakee area to streamline delivery schedules in the World War II period be- cause of war shortages. The Tom Houde Dairy is the only one in the city producing butter. This is sold exclusively to Houde customers. Ninety percent of the schools and hospitals in the area are serviced by the Houde enterprise.
Thomas P. Houde married Lillian Gladys Fortier, a native of Kankakee, on November 5, 1924, and three children were born to them —Thomas R. Houde, on November 28, 1925; James P. Houde, on January 7, 1944, and Madonna Joan Houde, on February 3, 1942. In recent years pictures of the Houde chil- dren have adorned the dairy's calendars, and thus the faces of the trio have become known throughout the Kankakee territory.
Thomas R. Houde, the son, first attended the elementary schools in Kankakee. For a time he was a student at the Kankakee High School, but transferred to St. Patrick's High School. In 1943 he enlisted in the. United States Army Air Forces and became a tail- gunner and radio operator in a B-24 bomber. He served in the South Pacific Theater of Operations. Badly wounded in action, he re- mains on the disabled list. After returning to civilian life, he studied at St. Bede Col- lege, Peru, Illinois. In his sophomore year, however, he was forced to drop out and to enter a Veterans' Hospital for treatment. He remained there a year and then went to Chi- cago, where he continued his studies at De- Paul University and, most of that time, was confined to a nearby Veterans' Hospital. In January, 1949, when his father became ill, Mr. Houde returned to Kankakee and as- sumed management of the dairy. He married Mary Jean Mailloux in Kankakee on August 13, 1949. They are the parents of a daugh- ter, Linda Jean Houde, born on June 27, 1950. One of Thomas R. Houde's contributions to the dairy business has been to introduce in Kankakee the plastic bottle for milk.
Thomas P. Houde is a member of the Knights of Columbus, Elks, Moose, St. Jude, St. Rose Holy Name Society, St. Rose DePaul, the Kankakee Chamber of Commerce, the Kan- kakee County Credit Bureau, the United Com- mercial Travelers Association and is a direc- tor of the Knights of Columbus Memorial Building and the Catholic Charities of the
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Kankakee Archdiocese. He and his son are making an unusual contribution to the growth and welfare of the area.
HONORABLE GOTTLIB JAMES FRICK
The name of the Honorable Gottlib James Frick, with its associations of distinguished and selfless public service, is known through- out Illinois. Mr. Frick is the owner not only of the Frick Funeral Home and the G. J. Frick Plumbing and Heating Company at Marion, but also the owner of the Marion Air- port and considerable developed and unde- veloped real estate. He is former Sheriff of Williamson County and a former Commis- sioner of the City of Marion and in addition has served on the Illinois State Board of Em- balming Examiners. He is one of the Demo- cratic leaders of Williamson County.
Born on a farm in Franklin County on April 18, 1881, Mr. Frick is the son of George A. and Anna (Sippee) Frick. His father was a cooper, carpenter and baker, as well as farmer. While he worked on the family farm, Gottlib Frick went to elementary school in Marion. He completed the seventh grade. When he was fourteen, he left the farm to become a clerk in his uncle's store at Belle- ville, in St. Clair County, where he remained two years. Then he was a clerk and wagon driver for a Granite City grocery for two more years, after which he worked as street- car conductor and motorman for eighteen months. In 1902 Mr. Frick entered the gro- cery business for himself at Venice, in Madi- son County, but his store burned down the following year. In the ensuing period he washed boilers, worked in blacksmith shops and in the coal mines at Marion. Later, he homesteaded land in New Mexico and for a time also lived in El Paso, Texas. Then he returned to Marion and the coal mines.
Meantime, on March 17, 1903, Mr. Frick had married Pearl Wilbanks, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Wilbanks of Venice. Mrs. Frick had been her husband's book- keeper in the grocery business at Venice. Five children were born to this marriage — Irene Pearl, Howard W., Mabel, who died in 1926, James A. Frick, who is in business with his father, and William Douglas Frick, who was killed in an automobile wreck on Septem- ber 6, 1942.
Upon his return to Marion, Mr. Frick, with a growing family, began to act on a decision to cuter the undertaking business. While he worked in the coal mines, he took a corres-
pondence course in embalming with the Worsham School of Embalming of Chicago. Later, he went to Chicago and took a grad- uate course with the same institution. When he finished the correspondence course he went into the funeral business with two part- ners. And as he built a name for himself as funeral director his wife operated a grocery store. Since 1918 Mr. Frick has been sole owner of the Frick Funeral Home of Marion and since 1924 he has owned the G. J. Frick Plumbing Company, having also become a master plumber. His son James owns half the business and operates the funeral home.
Though he owns Marion Airport, Mr. Frick does not operate it himself. It is leased to others. He is a member of the board of di- rectors of the Bank of Marion. As early as 1919 the electorate recognized Mr. Frick's civic interest by making him a City Commis- sioner. He served that first time until. 1921. Again, from 1926 to 1930. In 1929 he was elected Sheriff of Williamson County on the Democratic ticket and served until 1934. He was on the State Embalming Board for seven years. Through his business Mr. Frick is a member of the National Funeral Directors As- sociation, the Illinois Funeral Directors Asso- ciation, the National Plumbing Association, Also, he belongs to the Masonic order, the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Loyal Order of Moose and the Rotary Club of Marion. Farming is his hobby and, with his family, he worships in the Evangelical Reformed Church of Marion. Mrs. Frick is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Marion in which she takes an active part. He is one of Southern Illinois' major citizens.
WILLARD PAUL ENGELHARD
At 175 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, are the offices of the well known insurance firm of Engelhard and Co. In this firm Wil- lard Paul Engelhard, a distinguished citizen of both the Windy City and the attractive suburb, Oak Park, where he makes his home, is a partner. Mr. Engelhard is known for his contributions to education and Boy Scouting as well as to the development of the insurance business.
Mr. Engelhard was born in Hollywood, Illi- nois, on March 29, 1898, the son of Paul R. Engelhard, a native of Germany who came to the United States when he was two years old, and Hulda (Dalmar) Engelhard. In 1916,
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HONORABLE GOTTLIB JAMES FRICK
PAUL R. ENGELHARD
Mr. Engelhard was graduated from the River- side-Brookfield Hi^h School, where lie had been on the varsity basketball and football teams, an outstanding debater and partici- pant in dramatics. At the University of Illi- nois, which he attended from September, 1916, to June, 1918, being a student in the College of Commerce, he was secretary of the Sophomore Class. World War I intervened to interrupt his education. He enlisted in the Naval. Reserve Force in June, 1918, and was almost immediately sent to the Officers Train- ing School at the University of Chicago. Then he went on a coastwise training ship as a cadet, finally to Pelham Bay, New York, where he was commissioned an Ensign. He received his honorable discharge in June, 1919. For a time after returning to civilian life Mr. Engelhard continued his studies at Northwestern University.
In June, 1919, also, he began his insur- ance career. This beginning with H. Daimar and Company, Chicago, and his first position was that of endorsement clerk. Later he was bookkeeper, special agent and office manager. In September, 1930, Mr. Engelhard, with his father and brother, E. F. Engel- hard, formed the partnership still called Engelhard and Co. Since the death of Paul R. Englehard the brothers own and operate the business. The company began as a small agency, with only one employee and hand- ling only brokerage. It now does a premium volume of more than $1,500,000 annually, in- cluding both brokerage and direct business. It has developed interesting and helpful rate and form manuals and analysis surveys and is one of the most active general agencies in the latter field.
Willard Paul Englehard and Grace Ander- son, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Anderson, were married in Oak Park on May 23, 1925. She is now deceased. On June 26, 1948, also at Oak Park, Mr. Engelhard married Mrs. Louise L. Klein. She is a member of the Nineteenth Century Woman's Club at Oak Park, the Ladies Society of Grace Lutheran Church, Oak Park, and is active in a variety of Parent-Teacher Association programs in that community. Mr. and Mrs. Engelhard reside at 1201 North Kenilworth Avenue, Oak Park. The children of the family are Willard P. Engelhard, Jr., Robert R. Engelhard, Donald G. Engelhard, Suzanne Engelhard and Kenneth H. Klein and Barbara L. Klein. Mr. Engelhard's step-children.
In the insurance world, Mr. Engelhard is currently a director of the Chicago Board of Underwriters. He is also a director of the St. Paul Federal Savings and Loan Association of Chicago. In his other activities, he serves on the Oak Park School Board and formerly was chairman of cubbing for the Thatcher Woods Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Engelhard has a reputation for helping young men start their careers. He is actively interested in schools and school organizations and has helped organize several cub packs in scouting and other scouting activities. He is now giving time to his school board work. These activities and his leadership in the in- surance world have made him one of Cook County's outstanding citizens.
EUGENE FIELD ENGELHARD
A citizen of Cook and Lake Counties who has made his name known throughout the state, Eugene Field Engelhard is an outstand- ing insurance agent. A partner in the insur- ance agency of Engelhard and Co., 175 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Mr. Engelhard has held important executive offices in the Illinois Association of Insurance Agents. Al- so, he holds public office in the Lake County community in which he lives- — Deerfield.
Mr. Engelhard was born in Hollywood, Illinois, on November 7, 1901, the son of Paul R. and Hulda (Daimar) Engelhard. His father was a native of Germany. Mr. Engel- hard began his education in the Riverside Grammar School, continuing at the Riverside- Brookfield High School. He spent two years at the University of Illinois, Urbana, and then prepared for the legal profession at the Chi- cago Kent College of Law. Awarded his de- gree of Bachelor of Laws in 1926, he was ad- mitted to the Illinois Bar in 1927. At college Mr. Engelhard was elected to Delta Chi Fra- ternity. Long before he had finished his edu- cation Mr. Engelhard began his business career. From 192 0 to 1921 he was a book- keeper for H. Daimar Company, Chicago. The following two years he was at the University of Illinois in Urbana and in 1923 was made abstract examiner for the Chicago Title and Trust Company. The following year he re- turned to the employ of the H. Daimar & Company. He remained with this firm from 1924 to 1930, rising to the office of secretary in the final five years and also assuming the post of manager of the casualty department. On September 15, 1930, he became a partner, with his father, P. R. Engelhard, and his bro- ther, W. I'. Engelhard, in the insurance firm of
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Engelhard and Company, Chicago. Mr. P. R. Engelhard is now deceased.
On October 1, 1927, at the Orrington Hotel, Evanston, Mr. Engelhard married Miriam Snyder, the daughter of Harry and Jennie Snyder. Mrs. Engelhard, well known as a cellist, is a member of the Mellodists. The Engelhard home is on Wilmot Road, Deer- field. Mr. and Mrs. Engelhard have a son and daughter — Eugene Field Engelhard, Jr., born in 1929, a student (in 1950) at Palos Verdes College, Rolling Hills, California, and Adrienne Engelhard, born in 1934, who in 1950 was at Highland Park High School.
The Engelhard family is one of the out- standing families of Lake County. Mr. Engel- hard serves on the leading public and private boards interested in community welfare and progress and is chairman of the Deerfield Zoning Board of Appeals. In his business career, he served as executive vice-president of the Illinois Association of Insurance Agents in the year 1941-42 and as treasurer and chairman of the budget and finance com- miller of that organization in the years 1943 to 1949. He has been a member of the Ex- moor Country Club since 19 40. His recrea- tional interests include hunting, fishing, horseback riding and gardening. In politics he is a Republican. Mr. Engelhard has made a reputation through his civic service as well as through his leadership in the insur- ance world.
COLONEL J. H. KIRKPATRICK
Jonathan H. Kirkpatrick who became known as the "Grand Old Man of Auctioneer- ing" was born in North Liberty, Adams County, December 2 3, 18 44, being a son of John and Mary (Postlewait) Kirkpatrick. The father was married in Old Dominion and died when the subject of this sketch was about eight years of age, leaving a widow and eight children, of which Colonel Kirkpatrick was the youngest. The mother came to Bloom- ington, Illinois, in 1852, in company with an Ohio colony and settled in Oak Grove Town- ship. It was here that Colonel Kirkpatrick assumed the responsibility of supporting the family. With a team which the family owned he assisted with the construction of the Illi- nois Central Railroad when it was built through this section of the state. He then en- dured the hardships incident to pioneer life on i lie Illinois prairies.
Colonel Kirkpatrick acquired a good prac- tical education in the common schools and fol- lowed farming until 1861 when he removed
to Washington county, Iowa, with his mother whose death there occurred. Here he pur- chased a farm near Brighton and successful- ly carried on agricultural pursuits for a number of years. In August, 18 73, he dis- posed of his interests in the Hawkeye State, and returned to Bloomington, Illinois, where he took up auctioneering as a profession. It was from practical knowledge gained during his agricultural career, that he later became known as an authority on values, especially as pertains to land and live stock.
The record of sales as kept by Colonel Kirk- patrick, covering a period of nearly fifty years, shows that he has cried approximately six thousand land and stock sales. He has auctioned over one hundred and fifty thousand head of horses, two hundred thousand head of cattle, two hundred and forty thousand head of hogs and in round number sixty- five thousand head of sheep. His live stock and general farm sales of personal property, from a conservative estimate, total over six- teen million dollars.
In addition to this he had conducted sales of residences, business properties and farm lands, having made this branch of the pro- fession a speciality. Hundreds of these sales were made under court decrees and in the settlement of estates. During the last decade he had been extremely active in this branch of work and had auctioned property of this kind of an aggregate value of many millions of dollars.
He traveled to and from sales over one hundred and sixty thousand miles and sold a string of farm machinery over sixty miles in Length. Away back in 18 73 when Colonel Kirkpatrick launched out as an auc- tioneer, there were no automobiles or inter- urban lines. Transportation was by railroad or horse and buggy. He traveled almost ex- clusively, back in the '80's in a vehicle then known as a "gig." About this time there was a spirited exodus to the western states, espec- ially to Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. People emigrated in colonies as a result it was not uncommon for almost an entire communi- ty to sell all of their surplus stock. Colonel Kirkpatrick as the result of this condition often spent a week or two in a community crying sales. Later, it was common for him to go to one of the above mentioned states and sell out some of these colonies who had moved westward and were ready to start back to Illinois.
The largest sale Colonel Kirkpatrick ever cried was for Dillon Brothers at Normal,
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COLONEL J. H. KIRKPATRICK
Illinois, in 1899 or thereabout. Over three hundred head of pure bred draft horses, im- ported from Fiance, were auctioned. It was the largest sale of this character ever held in the United States. Colonel Edmonson of Ken- tuck assisted. Since then he had wide experience in the sale of graded stock of every description. In the early days live stock was not graded but was sold in rather a haphazard fashion.
Colonel Kirk patrick was possessed with an intimate knowledge and a keen appreciation of values. The moment stock was brought into the sale ring, he was able to judge their worth. Human nature was to him as an open book and he knew at a glance whether a bid- der had gone his limit. He was a past master in the subtle art of creating a desire, which is one of the salient features in expert salesmanship. He had a keen sense of humor; was convincing in his arguments and his elo- quence gained for him a state-wide repu- tation. He was a man of magnetic personality and was born a leader. He was honest in his dealings and often generous to a fault.
Colonel Kirkpatrick was as a father to young auctioneers. He befriended, advised and in- structed them and in many instances assisted them in listing sales. This was done out of the kindness of his heart and without thought of compensation or reward.
Other enterprises also claimed the attention of Colonel Kirkpatrick who was a man of re- sourceful ability, keen discrimination and re- liable judgement.
Colonel Kirkpatrick was active in the politi- cal interests of the county, state and union. He became Alderman of the Second Ward in Bloomington upon its organization and after- wards held many positions of political prefer- ment in connection with the city administra- tion. He was always a staunch Republican.
Colonel Kirkpatrick, by reason of his portly build, his attire and his personality, rarely failed to attract attention, especially among strangers. He invariably wore a cap and leg- gings and carried a cane. During the winter season he was always incased in a huge fur overcoat, which added to his already generous dimensions. His ruddy face was always wreathed with a smile and his genial disposi- tion and his happy mood are a few of the many things which characterized him from other men.
He was active in religious and fraternal circles, being a member of the Second Pres- byterian Church, of the Odd Fellows and
Knights of Pythias and other organizations, social, commercial and religious.
As a citizen, Colonel Kirkpatrick was a public-spirited man, giving aid and coopera- tion to every movement calculated to advance the educational, social, moral and material welfare of the community.
As an auctioneer he was without a peer. Perhaps no other man of the profession en- joyed a wider acquaintance in this and ad- joining states. It has been said of him that every man, woman, child and dog in Central Illinois knew the Colonel and he knew the same people personally. There may be other auctioneers whose record may equal or even surpass his in point of continued service, but his eventful and eminently successful record as a farm and stock auctioneer is perhaps without an equal.
Down in the 500 block across Main Street from the East, a creek ran and people had to cross a bridge connected with the side-walk to get over it. This was in the 1870's and '80's. It was near this stream on the West side of the then dirt road, Main Street, that Colonel J. H. Kirkpatrick opened up his un- pretentious second hand furniture store in 1881. Just North and down many feet in vacant lots in a small shanty building, one of the City's early Italian families — the Costa's — carried on a fruit vending business, the customers having to go down a flight of steps to make a purchase. The stock of furni- ture was then small but it grew with the yea;-s and increasing trade.
HOWARD AND KIRKPATRICK
On June 10, 1888, Mr. Kirkpatrick took in as a partner, an aggressive and enterpris- ing young business man, who later became his son-in-law, Mr. L. W. Howard, the firm known as Howard and Kirkpatrick.
Occupying the single floor of the old frame structure, their business grew so rapidly that in 1804, the old building was demolished and the first modern building of brick of three stories on Main Street, North of Market Street was erected by Mr. Kirkpatrick on these lots at 52 2 and 524 North Main Street.
With the new building the trading so grew that each year marked an expansion. It is said that in some of the busy weeks of 1907, the firm had more volume in sales in a single week than in a whole year when the business was young. It was Mr. Howard who first in- troduced the system of installment furniture buying in any city in the state, outside of Chicago, at the store here in Bloomington.
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It became popular and ever-expanding, enabl- ing young couples to start up housekeeping much earlier than they would have otherwise done and inviting customers to buy pieces for their home on deferred payments.
Mr. Howard served as General Supervisor over the business and adopted many of the then most modern methods. He was a great believer in and advocate of advertising in the retailing game and this attribute of faith was in no small measure the reason of this suc- cess, as well as the high standards of princi- ples he always adhered to. Twenty-five people were then working for the firm.
In January, 1908, the firm announced that it would dissolve on account of Mr. Howard's health and Col. Kirkpatrick's desire to devote his time exclusively to the profession of auc- tioneering. This ended the very satisfactory and ennobling association of these two part- ners. Mr. Howard retired to his farm near Twin Grove, West of the City, but he was al- ways referred to later as one of Blooming- ton's leading merchants.
HOWARD-KIRKPATRICK HOUSE FURNISHING COMPANY
On July 1, 1908, a Corporation was formed to take over the business formerly carried on under the firm name of Howard and Kirk- patrick. The stockholders were Edward R. Kirkpatirck, Charles S. Kirkpatrick and Col. J. H. Kirkpatrick. The latter, while he re- tained his interest as stockholder and di- rector, was not active in the establishment, as his profession occupied his time.
In their main street store they had the first system of indirect lighting every installed in any city in Illinois, outside of Chicago.
The trade mark of the store was a large red chair which every day could be seen in the entrance way of the store, it having been made by one of its craftsmen — Mr. James Hughes. The chair was equally well known, not only to the people of Central Illinois but also to the representatives of furniture fac- tories and carpet and rug mills throughout the United States. Parents would bring their children and lift them into the chair list so they could say that "They had sat in it." Later when they grew up and were married, they insisted upon buying their house furnish- ings from the store where as children they had sat in "Kirk's Red Chair." The heaviest man and the tallest man in this country had sat in it. It was borrowed for city parades and weddings.
This store had the distinction of being the
first purchaser of any goods of any kind out of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, which is the world's largest display building.
EDWARD R. KIRKPATRICK
At the age of eighteen, Edward R. Kirk- patrick took a position with the firm of Howard & Kirkpatrick. He studied and mastered various angles connected with the different departments of the house furnish- ing business. He became in turn the head of the carpet department and assistant general manager to Mr. L. W. Howard. No young man ever worked harder or longer at a busi- ness than did both Edward Kirkpatrick or Louis Howard.
It was a natural sequence that when the corporation of the Howard-Kirkpatrick House Furnishing Company was formed, he was chosen as its president and general manager, becoming one of the youngest business ex- ecutives in the city. He was well known in the furniture markets at Grand Rapids, Mich- igan, Rockford and Chicago, Illinois, and Jamestown, New York.
By his inherent aggressiveness and the adoption of high standards of business ethics, he saw the business each year have an ex- panded growth from its humble start in 1908 to the sale of the store in 1937.
The success of the establishment was due largely to the qualities of his personal manage- ment.
Mr. Kirkpatrick is an enthusiastic sports- man, choosing golf and duck hunting. The many duck dinners he has given through the years have become a tradition.
Mr. Kirkpatrick is a director in the Na- tional Bank of Bloomington and the First Federal Savings & Loan Association.
CHARLES S. KIRKPATRICK
After graduation from the Bloomington High School in 19 00 and the following year from Eastman College, Poughkeepsie, New York, the oldest business and banking school p in the country, he accepted the position formerly held by Thomas W. Stevenson. Mr. Stevenson was a brother of the former vice- president of the United States, Adlai E. Stev- enson, and great uncle of the present Gov- ernor of Illinois, Adlai E. Stevenson tin- second. For two years Charles Kirkpatrick attended Wesleyan Law School while he was in the store, performing his duties there also. He served as Director of the Association of Commerce and was chosen as President of the 500 & 600 blocks of North Main Street Mer-
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chant Booster's Association. Some of the largest and most original promotions ever at- tempted in one section of the. city were exe- cuted there with marked success. These mer- chants cooperated 100$ in any and all plan- ned event?. He was asked to manage parades, drives, balls, club attractions and many civic fund raising drives and other activities. Mr. Kirkpatrick without solicitation was selected to serve as public interest director for a three year term by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board in Washington, D.C., in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, largest of the twelve that are operating in this country. Mr. Kirtpatrick was the first buyer for any firm of any goods of any kind out of the Mer- chandise Mart in Chicago. Mr. Kirkpatrick is serving as one of the three liquidating trustees of the First National Bank and Trust Company. He is a Director in the Blue Cross Plan for Hospital Care of Chicago. He is also acting as Chairman of the McLean County Chapter for Infantile Paralysis.
LOSSIE E. MORRIS, A.B., B.D.
In Southwest Illinois the name of Lossie E. Morris of Collinsville has become synonymous with the program for alleviating the great housing shortage, for Mr. Morris, in the real estate and insurance business as well as in the financing world, has built more than a thousand homes in the region. He is known also for his development of subdivisions at Collinsville, one of them bearing his name. Mr. Morris is entitled to be called the Rev- erend Mr. Morris, for he served in the minis- try for many years. In addition, he is a former teacher and athletic coach. As is na- tural for a man of his background and na- tural inclinations, he has a great concern for civic welfare and improvement. Among other things, he is a farmer.
Mr. Morris was born in a log cabin five miles south of Xenia, in Clay County, on Oc- tober 13, 1903, the son of Charles C. Morris, a farmer at that time in his native Clay County but now associated with his son in the insurance business, and of Lilly Mae (Brown) Morris, also a native of Clay County. A brother of the real estate and insurance man is Dr. I). W. Morris, president of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and his sis- ter is Mrs. Zella Mae Jane.
Mr. Morris was graduated from the Flora High School in 1921, and then entered Park College at Parkville, Missouri, where he re- mained until the end of the Fall term of 1922. He played on the basketball team as a
freshman — he had been quite an athlete in high school — and was also on the debating team, winning a speech contest. Later, he attended Carbondale Teachers College and in the Fall of 1923 received his teaching certifi- cate. He then became principal and coach at Luka, in Marion County, where he remained two years, after which he returned to South- ern Illinois University to continue his stu- dies. In 1925 he became coach at St. Elmo High School and at the same time entered the Methodist ministry. He was pastor of churches at O'Fallon and Shilo, while serving as coach at O'Fallon Township High School, until 1930. In 1927 Mr. Morris had enrolled at McKendree College, in Lebanon, and in 1928 received the degree of Bachelor of Arts. In 1930, he moved to Ellwood, where he was pastor of the Methodist Church. In the Fall of the same year he enrolled in Garrett Bibli- cal Institute, Evanston, receiving his degree of Bachelor of Divinity in the Spring of 1934.
It was at this time that he resigned from the ministry and came to Collinsville. There he bought the Reinsch Insurance Agency. In 1949 he added to it the Schurman Insurance Agency, which he also acquired by purchase, and today he calls his real estate and insur- ance business The Morris Agency, being lo- cated at 123 West Main Street, Collinsville. In 1948 Mr. Morris was elected secretary of the Union Savings and Loan Association of Collinsville. He has developed Meadow Heights Addition and Morris Heights and Morris Hills at Collinsville, as well as built more than one thousand homes. In agriculture he operates Morris Farm, consisting of 380 acres, breed- ing white-faced cattle. He has taught real estate in the extension classes of East St. Louis High School for the University of Illi- nois, and is in great demand as a public speaker.
Mr. Morris married Pauline Jean McCaully, daughter of Calvin and Louella McCaully of Flora, in 1923. The McCaullys, now residents of Sapulpa, Okla, are close friends of the parents of Mrs. Thomas E. Dewey, wife of the Republican leader and Governor of New York. Mrs. McCaully is a member of the Archibald family, prominent pioneer family of Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Morris became the parents of six children — Betty Lou, now Mrs. E. E. Jukes, born October 26, 1925, educated at William- Woods College, Fulton, Missouri, the mother of Cynthia M. Jukes; Lossie Jean, born Oc- tober 9, 1928, also a graduate of the college at Fulton and now (1949) attending Chicago Ait Institute; Lilly, born February 11, 1930, who died in 1931 ; Charles Calvin, born July 8,
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1932, now a tackle on the Collinsville football team; Pamela Gay, born May 20, 1940; Leigh- ton Eric, born June 23, 1945. Mr. Morris has a private clubhouse and lake, and fishes with his family, which attends the Methodist Church. He is a member of the board of stewards of the church.
Mr. Morris, active in the Collinsville Cham- ber of Commerce, is a former secretary of that organization and currently serving as President. Prominent in Lions International, he was district governor for Southern Illinois in the year 1938-1939, after which he was for two years on the International board of directors, representing Illinois. He is also a Mason and a Noble of Ainad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at East St. Louis. He belongs to a group of real estate and insurance organizations and boards, including the national, and also to the St. Louis and national branches of the Mortgage Bank- ers of America, the National Home Builders Association, the Illinois Savings and Loan League and the United States Chamber of Commerce. Active in the Red Cross, he has donated not only time and money but also office space and equipment for Collinsville headquarters. Few men have done so much for their native States as Lossie E. Morris.
HARRY FREDERICK KENDALL
One of the most widely known newspaper publishers in Illinois, the late Harry Fred- erick Kendall of Mattoon was also renowned for the aid he gave all organizations and individuals dedicated to improving his city and State. He was publisher of the Journal- Gazette of Mattoon and recognized throughout the newspaper and printing industries for his rare ability. As his own newspaper said at the time of his death, "He was known for his vigorous and almost insatiable interest, an ever-burning desire to know all the facts of every important news event, and to pass them on to the readers of his newspaper. This rharacteristic, plus his business acumen, is credited with making him so successful in his chosen field." His contributions to civic progress and to the development of health and welfare organizations are also well remem- bered.
Harry Frederick Kendall was born on Aug- ust 17, 1865, at Flora, Illinois, a son of Cap- tain Cyrus D. and Catherine Rovilla (Miller) Kendall. His father served as a captain in the Union Army in the Civil War. He was born in Erie County, Pennsylvania, in 1835, and was a merchant. The publisher's mother
was the daughter of Thompson and Abbie (Sparks) Miller of Bellefontaine, Ohio. Harry Kendall spent the early years of his childhood at Louisville, Illinois, the family home. Later, with his parents, he moved to Newton, where he was graduated from high school in 1884. He then studied at the University of Illinois, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1889. During most of the time he was a student at the university, Mr. Kendall served as correspondent in Champaign and Urbana for several metropolitan newspapers, gaining experience in the field which was to become his life work. Following his gradua- tion, he re^d law in the office of the late Captain T. J. Smith, noted Champaign attor- ney, and in 1891 he passed the Illinois Su- preme Court examination and was admitted to the bar.
Shortly afterward, however, his love for the newspaper business caused him to enter the field and in October, 1895, he became owner and publisher of The Mattoon Gazette. On January 2, 1905, he effected the consolidation of The Gazette and The Mattoon Journal, forming The Journal-Gazette. Firmly estab- lished as one of the State's most successful small city publishers, he purchased The Mat- toon Commercial-Star in 1919 and combined it with The Journal-Gazette to produce the newspaper as it is published today. This he published until his death, which occurred in 1939 when he was seventy-three. For many years his business associate was E. B. Tucker, who died in 1927.
Mr. Kendall married Jessie B. Johnson, daughter of Hale and Mary Loofbourrow Johnson, at Newton on March 2, 1898. Mrs. Kendall, who survives her husband, has long been one of Mattoon's well known women. She is a graduate of the Newton High School, the Kirkwood (Missouri) Seminary and the New England Conservatory of Music at Boston. A talented pianist and organist, she has for years been active in Mattoon's civic music en- terprise. She is also known for her work with cultural clubs and the Mattoon Community Church to which Mr. Kendall also belonged.
Mr. Kendall's activities outside newspaper and printing were extensive. For fifteen years he was a director of the National Bank of Mattoon and was a leader in the Mattoon Association of Commerce, through which he helped bring many industries to Mattoon and assisted in promoting the paving of State highways in the Mattoon area. He was one of the organizers of the Mattoon Community Chest and the Mattoon Country Club and
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
LOSSIE E. MORRIS, A.B., B.D.
HARRY FREDERICK KENDALL
served both in many capacities from the presi- dency down. At Miami Beach, Florida, he was a member of the Committee of One Hundred which includes in its membership some of the nation's foremost citizens. From the time of his graduation to the time of his death he was president and secretary of his gradu- ating class of the University of Illinois, exactly a half century. The fiftieth anniver- sary observance of the class was held in Cham- paign on June 10, but Mr. Kendall, who had arranged to participate, had already suffered from the sti-oke which about two weeks later was to prove fatal. He died at Methodist Memorial Hospital on the board of which he had served for many years. Aside from the Community Chest, which he helped to develop, Mr. Kendall was interested in the United Charities and was one of the founders of the Mattoon Emergency Relief Committee, which provided aid to indigent persons before the advent of State and Federal relief agencies. He was a charter member of the Rotary Club of Mattoon and also was a member of the Masonic order, the Egyptian Daily Newspaper League of Southern Illinois, the Country Pub- lishers Association, the Inland Daily Press Association, the Illinois Daily Newspaper Markets and the Illinois Press Association. In the Masonic order, he belonged not only to the Blue Lodge but also to the Knights Templar and the Shrine. He was a Republi- can, and his sports were golf and fishing with travel a hobby. He passed from the earthly life on June 28, 1939, and was laid to rest at Riverside Cemetery, Newton.
With his wife, Mr. Kendall was interested in buying good pictures, early American glass and Oriental rugs— and these today adorn his home at 1309 Lafayette Avenue, Mattoon, where Mrs. Kendall still lives. He was home- loving and a man of warm personality who, as a civic leader, drew many followers and through them made his extraordinary con- tribution to civic progress and newspaper history.
HON. ISAAC N. COOLLEY, SR.
One-time railroad president, real estate op- erator, farmer, livestock breeder and grain merchant, the late Isaac N. Coolley, Sr., of Brocton, Edgar County, was one of Illinois' outstanding citizens. A leader in the Repub- lican Party, he was a former County Treas- urer and a State Senator.
Mr. Coolley was born at Newman, Douglas County, on November 1, 1866, the son of James Maxwell and Sarah (Wyckoff ) Coolley.
His father, a farmer, was the son of the Reverend Jonathan and Malinda (Maxwell) Coolley. The Coolleys and Wyckoffs were among the prominent citizens in the ear- ly days of the region. The Reverend Jona- than Coolley arrived in 1854, organized the Fairfield Cumberland Christian Church in 1855 and continued as pastor until 1872, when his son, the Reverend C. P. Coolley, later financial agent of Lincoln University, succeeded him. Isaac Wyckoff, grand father of Isaac N. Coolley, Sr., was a hotelman and postmaster.
Isaac Coolley, Sr., had a limited grammar school education. When he was twenty-one, he and a cousin, Will Coolley, bought a farm near Brocton. Three years later they sold this with great profit and separated. I. N. Coolley then purchased a 280-acre farm and within a few years became established as a livestock dealer and trader. In 1903 Mr. Coolley gave up agricultural activity, moved into town and started in the real estate busi- ness. By 1920 he had accumulated 1400 acres. This land was operated under the ten- ants' share system, customary in the locality, until 1936. In 1912, Mr. Coolley and Will A. Price began doing business as the Brocton El- evator Company. In 1937 Mr. Coolley bought out Mr. Price's interest. Later, he sold the properties, which had become exten- sive under his guidance. From 1918 to 1938 he was president of the old Kansas and Si- dell Railroad, operated in conjunction with the elevator business until supplanted by a trucking system. In this period Mr. Coolley became a stockholder of the First National Bank of Paris, the county seat, and served as a director until its liquidation.
On December 3, 1908, Mr. Coolley mar- ried Elizabeth Watkins, daughter of Ida K. and Overton Beachamp Watkins. Mrs. Cool- ley was active in the woman suffrage move- ment, is former chairman of the 18th Dis- trict Republican Women and is on the boards of the Edgar County Chapter, American Red Cross, and the Illinois Republican Women's Club. Three children were born to the mar- riage— Carolyn, now Mrs. Joseph E. Thomp- son, Jr., living at Phoenix, Arizona, and mother of J. E. Thompson, III, Isaac Newton Coolley, Jr., of Brocton, who married Ber- nice Popp and is father of I. N. Coolley, III, and Paul Popp Coolley; and James M. Cool- ley, also of Brocton, who married Pauline Williams and is father of Carol Lynn and Helen Elizabeth Coolley. The family wor- ships in the Fairfield Church of Newman.
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I. N. Coolley, Sr., organizer of the Fairfield Memorial Cemetery Association, was its pres- ident from 1918 to 1942.
In 1906 Mr. Coolley was elected County Treasurer of Edgar County, leading the Re- publican ticket. The County Treasury had a deficit of $60,000 when he entered office. By fighting corruption and effecting cooper- ation among the better elements in the coun- ty, he was able to leave a surplus of $20,000 when he retired from this office. From 1910 to 1912 he was in the General Assembly from the 22nd District. From 1912 to 1938 he was chairman of the Edgar County Re- publican Central Committee.
At the age of 81, Mr. Coolley, who loved travel, started on a visit to his daughter in Phoenix. Enroute, he was stricken ill. On De- cember 12, 1947, in Texas, he died. He lies buried at Fairfield Memorial Cemetery, with his parents. "He was held in high esteem by everyone," said the Brocton Weekly Re- view. "A kind neighbor, consideiate of his family. . . ."
JOHN A. LUTZ, SR.
For more than seventy-five years an insti- tution of tremendous prestige and influence flourished in Central Illinois — the John A. Lutz Dry Goods Company of Lincoln. Founded by the late John A. Lutz, Sr., this establish- ment served thousands of Illinoisans, the great and the humble, and it was in the record of its founder that in his early days he had him- self in Springfield served Abraham Lincoln and the Lincoln family many times. Mr. Lutz became one of the great citizens of Logan County, a man who was a leader in civic, wel- fare and religious affairs — a man whose "ster- ling character was esteemed by all who knew him," as the Lincoln Evening Courier said of him.
Mr. Lutz was born in Goldkronach, Bavaria, on March 19, 1838, and died in Lincoln on December 8, 1924, at the age of eighty-six. He came to this country when a small lad, accompanied by his parents. The trip was made in a sail boat, the entire journey re- quiring six weeks, during which time the fam- ily encountered many hardships. The family, landing in New Orleans, first went to St. Louis, then to Springfied. At the age of twelve, John A. Lutz, Sr., entered the employ of Smith, Wickersham and Company in the capitol. Subsequently, he was with John T. Stewart. It was in Springfield that Mr. Lutz sold Abraham Lincoln a brown-brocaded dress which Mrs. Lincoln wore on her way to Wash-
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ington to the inauguration of her husband at the White House. Though still young, Mr. Lutz was soon given such important responsibilities as going to New York for his firm and buying merchandise for it. On his return trip the train on which he was a passenger broke down in the Village of Lincoln. This gave Mr. Lutz an opportunity to get a glimpse of the community, the result of which was that he persuaded his employer, Mr. Stewart, to join him in a partnership in a business there. On March 23, 1866, a dry goods store known as Lutz and Stewart was opened on Pulaski Street, in Lincoln. Soon Mr. Lutz was the sole owner and "through his great ability as a business man and his shrewd purchasing," combined with hard work and his many other great qualities, was able to build one of the largest and most attractive business houses in Lincoln. A few years before his death, he was invited to attend the National Dry Goods Association in New York, and was one of the oldest men in the United States to be so invited.
On October 26, 1867, in St. Louis, Mr. Lutz married Caroline Chamberlin, and to them were born John A. Lutz, Jr., (q.v.), who be- came one of Central Illinois' most prominent citizens; Mrs. Marian Gordon; Mrs. Caroline Bramwell and Edward C. Lutz, who also achieved great prominence in the area.
John A. Lutz, Sr., was for years active in the First Baptist Church of Lincoln and was interred in Union Cemetery at Lincoln, with many friends, associates and acquaintances at- tending. Every business house in Lincoln closed during funeral services. Said the Lin- coln Evening Courier, "Always a patron of letters and of art, foremost in promoting religious welfare movements of every name and order, alert and progressive in business, generous in support of every civic activity whose purpose aimed at better homes and better society, Mr. Lutz has left a place in Lincoln that cannot soon be filled. Those who enjoyed his friendship and thousands of oth- ers who knew him only casually will unite in characterizing him as a useful citizen in the best and fullest sense."
JOHN A. LUTZ, JR.
A distinguished bearer of a distinguished name, the late John A. Lutz, Jr., of Lincoln made a lasting contribution to life and devel- opment in Central Illinois. He not only man- aged the once-famous John A. Lutz Dry Goods Company store through the final years before it was sold, but he also served as
LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
HON. ISAAC N. COOLLEY, SR.
JOHN A. LUTZ, JR.
secretary of the Lincoln Chamber of Com- merce, gave leadership to the Boy Scout move- ment and served as a member of the staff of the Motor Refund Division of the Illinois State Revenue Department in Springfield. He was noted for his interest in civic and welfare programs and in industrial and commercial development.
John A. Lutz, Jr., was born in Lincoln on October 1. 1868, the son of the John A. Lutz (q.v.) who founded the John A. Lutz Dry Goods Company in Lincoln and made the family name famous throughout Central Illi- nois, and of Caroline C. (Chamberlin) Lutz. The younger Mr. Lutz was educated in the Lincoln public schools and in Lincoln College as well as St. Johnsbury Academy in Saint Johnsbury, Vermont. When a young man he lived in Portland, Oregon, and then in St. Louis. In St. Louis he was a traveling rep- resentative for Bromley Quaker Lace Curtain Company of Philadelphia. From the Missouri metropolis he went to Springfield, in the same state, to operate a fruit farm, on which he remained five or six years. Upon returning to Lincoln, he took over from his retired father the management of the John A. Lutz Dry Goods Company on Broadway. This store was operated for more than seventy-five years.
When the Lutz store was sold, Mr. Lutz became secretary of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, and in this post was responsible for considerable growth of the community. One of his achievements was the bringing of several industries to the city. When he re- signed the Chamber of Commerce post, Mr. Lutz became a member of the staff of the State Revenue Department's Motor Refund Division at the capital. In December, 1948, Mr. Lutz retired and from then on devoted himself to his home and family and to the civic and social affairs of Lincoln and Logan County.
On January 17, 1917, in Lincoln, Mr. Lutz married Irma Jacobs, and they established the home at 315 North Logan Street, Lincoln, which Mrs. Lutz still maintains. On Septem- ber 19, 1949, at Deaconess Hospital, Lincoln, Mr. Lutz died of a heart attack. He was then eleven days from his eighty-first birthday. Funeral services were held on September 22, 1949, with the Reverend O. B. Enselman, pas- tor of the Charleston Methodist Church and former pastor of the First Methodist Church of Lincoln, officiating. Interment was in Union Cemetery, Lincoln. The survivors included Mrs. Lutz and Mrs. Caroline L. Bramwell, sister of Mr. Lutz. Another sister, Mrs. Ma-
ILLINOIS EDITION
rion L. Gordon, and a brother, Edward C. Lutz, had preceded him in death.
Mr. Lutz was a charter member and past exalted ruler of Lincoln Lodge, No. 914, Bene- volent and Protective Order of Elks, and he was one of those active in organizing the first service club, Kiwanis, in the city. He served that club as one of its early presidents. Through his work with the Chamber of Com- merce and the Boy Scouts of America he made a further contribution to civic de- velopment.
The Lutz family has made a tremendous mark upon the life of Lincoln and Logan County. The share of John A. Lutz, Jr., in this impression upon the growth and develop- ment of a great area cannot be measured, but throughout his lifetime it was greatly recognized, and in many tangible and intan- gible ways there are monuments in the com- munity to his memory and to the extraor- dinary service he rendered his fellow citi- zens.
FRANK J. IMPEY
Pana, in Christian County, is the home of a concern which has promoted the growth of the floral and nursery business in the nation through manufacturing the materials for and erecting thousands of greenhouses. This con- cern is National Greenhouses Co., of which Frank J. Impey is vice-president and gen- eral manager. The firm not only has a large plant in Pana but also a warehouse at Naugatuck, Connecticut, near Near York City, which serves as the base for Eastern opera- tions. Mr. Impey, a veteran of World War 1, is one of Christian County's leading citizens and a prominent figure among greenhouse operators.
Born in Iowa City, Iowa, on December 1), 1895, Mr. Impey is the son of Charles F. Impey, banker, and Louise Impey. He was educated in Chicago's schools and upon gradu- ating from high school began learning the greenhouse, and flower-growing business as an employee of the John C. Moninger Green- house Company, Chicago. In 1923 he went to the American Greenhouse Company, also of Chicago, as manager, holding this position until 1930. In the meantime, the Moninger Company and the American Greenhouse Com- pany merged, and Mr. Impey was sent in 1930 to Brooklyn, New York, where he was general manager of the combined operations.
In 1934 he resigned and moved to Pana to become manager of the National Greenhouse Manufacturing Company, whose president at
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that time was P. L. McKee. In 1948 the business was sold to Mr. Impey, Robert Wit- temore and David L. Williams. Mr. Witte- more, who furnished most of the capital and who resides in Naugatuck, is president of the present company, National Greenhouse Company. The plant in Pana has 42,000 square feet of floor space and is equipped with large steel presses, drilling machines and other apparatus necessary to manufacture and form the many steel parts of a green- house. It also has a large wood planing mill where the wooden parts of a greenhouse are constructed. The firm either manufactures or supplies the complete materials for erect- ing greenhouses of any size, including the heating plant. In the past the firm also erect- ed greenhouses, but labor conditions forced abandonment of this phase of the business. Its materials are sold in all 48 states and some are exported. Replacement parts are sold to approximately 10,000 customers. The firm employs 30 to 35 persons in the fabrication of the materials. All the wood used in the opera- tions is cypress and many thousands of board feet are kept in stock so that the wood may age a year or more. Many tons of steel are also kept in stock. The warehouse at Naugatuck was completed late in 1949. It will contain a com- plete stock of materials necessary to build greenhouses in the East. Mr. Impey directs all operations.
In 1940, he married Marian L. Prosser of Pana, and they make their home in that city.
Mr. Impey is active in the civic affairs of Pana and achieved such prominence as to have been called on by a delegation which requested that he be a candidate for Mayor. He declined because of the pressure of his business duties. In World War I, Mr. Impey served with the 108th Engineers, 33rd Di- vision, as a Sergeant First Class. He partici- pated in the action at Amiens and the Argon- ne front. He is a Republican and is a member of the Rotary Club of Pana and the Pana Country Club. Fishing and golf are his fa- vorite sports. He is one of Pana's popular figures, and a leading figure in his field of business.
GWAIN R. ZARBUCK, D.C.
Having since boyhood addressed himself to a life in the healing arts, Dr. Gwain R. Zar- buck of Urbana is today realizing his dream of service to the health and well-being of his fellow citizens, for he is rapidly becoming one of the more successful chiropractors not
only in the campus city but in all Champaign County.
Dr. Zarbuck was born in Gilman, Illinois, on June 28, 1926. He is the son of Gus R. Zarbuck and Bertha (Hethkle) Zarbuck. His father, who was an automobile dealer in Bloomington, Illinois, died on March 23, 1946, and is survived by the mother.
When Dr. Zarbuck was quite young the family moved to Bloomington where he re- ceived his elementary education and entered high school.
Early in his junior year his sight began to fail and became rapidly worse until he was forced to leave school. He entered the Mayo Clinic at Rochester, Minnesota, where within a short time he was pronounced totally blind.
Young Zarbuck returned to Bloomington and immediately took up the study of Braille, seeking comfort in his new world. Also, upon professional advice, he was placed under the care of that well-known Chiropractor, Dr. Al- fred Homer at Morton, where he received regular nerve reading and adjustment.
He entered the Jacksonville school for the blind, continuing his chiropractic care, and embarked on intensive study of Braille. In a year and a half he was graduated with hon- ors, being awarded a 4-year scholarship to the University of Illinois.
During those dark days he had absolute confidence in the professional skill of Dr. Homer and Chiropractic, praying that he would be helped; and after a long period he found his sight was returning and he was able to see large objects at close range, and improvement was constant from that time. This remarkable recovery from blindness brought about in him a burning desire to help others as he had been helped, and he decided to dedicate his life to the greatest of healing arts, Chiropractic.
In order to improve his educational backr ground in preparation for his chosen pro- fession, he enrolled at the University of Illi- nois where he remained for a year, employing student readers to assist him during this pe- riod of returning vision.
After a year at the University he enrolled at Palmer School of Chiropractic at Daven- port, Iowa and completed his course, graduat- ing with the D. C. degree, a Doctor of Chiro- practic. He remained at Palmer School for 3-months on post-graduate work.
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
FRANK J. IMPEY
GWAIN R. ZARBl Ck, D.C.
He is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fra- ternity, the International Chiropractic Asso- ciation and the United Chiropractors Asso- ciation of Illinois.
In his school days, he was active in ath- letics. At both high school and college, he played football, baseball and basketball. His interest in all outdoor sports continues to- day. However, his major non-professional in- terest now is music, in which he has excep- tional talent. He plays the piano and the trombone. He studied music privately. In pol- itics and in thinking, he is an independent. He is a bachelor and his home is at 608 West Elm Street, Urbana.
Located in the business section of Urbana at 113 West Main Street is the three-room suite where Dr. Gwain R. Zarbuck maintains his office for the practice of Chiropractic. This well-appointed modern suite is fully equipped for the very finest of dignified Specific Chiropractic service, with the X-Ray, Neurocalometer and Neurocalograph. Dr. Zarbuck has as his receptionist and office assistant his mother, Bertha M. Zarbuck
Through skill and personality Dr. Zarbuck is constantly winning more and more the affections of his fellow Urbana citizens.
JULIUS JAMES HIRSCHFELD, LL.3.
An attorney in practice at Champaign with associate relations with law firms in LaSalle and Chicago, Julius James Hirschfeld is widely known not only in the legal profession but also in the agricultural world and in Catholic lay circles. Farms in which he has large interests are located in Jackson County, Illinois, and in Missouri. Once a delegate to the Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus, he has a national reputation in this Catholic fraternal order, and he holds or has held various important posts in its Central Illinois district and in the state.
Born in Champaign on August 19, 1904, Julius James Hirschfeld is the son of John and Emma Helen (Keller) Hirschfteld. His father, who was born in East St. Louis on September 13, 1874, is a wholesaler who in 1948 celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the location of his business in one place and who soon after the celebration constructed two new buildings there and remodeled one in accordance with modern trends. The at- torney's paternal grandfather, Daniel Hirsch- feld, a native of Germany, came to the United States in his youth. He became a naturalized citizen and was a merchant in the retail variety
goods field. Emma Keller Hirschfeld was born in Baker, Kansas, on September 20, 187ti. She was a young girl when her family moved to Champaign, where her marriage took place. Her father was also a native of Germany. A farmer in Kansas after coming to the United Siates. he, too, was naturalized.
Julius J. Hirschfeld was a pupil in the first to the seventh grades in the Colonel Wolfe Grade School, Champaign. For the eighth grade he went to Central Grade School. Fol- lowing his graduation from the Champaign High School, he did his prelegal and legal work at the University of Illinois which in 1928 awarded him the degree of Bachelor of Laws. From April, 1928, to October, 1928, Mr. Hirschfeld was associated with the law firm of Kixmiller, Barr and Hoffman and with the Commerce Clearing House in Chicago. He then returned to Champaign, and on October 12, 1928, began his practice in Champaign, where his office is in the First National Bank Building, His associate relations are with the firm of Hirschfeld, Hirschfeld and Clinch at. LaSalle, Illinois, where the associates are his brother, John C. Hirschfeld and John J. Clinch, Jr. The brother's main office is in Chicago, and Julius Hirschfeld maintains as- sociate relations with the Chicago office. The brothers are also associated in a farm of 550 acres at New Madrid, Missouri. Julius Hirsh- feld has another farm, consisting of 52 0 acres, in Jackson County, Illinois.
Mr. Hirschfeld married Mary Catherine Hannagan, the daughter of Arthur J. and Elizabeth A. (Gordon) Hannagan in Penfield, I'linois. They are the parents of three child- ren— John C. Hirschfeld, born on August 5, 1936; A. James Hirschfeld, born on August. 10, 1938, and Jerome A. Hirschfeld, born on July 22, 1944. Mrs. Hirschfeld is active in youth programs and in the societies of the Holy Cross Catholic Church where the entire family worships. The family home is at 1114 West Park Avenue, Champaign.
Mr. Hirschfeld's leadership in Catholic lay circles has been mentioned. He is not only a member of the Holy Name Society of his church, but also one of the outstanding mem- bers of the Knights of Columbus. At present he is a master of the Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus for Central Illinois. He is past grand knight of the Twin City Council, past district deputy of the Danville, Cham- paign, Tuscola, Illini and Hoopeston Councils; past state advocate of the Illinois State Coun- cil, past delegate to the Supreme Convention in Houston, Texas, and immediate past finan-
ILLINOIS EDITION
609
cial secretary of the Illini Council. He is also prominent in the Republican Party, being a past precinct committraen and a speaker in great demand.
HONORABLE BENJAMIN F. ANDERSON
After practicing as an attorney at Charles- ton for twenty-four years and gaining great prominence, the Honorable Benjamin F. An- derson was elected Judge of the Circuit Court of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Illinois, with headquarters at Charleston, seat of Coles County, and he has sat on the bench, with growing reputation for his able interpreta- tion of the law and sense of justice, since that time. He is a former City Attorney of Charleston and former Judge of the Charles- ton City Court and is also a noteworthy figure in civic, professional and organization af- fairs.
Judge Anderson was born in Charleston on July 3, 1893, the son of Albert C. and Nellie T. (Wright) Anderson. His father, a native of Meadville, Pennsylvania, practiced law in Charleston from 1893 to the time of his death on February 26, 1938. He was twelve years old when he came to Illinois with his parents, and resided in Charleston until his death.
Judge Anderson was educated in the ele- mentary and high schools of Charleston ; at Eastern Illinois State College, Charleston, and at the University of Illinois, Urbana. He was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Laws by the University of Illinois in 1915. At the university he was elected to Phi Delta Phi Fraternity. When he was at Eastern State College he won letters in basketball and track. Admitted to the Illinois State Bar in 1915, he entered into a law partnership with his father in Charleston, the firm being called A. C. and Ben F. Anderson. The part- nership was dissolved by the death of A. C. Anderson in 1938. The future judge con- tinued to practice, alone, until 1939, when he was elected to his present office of Judge of the Circuit Court of the Fifth Judicial Circuit. From 1917 to 1921, Judge Ander- son had served as Charleston's City Attorney and from 1922 to 1930 he was Judge of the Charleston City Court.
On April 17, 1917, at Charleston, he mar- ried Lena McNeel, the daughter of W. S. and Laura A. McNeel. Mr. McNeel died in 1918 and is survived by his widow. Mrs. An- derson is active in such organizations as the Charleston City Women's Club, the Pan-
Hellenic Society and the Charleston Country Club. She and the Judge are the parents of two daughters — Martha Leonas, the wife of Andrew L. Leonas and mother of Mark and Anne Leonas; and Barbara Hayes, the wife of Harold L. Hayes. Judge and Mrs. Ander- son make their home at 1435 Seventh Street, Charleston.
Judge Anderson is a member of the Ro- tary Club of Charleston; the Charleston Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; the Modern Woodmen of America, Charleston; the Charleston Country Club; the Charleston Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; the Circuit Judges Association; the Illi- nois State Bar Association; the Coles County and Vermilion County Bar Associations and the American Judicature Society. He is a Republican. Golf is his favorite game. An outstanding citizen of his native Coles Coun- ty, he is known and respected throughout the state.
SIDNEY VINCENT CAIN
A paper packaging and janitors supplies distributor, Sidney Vincent Cain of Peoria is known not only in Illinois but in Iowa, so far-reaching has become his business, S. V. Cain, Inc. In addition to this firm, Mr. Cain has interests in two other Peoria businesses, William Mottsett, Inc., and Central Indem- nity Corporation. He is one of the more active members of the community.
Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 16, 1909, Mr. Cain is the son of John Henry Cain, a native of Union City, Ohio, and an optometrist who died in 1936, and Alice Mary (Clasgens) Cain, also a native of Union City, who is still living. S. V. Cain first attended his native city's elementary schools. Follow- ing graduation from high school, he spent two years at Butler University, also in In- dianapolis. From 1929 to 1938 Mr. Cain was a salesman for the Capital Paper Company of Indianapolis. In 1938 he established S. V. Cain, Inc., and has built it into one of the more prosperous concerns in its field in the Illinois-Iowa region. He covers all of Illinois and part of Iowa, maintaining headquarters at 322 South Washington Street, Peoria, and branches at Danville, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa. He is vice-president of William Mott- sett, Inc.
Mr. Cain married Josephine P. Biggins of Belfast, Ireland, on October 20, 1932. Mrs. Cain is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Biggins, both of whom were also natives of Ireland. Her father, a constable on the Bel-
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HONORABLE BENJAMIN F. ANDERSON
SIDNEY VINCENT CAIN
fast police force, died in 1946. Mr. and Mrs. Cain have seven children, one of whom they adopted. The adopted child is Teresa Morris Cain, who was born in May, 1932. The other children are Richard Michael Cain, born in February, 1934; Maureen Mary Cain, born in March, 1935; Daniel Patrick Cain, born in Feb- ruary, 1939; Sheila Josephene Cain, born in June, 1942; Sidney Vincent Cain, Jr., born in January, 1943; and Kathleen Patricia Cain, born in May, 1945. Mr. and Mrs. Cain and their family reside at 362 Moss Avenue, Peoria, and worship in the Roman Catholic Church.
Mr. Cain's activities have made him a prom- inent figure in many organizations, among them the Creve Country Club, of which he is a director; the National Paper Trade Asso- ciation, the Sanitary Supply Association, the Rotary Club of Peoria, the Knights of Co- lumbus, the Association of Commerce and the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, vice- chairman of the board of commissioners of the Greater Paris Airport Authority and is active in Democratic politics. An employer of thirty persons, a leader in his business and community, Mr. Cain ranks among those who are contemporary builders of Illinois.
WALTER JOHN BECKER
A company of international ramifications, Little Giant Products, Inc., of Peoria, manu- factures truck equipment which has done much to keep the wheels of progress going not only in the United States but in many other parts of the world. Of this concern Walter John Becker is former president and current chairman of the board. He is also one of Peoria's more active citizens, vitally interested in the general welfare of the city.
Mr. Becker was born on February 17, 1889, across the river at Pekin. His parents were Herman J. and Lena (Ubben) Becker, both also natives of the Tazewell County seat. His father, who was secretary of the board of education there, died in 1926; the mother had died in 1902. The manufacturer was edu- cated in the elementary and high schools of Pekin. For two years he worked as a reporter on a Pekin newspaper and then, in 1912, he entered the employ of the American Distilling Company in his native city. This employment he continued until 1917, when he went into the advertising business for himself in Peoria. In 1926, he left advertising to assume the vice presidency and secretaryship of Little Giant Products, Inc. He became president in 1936 and chairman of the board of direc- tors in 1948. The company, with home office
and plant at 1530 North Adams Street, Peoria, distributes its truck equipment in all parts of the United States and many foreign countries. It employs 150 persons.
Mr. Becker married Edna Bardwell of Pekin on June 18, 1909. She died in 1930. Mrs. Becker was the daughter of Fred and Cora (Gundy) Bardwell, natives of Indiana. Her father, who was a roadmaster in the Hoosier State, died in 1948. He is survived by Mrs. Bardwell. Mr. and Mrs. Becker be- came the parents of one son, Jay Becker, who was born on November 10, 1918.
Walter J. Becker is active in the Peoria Better Business Bureau, the Illinois Manu- facturers Association, the Peoria Association of Commerce, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Masonic fraternity, the University Club of Peoria and the Creve Coeur Club. Boats are his hobby. His indus- trial leadership is highly valued in Peoria.
CLAUS ROHWEDER
Assumption is a little city in Christian County, but the Rohweder Drug Store, owned by Claus Rohweder, is operated on big city lines. It has become an important business and social center in Christian County, and a point of reliance in the medical profes- sion. Mr. Rohweder, a progressive business man, has served Assumption in many ways and is one of its popular citizens.
He was born in Erfde, Germany, on No- vember 14, 1891, the son of John and Wil- helmina (Thomson) Rohweder. His father, a cabinet maker, brought the family to the Unit- ed States in 1893. For a time the Rohweders lived at Thomasboro, in Champaign County; then in Tuscola, Douglas County. Claus Roh- weder began his education in Tuscola, and in 1910 was graduated from its high school. He was still in high school when he began his pharmaceutical studies and working in a drug store. Out of the $1.75 a week he earned in the Tuscola drug store, he saved $388 by the time he was graduated. This en- abled him to start at Northwestern Uni- versity. He worked his way through the uni- versity, and in June of 1913 received his degree of Ph.G. Graduate in Pharmacy.
In 1916 Mr. Rohweder married Leota F. Parker, who died in July, 1938. In April, 1939, Mr. Rohweder married Opal Hays Chap- man in Assumption. Mrs. Rohweder's daugh- ter, Grace, is now Mrs. Howard W. Davis, Jr. By his first marriage Mr. Rohweder be- came the father of two sons and a daughter — Wilhelmina Elizabether, born on October
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26, 1916, now the wife of Harry Seeforth, supeiintendent of the Wabash Railroad yards; Claus Rohweder, Jr., born on August 19, 1918, who married Jane Givens of Kirksville, Missouri, and is now a Doctor of Osteopathy, a member of the International Council of Cancer Research, a teacher of osteopathy and a cancer researchist; and William John Roh- weder, born on December 26, 1921, who was a tailgunner in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and was killed in action. The present Mrs. Rohweder is active in the Order of the Eastern Star in Christian County, in the programs of the Christian Church of Assumption and in Assumption's civic affairs. Mr. Rohweder is also active in the Christian Church.
After taking his pharmaceutical degree Mr. Rohweder remained in Chicago, working in a drug store there until June, 1915. He then went to work in a drug store in Urbana. After three years in that store, he entered the employ of the Oldham Brothers Drug Store, Urbana, and subsequently spent a year with the Becker Drug Store in the same city. For ten and one-half years Mr. Rohweder was a road salesman for the H. K. Mulford Company, a manufacturing drug firm. In 1931, he returned to Danville and bought his first drug store. Later, he managed two stores for the Ford Hopkins chain in as many Illinois communities. In February, 1939, he opened his present business, the Rohweder Drug Store, in Assumption. He has made a big enterprise of this most modern establish- ment. He was a member of the Kiwanis Clubs of Streator and LaSalle and in 1941-42 he was president of the Rotary Club of Assump- tion. He has been a Mason since he joined the Urbana Lodge in May, 1920. Woodwork- ing and photography and his hobbies. He is considered as one of those who in recent years have done the most for Assumption and is well known among drug store operators in Illinois.
HOMER JOHN BUCKLEY
After establishing and operating for years the famous advertising firm of Buckley, De- ment and Company in Chicago, Homer John Buckley decided he would retire. This was in 1944. Today this "retired" citizen, who in 1950 celebrated his seventy-first birthday, actively heads the firm of Homer J. Buckley and Associates, Inc., with offices at 57 East Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, advertising and public relations counselors. He has devoted his advertising and public relations talents to
many commercial projects — and also to civic and welfare organizations.
Mr. Buckley was born in Rock Island County on March 16, 1879, the son of John A. and Mary J. (Sullivan) Buckley, and was edu- cated at St. Ignatius High School and Col- lege, Bryant and Stratton Business College, Kent College of Law. At college he was elect- ed to Alpha Delta Sigma Fraternity. Mr. Buckley began his career as a messegner for Marshall Field and Company, Chicago. His abilities soon won him a place in the office of H. Gordon Selfridge, now operating the famous American-type department store in London, with whom he worked several, years creating Marshall Field's direct mail depart- ment.
For a time Mr. Buckley was manager of the store's advertising and sales promotion. In 19 05, he organized Buckley, Dement and Company and guided it to the point where it had a staff of 450 persons, specializing in direct mail, using thirty trucks to carry the outgoing mail to the Post Office. He became noted as the man who, as a specialist in direct mail, worked "behind the scenes" of many of America's great sales campaigns. He was founder and first president of the Internation- al Direct Mail Advertising Association, Presi- dent of the National Council of Business Mail Users and of the Advertising Council of Chi- cago, and is the author of "The Science of Marketing by Mail."
In 1933 at the Chicago World's Fair he was chairman of the Committee on Public Rela- tions. He served on the lecture staff of North- western University, Notre Dame, University of Illinois School of Commerce and other in- stitutions. In 1944, Mr. Buckley turned his big advertising agency over to a group of long service employees. It was his intention to retire, but he soon called Homer J. Buck- ley and Associates into being and now directs another type of advertising, sales promotion and public relations operation, and this too- has become a big firm in its field.
In 1907 Mr. Buckley married Lucile Kath- leen Wallace, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wil- lard F. Wallace of New York City. The Buck- leys live at 915 Bonnie Brae, River Forest, and both are active in that community. Mrs. Buckley is president of the Women's Guild of St. Luke's Church there. Mr. Buckley is also a communicant of that church. Mr. and Mrs. Buckley have one daughter, Marihelyn Patricia, who in November, 1947, was mar- ried to Vincent Lee Murphy of Chicago.
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CLAUS ROHWEDER
HOMER JOHN BUCKLEY
Mr. Buckley made a reputation for work on behalf of public welfare, and he continues active in this field. He was not only a trustee of the Century of Progress World's Fair in 1933, but has served on the Zoning Com- mission of River Forest and been a director of the Civic Federation of Chicago and the Catholic Charities of Chicago. He was at one time president of the Tuberculosis Institute of Chicago for a period of five years and also of the Travelers Aid Society of Chicago.
In the World War II period and the preced- ing "national emergency," he was a major specialist in the United States Army (Selec- tive Service 1938 to 1945). He is a member of the Chicago Athletic Association, the But- terfield Country Club and the Knights of Columbus, and is independent in politics. He is a lay trustee of Loyola University in Chicago. Coif and fishing are his favorite recreations. He is widely recognized for the great contribution he has made to business and civic development.
RUEL ELDEN HALL, M.A.
An educator whose career has taken him into various parts of Illinois, Ruel Elden Hall is now superintendent of schools of Kankakee County, with headquarters at the county seat, Kankakee. He is known throughout the state and among educators in the rest of the nation. Outside the field of education, Mr. Hall takes an active interest in civic and fraternal affairs.
He was born on August 13, 1905, at Tahoe Ridge, near Grangeville, Idaho County, Idaho, the son of Gregg and Effie Hall, both of whom were natives of Coles County, Illinois. Gregg Hall was a farmer. The educator is the older of two children. He has a sister, Clothilde. To prepare himself for his profession, Ruel Hall came to the county seat of his parents' native county— Charleston. There he studied at Eastern State Teachers College, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1929. He received his Master of Arts degree in Chicago in 1939. In 1924 he began his career as a teacher in the public schools of Patoka, in Marion County, where he served until 1926. From 1929 to 1937 he was on the faculty of the Kankakee High School and from 1937 to 1941 he was superintendent of schools at Brad- ley, Kankakee County. Since 1941 he has been superintendent of schools of the entire county, with a reputation that is spreading to distant places, for he is an exponent of progressive methods and is an able administrator.
In 1930 Mr. Hall married Frances Craig, who was born in Charleston on June 11, 1907.
They have become the parents of a son and daughter — Stuart Craig Hall, born in 1938, and Susan Hall, born in 1944.
Mr. Hall is active in the Kiwanis Club of Kankakee, the Kankakee Lodge of the Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks and the Masonic Lodge, Charleston. Kankakee County's citizens have been conscious of a great rise in the standards of the teaching personnel and in the educational attainments of their children since Mr. Hall's assumption of the school superintendency.
LOUIS HYLAND ERICKSON
The industrial world has long known the leadership of Louis Hyland Erickson of Chi- cago. As president of the Borg Erickson Cor- poration, he is one of the outstanding scale manufacturers of the nation. He is a leading figure in state and national trade organiza- tions and is noted in Wisconsin and in Cook County for his active interest in develop- ment and improvement projects.
Mr. Erickson was born in Chicago on Sep- tember 27, 1905, the son of Louis Eric and Anna Maud (Booth) Erickson. His father, born in Peotone, Will County, on September 26, 1873, was a dress manufacturer in the Windy City. The mother, a native of Rock Falls, Whiteside County, was the daughter of Dr. A. J. Booth, who served with the rank of Captain in the Confederate Army and was a cousin of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth. Louis H. Erickson was graduated from the Oak Park High School and went on to the University of Illinois, where he took his de- gree in 1926. On the football team of the Oak Park High School from 1918 to 1922, he was on the university's varsity team in the season of 1922-'23. At the university he was elected to Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.
Even before he finished his education Mr. Erickson began his career. In 1924, he be- came assistant purchasing agent for the Pub- lic Service Company of Northern Illinois, a post he held until 1928. From 1928 to 1931 he was vice president of the law printing firm of Hawkins and Loomis, Chicago, and from 1931 to 1934 was vice president of the Brooks Contracting Corporation, World's Fair con- tractors. In 1934 Mr. Erickson became a part- ner in the Art Lamp Corporation in Chicago, remaining until 1937, when he became vice president and sales manager of the Borg Scale Division of the George W. Borg Corpo- ration. In 1941, when the Borg Erickson Cor- poration was formed as successor to the Borg Scale Division, Mr. Erickson assumed the
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presidency of the new corporation, and he has since consolidated the high position pre- viously won in the scale manufacturing busi- ness.
On December 2, 1933, in Chicago, Mr. Erick- son married Charlotte Eleanore Borg, the daughter of George W. and Florence W. Borg. Mr. and Mrs. Erickson, who maintain their home at 3200 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, have a son and daughter — Hyland Borg Erickson, who was born in 1939, and Melinda Ann Erickson, who was born in 1944. Mrs. Erick- son is, like her husband, active in civic work in Chicago. She is a member of the Chicago Service Club, the Margaret Etter Creche, the American Women's Volunteer Society and the Women's Athletic Club.
Mr. Erickson's business interests outside his corporation include the Michigan Avenue National Bank of Chicago, in which he is a director. In 1947, 1948 and 1949 he was pres- ident of the National Association of Scale Manufacturers and since 1945 he has been a director of that organization. He is vice chair- man of the Government Spending Committee of the National Association of Manufacturers and a member of various committees of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce. In his civic work, he is vice president of the Delavan Lake Improvement Association at Delavan Lake, Wisconsin, and a director of the North Central Improvement Association of Chicago. He is also a member of the Chicago Athletic Association, the Lake Shore Club, the Lake Geneva Country Club, the Chicago Yacht Club and the Delavan Lake Yacht Club. He was a charter member of the Chicago Black Horse Troop, 106th Cavalry, Illinois National Guard, and from 1931 to 1934 was a Lieuten- ant in that body. Fishing, hunting and boat- ing are his favorite sports. Mr. Erickson's leadership in his field of business and in civic work has made him a noted citizen.
GREAT CENTRAL INSURANCE CO., PEORIA, ILL.
The history of Great Central began with the birth of the Great Central Protective Associa- tion in Peoria, 111., during April 1934. This organization was organized by a group of re- tail businessmen, who felt the great need of Crime Protection that would reimburse mem- bers of the Association for money or merchan- dise as the result of a crime loss. Protection within the reach of their pocketbooks and prompt payment when they suffered a crime loss, without red tape, was the salient purpose
of the organization. The plan was successful and now every kind and type of small retail businessman can have this original plan of crime protection by making a small monthly payment he can afford.
Management of the Great Central Protective Asociation, the same that later also served Great Central Mutual Insurance Company, had vision and fortitude. The Association grew and so did the need for broader crime cover- age. The acceptance by small businessmen of this novel plan and service, and their con- tinued patronage was the cornerstone of the Great Central Mutual Insurance Company. On April 11, 1938 the company was issued a Charter by the Insurance Department of the State of Illinois. The company was headed by men who had faith and determination to be successful with a plan that never had been thought of or tried before in the history of insurance. James S. Flanigon served as presi- dent, Elmo G. Kuecks as secretary and treas- urer, Claude E. Kitchell as general counsel, and as directors who served with wise counsel, Lester F. Carson and Carl E. Phillips.
The operation of the Company and its agency force was as unusual as the company's broad comprehensive Crime Insurance policies. As Specialists in their field, the need was also apparent for men to sell their policies who were trained as Crime Insurance Specialists. The company again diverted from usual in- surance customs and hired men to be trained as specialists in this field to sell their policy on a full time basis. The monthly premium payment originated by the company, "or pay as you use it" and the unusual "package policy" covering the retail merchant's business . met with immediate success.
The company in keeping with its original plan, put no restrictions on the location or the physical properties of the building the merchant occupied. Stress was placed upon the honesty of the applicant for Crime Insurance Protection.
The first policy offered provided Business coverage of $250.00. In 1941 Great Central management took another important step and authorized the sales of $500 business cover- age, and also issued an endorsement giving policyholders Crime protection for their homes without having to obtain another policy.
In December of 1941, with the world at war, Great Central realized the merchant would now need even more protection than ever be- fore as Crime increased to an all-time high in country history. This unusual need caused the
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LOUIS IIYLAND ERICKSON
JAMES STEVEN FLANIGON
company to again make Crime Insurance history and another "first" by announcing their now popular combination .Business and Home policy. The news was a sensation in Insurance circles. This was the first time the merchant could buy a "package" Crime In- surance policy covering both his business and home for one low-cost premium payable on the popular monthly payment plan.
In 1943 the limits were increased to four $250,000 units or $1,000.00 of Crime Insurance protection. The crime condition in the country and the apparent need for larger amounts of insurance created another historical step, and the company increased the limits to $3,000. Merchants could now buy any number of $250 Units of Crime coverage up to the new limits of crime insurance.
At no time in its past or present operation did the company and management stand still. The goal of the company is to be first with the best in Crime Insurance coverage, and they continued to revise and streamline their poli- cies and service. The company continued to expand and its reputation grew and recogni- tion as the leader in their field was definitely an established and accepted fact.
In February 1948 another important step in its history was accomplished. A stock company was founded under the insurance laws of the State of Illinois. As of March 30, 1948 the entire business, including the assets and liabil- ities of the Great Central Mutual Insurance Company, a Mutual company, was reinsured by the stock company. The Board of Directors of Great Central Mutual Insurance Company became the directorship of the Great Central Insurance Company. The company continued under the leadership of James S. Flanigon, President; Elmo G. Kuecks, Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer; Lester F. Carson, Vice President; and Matthew W. Powers, Vice President and Comptroller. The membership of the Board of Directors is composed of lead- ing business and professional men; Sylvan Olson, Vice President, Commercial National Bank; Rex G. Howard, President, Howard Company; William Krieger, Certified Public Accountant; W. James Patton, President, Jef- ferson Trust & Savings Bank; Edward J. Fahey, Vice President, Thomas T. North, Inc.; G. Chapman Caldwell, Penn Mutual Insurance Company; and Dr. A. J. Cichoke.
In addition to its home state of Illinois, the company is also licensed to do business in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mis- souri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma,
Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Great Central's growth has been amazing since its inception. The first year, 1938, Great Central wrote Burglary and Hold-Up Crime Insurance premiums of $32,068.00. In the course of twelve years, premiums written in- creased to $2,547,675.00 written during 1949. In the twenty states in which great Central is licensed to sell Crime Insurance protection, they are usually the leaders in burglary and hold-up premiums written compared to the many other insurance companies writing a similar line of insurance coverage. In its home state, Illinois, Great Central has led all other companies since 1945, and a similar pattern is reflected in other states after the company has been operating for a period of several years.
Since their modest beginning, leadership and service to policyholders, ever-broadening Crime Insurance policies, and most important, prompt payment of claims, have been the foundation and force that created Great Central's distinc- tive recognition as America's leading and ex- clusive Crime Insurance Specialists.
JAMES STEVEN FLANIGON
The only insurance company in the United States which does an exclusive business in the writing of holdup and burglary crime in- surance is the Great Central Insurance Com- pany with Home Offices at Peoria, of which James Steven Flanigon is president. This com- pany, with its extensive operations and rami- fications in twenty states, has won a com- manding position in the insurance world under Mr. Flanigon's leadership. Mr. Flanigon, well known not only in the insurance business, is also prominent in civic circles, in the national Chamber of Commerce movement and in Catholic lay circles.
He was born at Urbana on May 28, 1905, the son of James M. and Eva A. (Gallaher) Flanigon. His father, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, is a retired machinist. His mother is a native of Montezuma, Indiana. The insurance executive was educated in the elementary and high schools of Peoria and for four years after finishing his education worked for the Stand- ard Oil Company in that city. In 1934 he went into the protection insurance business, under his own name. In 1937 he adopted as the name of his present business Great Central Insur- ance Company and he has since built it into the great organization it is. He maintains headquarters in the First National Bank Building in Peoria and employs four hundred
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eighty persons in an organization operating in twenty states. His is absolutely the only company in the nation which does an exclusive business in holdup and burglary Crime Insur- ance. He has himself become a leader in this kind of insurance in the United States.
Mr. Flanigon married Beatrice S. Tinen, daughter of James E. Tinen, who died in 1915, and Jennie (Hogan) Tinen, who died in 1933, the marriage taking place in Chicago on May 14, 1930. Mr. and Mrs. Flanigon are the par- ents of three children all born in Peoria, 111.: Nancy Jane, who was born on February 22, 1936; Kathleen Ann, Born on August 10, 1938, and James Tinen Flanigon, born on August 17, 1941. The family home is at 208 Crestwood Drive, Peoria, and the entire family worships in the Catholic Church.
Mr. Flanigon is prominent at the St. Philo- mena Church and served as the first president of its Men's Club. He is a Fourth Degree mem- ber of The Knights of Columbus and was for- merly the Grand Knight of this organization. He is also a member of the Alhambra Club, the Peoria Advertising and Selling Club, the Peoria Association of Commerce, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Com- merce of the United States, the Bradley Booster Club, the Mount Hawley Country Club and the Creve Coeur Club. Mr. Flanigon also holds two honorary appointments. He was made an honorary citizen of the City of New Orleans by Mayor de Lesseps S. Morrison, and was appointed an Admiral of the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska by Governor Val Peterson. Bowling and golf are his favor- ite sports, while railroad trains are his hobby. That he has aided the growth of business by removing the great specter of fear from the minds of innumerable business executives must be easily recognized.
ALFRED EUGENE HUDSON
At Morton, Illinois, a major wholesale market and retail shopping center for the state's prosperous farm belt, a leading dis- tributor of road building machinery is Alfred Eugene Hudson. Mr. Hudson's company is A. E. Hudson Company, Inc., with headquarters Route 150, Morton, Illinois. The firm covers fitly Illinois counties and maintains branches at Rock Island and Springfield. Through his business Mr. Hudson is one of those stimu- lating the growth and continued success of the state's road program.
Mr. Hudson was born at Saginaw, Michi- gan, on June 10, 1895, the son of Alfred and Mary Kli/.abeth (Doyle) Hudson. His father,
a native of Canada, was in the lumber busi- ness at Saginaw. He died in 1939. The mother, who was born in Saginaw, died in 1905. After completing his early education in the Saginaw High School, A. E. Hudson spent three semesters at Vanderbilt Universi- ty, Nashville, Tennessee. He was in the rail- road business one year and then for a year and one-half was with the Rumley Company, a machinery business, at Nashville. He moved to Peoria in 1916 to become associated with the Hart-Parr Company of Charles City, Iowa. He remained with this company until 1920. In 1921, he became a salesman for the Holt Manufacturing Company in Peoria. Two years later he resigned this position to be- come first distributor in Illinois for Holt Mfg. Company, operating under the name of Blythe-Hudson Company, with Peoria as head- quarters. In 1927, he took over the distributor- ship for the Allis-Chalmers Company at Peoria, and this activity he continued until 1934. In that year he organized the Illinois Corrugated Culvert Company, and was its president until 1941, when he became dis- tributor for, among other companies, the International Harvestor Company. He calls his distributorship A. E. Hudson Company, Inc., and he represents, besides International, the Buckyrus Erie Company, Jaeger Machine Company, J. D. Adams Company, Herd Com- pany and Frank G. Hough Co. In the East Peoria headquarters and in the Rock Island and Springfield branches he employs an ag- gregate of fifty-five persons.
Mr. Hudson married Mabel L. Bohanan of Peoria on September 3, 1916. Mrs. Hudson is the daughter of Dr. William E. Bohanan, who was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and prac- ticed medicine in Peoria until his death, and Lillian E. (Tobin ) Bohanan, a native of Chica- go who survives her husband. Mr. and Mrs. Hudson became the parents of Alfred W. Hud- son, who was born on November 18, 1917, and Betty Jean, who was born on May 20, 1920. The son, who was with the United States Army Air Force in World War II, was killed in action on October 23, 1943. The daughter is the wife of Warren J. Smith and the mother of Susan Smith, born in 1947, and Steven Smith, born in 1949. Mr. and Mrs. Hudson reside at 301 N. Glenwood Avenue, Peoria, Illinois.
Active in community life, Mr. Hudson is a member of the Peoria Association of Com- merce, the Illinois State Chamber of Com- merce, the Knights of Columbus and the Creve Coeur Club. He is also a member of
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the American Equipment Distributors. For sport he likes fishing. He is one of the modern builders of Illinois.
REV. MARION W. ARTERBURN
Virtually all his life the Reverend Marion W. Arterburn of Mattoon has devoted himself to evangelistic work and though now engaged principally in farming — he is one of the big melon growers of Central Illinois — he is still active in the religious world along with his wife, the former Blanche Wanda Winn, who has been his partner in the work for God all through the years. Mr. Arterburn, who has won a place of preeminence in the Christian Church, is also interested in oil and mining and in industrial enterprises, and to pro- grams to stimulate musical and cultural in- terest he has made a substantial contribution.
Mr. Arterburn was born at Grant, Ne- braska, on December 1, 1887, the son of Edwin and Lucy Ellen (Pinnell) Arterburn. His father, a farmer in Western Nebraska and in Illinois, was in his younger days an outstand- ing athlete. He was an earnest Christian throughout his seventy-two years. The Rev- erend Mr. Arterburn had an older sister, Lillie, and a younger brother, John, both of whom died in early youth.
He was graduated from the Mattoon High School and spent two years at the University of Illinois. At high school and college he was active in track and field athletics. He took a Bible-music course in the Moody Bible Insti- tute, Chicago. When he left Moody Institute Mr. Arterburn went into religious work as a Y. M. C. A. secretary in Army camps— Mac- Arthur, near Waco, Texas, and Fort Bliss, near El Paso.
After World War I, he and Mrs. Arter- burn entered evangelistic work as song lead- ers. They had been married at Grant, Ne- braska, Mr. Arterburn's birthplace, on Aug- ust 30, 1911. For eighteen years after the war they were active in evangelism, spending short summers on their present farm outside Mattoon, where Mr. Arterburn's parents lived. Since leaving the road, they have engaged in general farming, but specializing in melon- growing. Mr. Arterburn started this activity as a hobby, but it grew into a business. Some years he raises as many as 200 acres of melons. The home place, consisting of eighty acres, is located two miles south of Mattoon on Lake Mattoon Road. It has been the Arter- burn's headquarters and permanent home for more than a half century. While Mr. Arter- burn engages in his agricultural work, Mrs.
Arterburn is active as president of the Wom- en's Christian Temperance Union of Mattoon, as chairman of the deaconnesses of the First Christian Church of Mattoon, teacher of the Truth Seekers Bible Class and as pianist at evangelistic evening services.
Meantime, in addition to his agricultural pursuits Mr. Arterburn has worked on oil and mining development projects, served a year as director of the Clark Foundry of Mattoon and is at present a director in the Bryan Steam Corporation, builders of high and low pressure boilers. Also, he is chairman of the board of elders of the First Christian Church, in which he is an ordained minister. He is also vice president of the Civic Music Association of Mattoon and a member of the Optimist Club and the Chamber of Commerce. In politics he is a Republican. Music remains Mr. Arterburn's hobby. He still loves to lead song services and to do some singing him- self. Also, he is an enthusiast for "good clean sports." With his wife Mr. Arterburn has given distinguished service to mankind and to God.
HON. CLYDE A. CARTER
In Southern Illinois and in five Southern States the name of The Randolph Milling Company of Ava, in Jackson County, and Baldwin, in Randolph County, is associated with exceptional service in the grain and feed market. Since 1924 the Honorable Clyde A. Carter of Ava has been president of this concern, and he has seen it through periods of great prosperity and through adversity, and is currently guiding it through one of the greatest periods of prosperity in its history. He is nationally known in the milling business and in Ava, where he has been a leading- citizen most of his life, he has achieved such standing as to be elected Mayor.
Mayor Carter was born at Baldwin on May 4, 1884, the son of George E. and Belle (Holden) Carter. His father, also a miller, was a native of New York State, his mother of Illinois. After his graduation from the Baldwin High School in 1901, Mr. Carter spent a year each at two different business schools in St. Louis. Then he worked a year for a wholesale grocery concern in that city and for another year in the sales office of the American Radiator Company there.
In 1905 his father gave him some stock and made him secretary of the Randolph Mill- ing Company, Inc., the plant and home office of which was then in Baldwin. In 1915, Clyde Carter became secretary and treasurer of the
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company and in 1924, following his father's death, president. In 1931 the mill at Baldwin burned down, and the company's operations were moved to Ava. For a year' Mr. Carter and his associates leased a mill in that city, then bought it. Ava continues the seat of the company's main operations, but an elevator and feed mill have replaced the old original plant at Baldwin. The company manufactures soft and hard wheat flour and commercial feeds, and buys grain. Its trade area com- prises Southern Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. A total of thirty persons is employed at Ava and Bald- win.
Mayor Carter married Cordia Linders, the daughter of Ernest and Dora Linders of Baldwin, in that village on November 30, 1906. They have a daughter and son — Mrs. Melba Dean, the mother of Shirley, now Mrs. Paul Guider, and C. Arlin Carter, now treasurer of the Randolph Milling Company, who is also married and is the father of Carol, James and Thomas Carter. The family worships in the Centenary Methodist Church of Murphysboro, in which Mr. Carter is presi- dent of the official board.
A Republican who throughout his adult life has been active in political and public affairs, Mr. Carter was elected Mayor of Ava in 1937 and repeatedly re-elected. In this period he has installed a water works, improved the street system and in other ways furthered the development of this city of 300. In his business field he has twice been president of the Southern Illinois Millers Association and is also a director of the Millers National Federation, headquartered in Chicago. He is a Mason. His public office, his business and his church and other activ- ities have been the means through which he has given extraordinary public service.
ROGER Q. KIMMEL
"I like the insurance and real estate busi- ness— I like the contacts that it permits me to make, and I like the protection and service that it permits me to give to my friends . . ." So Roger Q. Kimmel of Murphysboro wrote in an article in a national trade magazine, The Local Agent. The point of view expressed in these words suggests why Mr. Kimmel's one man agency, "built from the ground up without absorbing other agencies," has been so successful. Another explanation lies in his civic service that carried him "from three years as president of the Murphysboro Cham-
ber of Commerce to frying pancakes at a Lion's Club pancake fry."
Mr. Kimmel was born at Elkville, Jackson County, Illinois, on March 27, 1890, the son of Edward E. and Susan R. Kimmel. His father, who was also a native of Elkville, was a farmer and president of the Elkville State Bank. Roger Q. Kimmel was educated in the public schools of Elkville and at Brown's Busi- ness College of Centralia, Illinois, which he attended one year. In 1910 he became cashier of the Elkville State Bank, and this post he held for sixteen years. In that period he was active and prominent in bankers association work. In January 1926 he assumed the office of executive vice president of both the First National Bank of Murphysboro and the Mur- physboro Savings Bank, later assuming the duties of cashier, too. These he resigned on March 1, 1930 — "just before the biggest mess of 'busting' that the country had ever known" — and two months later entered the real estate and insurance business at his present address, 1325 Walnut Street, Murphysboro. Mr. Kimmel was very active in real estate circles for several years thereafter, serving as secretary of the Jackson County Real Estate Board 1937-38, president of Egyptian Real Estate Board 1941-42, member of Ethics Committee of the Illinois Association of Real Estate Boards 1938-39, secretary of the asso- ciation 1942-43, and vice president in 1944-45.
On October 25, 1911, Mr. Kimmel married Meta B., thp daughter of Frank G. and Kate B. Procunier of the Desoto area. A daughter. Ellouise Kate was born to the marriage or. January 1, 1913. She married Theodore C. Saylor of Joliet, is the mother of Teddy Kimmel and Susan Kate Saylor, and resides in Murphys- boro.
When Mr. Kimmel served as president of the Chamber of Commerce in the years 1935 to 1938, an industrial agent for the GMO Rail- road said he was the most active chamber president along the line, and this his fellow citizens at Murphysboro echoed. He continued- his community and regional promotion not only through the chamber but through South- ern Illinois Incorporated, a regional civic organization, which he helped to organize in 1940 and on whose charter his name appears. He served this organization as director for several years and as its treasurer for three years. In both World Wars I and II he headed bond and other war-related drives. He was the first drive chairman of the Jackson County USO in World War II and he was also chair- man of the Murphysboro Township Red Cross
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ROGER Q. KIMMEL
War Drives the following three years. Mr. Kimmel has been a member of the Jackson County Public Aid Advisory Committee since it was organized in 1942 and has been its chairman for the past six years, and has been chairman of the local Salvation Army Advisory Board for nearly twenty years. Be- sides his pancake frying he has otherwise been active in the Lion's Club. He is a mem- ber of the Fraternal Order of Eagles and of the masonic bodies, including the Mississippi Valley Consistory of the Scottish Rite and Ainad Temple Shrine, both in East St. Louis. He is an authority on local early history of Jackson County, especially of Brownsville, the first county seat of the county. Mr. Kimmel is a member of the Southern Illinois Historical Society and the Illinois Historical Society. "I like to think that men can be big enough to serve their communities without selfish and personal motives — without expecting reward at the expense of their communities," he says. And he has himself been "big enough."
Mr. Kimmel's hobby besides "just people" is the gathering of old documents, papers and historical items, and he has more than five hundred of them — one of the largest and most interesting private collections in Southern Illinois. The collection consists of more than 150 newspapers published from 1813 to 1865, an English parchment deed made in 1597 and one in 1629 are among the older documents, a highly illustrated German school book pub- lished in 1618, a bill of sale for three slaves sold in New Orleans for $2700.00 in 1851, an old letter from a captain to a major telling about an indian battle in the Blackhawk War, these with several letters telling about the hardships of the Pikes Peak Gold Rush of 1859, and many other papers make up a col- lection that telling in their own words of the life of some forgotten person or persons who trod this life in the days now gone. "To me possession of rare, old and interesting items bring a lot of enjoyment — and I like to display them to my friends and to the many others who are interested in such things — it makes life just a little more worthwhile — and that is what all of us should be striving for."
The Kimmel family was among the earliest settlers in Jackson County and was a very large one.
HON. KARL R. OHAIR
A pioneer in the automobile business, tha Honorable Karl R. O'Hair of Paris, seat of Edgar County, is today the owner of that city's largest automobile business — a com-
bined Chevrolet and Cadillac sales and serv- ice agency. He is also the owner of a Canada Dry bottling business which, with headquarters at Terre Haute, Indiana, serves ten Illinois Counties. Mr. O'Hair has served his native state not only as a business man but as a legislator, board of education official and civic and welfare leader.
Born in Paris on January 9, 1887, he is the son of Herschel B. and Lizzie L. (Mires) O'Hair. His father, born on a farm seven miles north of Charleston on September 11, 1862, was the operator of a chain of oil products bulk plants and of gasoline filling stations, with Paris as his headquarters. He donated the funds with which the Paris Park Board developed Sunrise Park, a playground for children, and he built and leased to the State of Illinois the structure used as a State Arm- ory in Paris and was a member of the building and finance committees which built the Hotel France and the Elks Club building in Paris. Karl O'Hair's mother was born at Danville on May 7, 1860, the daughter of John W. and Sarah E. Mires, early settlers of that city. Her father was one of a group that organized the Republican Party in Vermillion and was a close friend of Abraham Lincoln. He was one of the organizers of the first Masonic lodge in Danville and served as a supervisor and in other public offices.
Educated in Paris public schools, Morgan Park Academy and the Bryant and Stratton School of Commerce of Chicago, Karl R. O'Hair entered the automobile business in Chicago. He worked for a sales and service agency there. At the age of twenty-four he was back in Paris and starting an automobile business of his own. He established a Stude- baker agency at that time. Three years later he took the agency for the Dodge automobile, which had just been introduced. The business grew, and his sales in Edgar County were sec- ond only to the Ford sales. In 1924, Mr. O'Hair sold his automobile business and opened an automobile sales finance company. In 1931, he purchased the Chevrolet agency and made it the largest business in its field at Paris. The Cadillac agency was added in 1949. The business is managed today by Rob- ei*t L. Gumm, Mr. O'Hair's son-in-law. In 1948, Mr. O'Hair and his son, Richard C. O'Hair, obtained the franchise to bottle Can- ada Dry carbonated beverages for ten Indi- ana and Illinois counties. They built a modern bottling plant at Terre Haute, now managed by the son. Karl O'Hair is also a director of
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the First Federal Savings and Loan Associa- tion of Paris.
On June 18, 1912, at Danville, Mr. O'Hair married Myrle L. Lycan, daughter of J. V. and Ella Lycan, two of whose great-grand- fathers fought in the Revolutionary War and both of whose grandfathers were among early settlers in Edgar County. Mrs. O'Hair is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and of the First Methodist Church of Paris, a church of which Mr. O'Hair is a former board member. There are two children — Richard C. O'Hair and Martha R. now Mrs. Robert L. Gumm. Both children are graduates of the University of Illinois. The son served as a first lieutenant in World War II, re- ceiving the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat. He married Ruth E. Larson and is the father of Richard F. and Stephen K. O'Hair. Mrs. Gumm also has two children, Richard Z. and Nancy Jane Gumm.
Mr. O'Hair, the progenitor of whose family in America, Michael O'Hair, came to America in 1775 from Ireland and also served in the Continental Army, has served the nation in many ways of his own. He is a former mem- ber of the board of education of the Paris Union School District having served since 1924. He was secretary of this board nineteen years and president three years. He is also on the Paris Park Board. He; served twelve terms as a direc- tor of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and three terms as its president. Active in Boy Scout work for several years, he was chairman of the Boy Scout Council. Also he was exalted ruler of the Elks Lodge and a trustee for two terms. Other of his organizations are the Paris Community Chest, where he is also a former board member; the Masonic Blue Lodge and Danville Consistory of the Scottish Rite, the Rotary Club of Paris. In World War II, he was chairman of War Bond Sales Drives in Paris and was also active in drives for Army Service Funds. He holds the U. S. Treasury Department Silver Award. His lead- ership extends also to the Edgar County Re- publican Central Committee, of which he was chairman two terms. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention at Philadel- phia in 1940. As can be seen, Mr. O'Hair has served his neighbors in Paris and Edgar Coun- ty in virtually every conceivable fashion.
WADE FETZER
The story of Wade Fetzer of Chicago and Hinsdale is the story of a Middle Westerner who began his career in a humble fashion, lost his health and fought a battle against extreme
odds to win not only a long life, which con- tinues, but also tremendous success in the in- surance world. Not only has this outstanding citizen made a contribution to the business and industrial world and to the protection of employed men and women against the eco- nomic hazards of accidents but he has given leadership to the development of higher edu- cation and to banking. His name is indelibly associated with the growth and prestige of what is known as the America Fore group of fire insurance companies.
Mr. Fetzer was born in Ottumwa, Iowa, on November 22, 18 79, the son of William Henry Harrison and Henrietta (Clark) Fetzer. His father, a native of Clarion, Pennsylvania, was a soldier in the Civil War, in which he was wounded. After the war he married and moved to Ottumwa. Wade Fetzer attended the elementary and high schools of Ottumwa, but left high school after three years to go to Chicago to fill a job obtained for him by his older brother. This was as bookkeeper and general clerk in the small insurance of- fice of W. A. Alexander. Subsequently, he ad- ded to his education by night school attend- ance and home study. In time he became cashier for Mr. Alexander, but his health col- lapsed as a result of overwork and he con- tracted a slight case of tuberculosis. To re- cover his health, he went to Colorado, taking a leave cf absence from his job. In less than a year he was back with W. A. Alexander and Company. Desiring less confining em- ployment, he asked to be assigned to the task of developing business for the Fidelity and Casualty Company, for which the Alexander firm was agent, in the downstate parts of the State of Illinois. Within two years Mr. Fetzer had achieved extraordinary success in that ef- fort. He was recalled to Chicago to become managing partner — this when he was only 2 4 years old! As chief executive of the com- pany, either as managing partner or later as president, he continued to build one of the country's great insurance agencies. In 19 40 he chose to relinquish active management re- sponsibilities and became chairman of the board of W. A. Alexander and Company. In 1930, shortly after Fidelity and Casualty Company had been bought by the America Fore group, he was drafted by that organiza- tion to assume the presidency and to carry out a program of revitalizing Fidelity and Casualty Company. After two years, he re- linquished the presidency and became Vice chairman and a director. Three years after that, Mr. Fetzer relinquished the vice chair-
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WADE FETZER, JR.
manship, out he has since continued as a di- rector of Fidelity and Casualty and its parent company, Continental Insurance Company of New York. His has become a renowned name in the insurance world.
On June 11, 1901, at Ottumwa, Mr. Fetzer married Margaret Spilman, the daughter of Major Thomas Percival and Amanda (Ran- dall) Spilman. They are the parents of four children - John Clark Fetzer, born May 2 0, 1902, who married Dorothy Suddard and is the father of Dorothy Patricia and Thomas Wade Fetzer; Wade Fetzer, Jr., born Decem- ber 3, 1903, who married Florence Otis and is the father of Nancy, Wade, III, and Peter Otis Fetzer; Margaret, born November «, 1906, now the wife of John H. Sherman and mother cf Margaret, John H., Jr., and Mary Virginia Sherman; and Mary Jane Fetzer, born July 20, 1929, now the wife of Calvin Bryant. The senior Mr. and Mrs. Wade Fetzer reside at 737 South Elm Street, Hinsdale in summer, and 634 7 North Bay Rd., Miami Beech, Florida in wintertime.
Mr. Fetzer holds or has held various honors in the insurance business and in other fields of interest. In the early days of Workmen's compensation laws, he founded and was for several years president of the National As- sociation of Casualty and Surety Agents. He serves as a member of the boards of trustees of Norrhwestern University and Beloit Col- lege and :s a trustee of the Union Church of Hinsdale, in which his wife is also active. In addition, Mr. Fetzer is a director of the La- Salle National Bank of Chicago and the Hins- dale Trust and Savings Bank of Hinsdale. He is a member of the Chicago Club, Chicago Athletic Association, Union League Club, At- tic Club, all of Chicago; the Bankers' Club of New York, and the Hinsdale Golf Club. He votes Republican and golf is his favorite game. Now in tae eighth decade of his life, Wade Fetzer continues to aid in every way he can, and with great skill and wisdom, all the movements, business, cultural and otherwise, which he believes will forward the general welfare.
WADE FETZER, JR.
W. A. Alexander and Company of Chicago is one of the nation's largest and best known general insurance agencies and Wade Fetzer, Jr., its president, is one of the men who has guided it to that foremost position. Mr. Fet- zer, who is a Chartered Life Underwriter, himself has a national reputation among in- surance men and has held offices of great
importance in their organizations. In addi- tion, he is well known in philanthropic organ- izations in Chicago and in the educational world.
Mr. Fetzer was born at Hinsdale on De- cember 3, 1903, the son of Wade and Mar- garet (Spilman) Fetzer, both natives of Ot- tumwa, Iowa. His father was also in the in- surance business. Wade Fetzer, Jr., received his early education in the public schools of Hinsdale and at the Asheville School, Ashe- ville, North Carolina. He spent one year at Haverford College and then completed his education at Northwestern University, where he took the degree of Bachelor of Science in Commerce in 1925. He was prominent in campus activities, such as the dance orchestra and fraternity affairs. He was president of Phi Kappa Psi (Northwestern chapter) and of the Interfraternity Council. In September, 1925, he began as a life insm-ance salesman. He became supervisor, then associate man- ager of the life insurance department, then office manager, then assistant to the presi- dent, then vice-president and finally, on Jan- uary 1, 1944, president of W. A. Alexander and Company. In 1930, the year he was pro- moted to associate manager of the life in- surance department, he was made a Chartered Life Underwriter. In the years Mr. Fetzer has held executive positions the business of his firm has quadrupled and since he became president it has doubled and become nation- ally known.
On February 3, 1934, in Chicago, Mr. Fet- zer married Florence Otis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph C. Otis, members of an old pioneer Chicago family. Mrs. Fetzer is prom- inent in the Junior League of Chicago, and has served on the Junior Board of the Infant Welfare Society of Winnetka. She is a for- mer member of the Chicago Service Club. There are three children — Nancy Seeley Fet- zer, Wade Fetzer, III, and Peter Otis Fetzer. The family home is at 687 Blackthorn Road, Winnetka, and the family church is the Win- netka Congregational.
Mr. Fetzer is a trustee of the American Institute for Property and Liability Insurance and the Insurance Institute of America and a leader in the National Association of In- surance Agents. In 1939-41 he was on the executive committee of the national associa- tion; in 1942-43 he was chairman of public relations. In 1943 he was the recipient of the Woodworth Memorial Award of the Na- tional Association. This is awarded to the insurance agent deemed to have contributed
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most to the business, and Mr. Fetzer received it for leadership in public relations and edu- cational movements in insurance. He is chair- man of the Chicago Chapter, American Red Cross, and in 1947 was chairman of its fund campaign. He has also held various high posts in the Chicago Community Fund and is a di- rector of Junior Achievement of Chicago and a former trustee of the Asheville School. In 1940, Mr. Fetzer was a co-founder of the Chicago Business Men's Committee — of which he was first vice-chairman and then chairman — a movement to interest young business men in Government through active precinct work aimed at reducing vote fraud in congested "river wai'ds." He is a member of the Chi- cago, Commercial, Economic, Commonwealth, Attic and Racquet Clubs of Chicago; the Glenview Golf Club; Chicago Curling Club; and the Biltmore Forrest Club of Asheville. Curling, golf, and music are his major en- thusiasms. As the record shows, he has made a tremendous contribution to American life.
LOUIS EDWARD WOLLRAB
For more than four decades Louis Edward Wollrab of Bloomington has been active in and given leadership to the profession of fu- neral director. Associated with the firm of John A. Beck Company, funeral directors and opei'ators of the Beck Memorial Home in Bloomington, since 1908, Mr. Wollrab is at present president of that organization. He has helped build it into an institution known throughout Central Illinois, with affiliations extending over the entire United States. A man of tremendous energy and community interest, Mr. Wollrab has been active in civic affairs throughout his business and profes- sional career in his native city.
He was born on September 12, 1890, in Bloomington, the son of Louis and Emma (Schmidt) Wollrab. His father, a native of Germany who came to the United States at a young age and was associated with the Atlas Company of Bloomington for many years, died in 1935. His mother, a native of Bloomington also, died on April 6, 1941. The funeral director was educated in elemen- tary and high schools at Bloomington and in an embalming school in Chicago. For two years he worked for Frederick and Mason, the Bloomington abstract firm. Then, in 1908, when he was eighteen years old, he joined the staff of the John A. Beck Company. Within four years he was elected secretary and treas- urer of the firm and in 1928 assumed the presidency The John A. Beck Company is
one of the oldest funeral homes in Bloom- ington. In its operations it employs fifteen persons and is called on by individuals and organizations for its services in all parts of the nation. Along with the reputation of the firm has gone the name of Mr. Wollrab.
On May 31, 1919, at Bloomington, Mr. Wollrab married Mabel R. Beeler, also born in that community and the daughter of War- ren Beeler, a millwright, and Mary (Scheron) Beeler. Both of Mrs. Wollrab's parents, who were natives of Twin Grove, Illinois, are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Wollrab are the par- ents of two sons — Warren Louis Wollrab, who was born on October 14, 1927, and Dale Edi- son Wollrab, who was born on March 25, 1929. The family worships in the First Chris- tian Church of Bloomington. Mr. Wollrab's address is 104 West Division Street, Bloom- ington.
Mr. Wollrab is a member of the National Selected Morticians, whose headquarters are in Chicago; of the Bloomington Association of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club of Blooming- ton; the Bloomington Post of the American Legion (he served in World War I) ; and the Bloomington Lodges, Ancient Free and Ac- cepted Masons, Loyal Order of Moose, Knights of Pythias and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. All forms of athletics, including golf, are his means of relaxation. He is an outstanding citizen of Bloomington and the entire Central Illinois region
KENT H. MORGAN
Today a successful business man and farm- er and a civic leader, Kent H. Moi'gan of Casey, in Clark County, may look back at an adventurous life which included such ac- tivities as working as a railroad telegraph operator and an engine airbrake inspector for the Pennsylvania Railroad in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founder of the Morgan Self-Serve Market at 20 South Central Street, Casey, he is today half owner of that enterprise, as well as the operator of a 250-acre farm on which he specializes in livestock. He is a church leader and an ardent worker on be- half of the schools in Clark County.
Mr. Morgan was born at Greenup, in ad- joining Cumberland County, on July 8, 1893, the son of Park C. and Allie (Money) Mor- gan. His father, a native of Toledo, the seat of Cumberland County, was a harness maker who was active in civic and Masonic projects. Mr. Morgan was educated in Green- up's grade and high schools, then under the superintendency of Dean Thompson, a close
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friend of his father's and later dean of men at the University of Illinois. After completing his education, Kent Morgan worked as a tel- egraph operator in Casey for the Pennsyl- vania Railroad.
On September 14, 1916, in Casey, he mar- ried Carrie Myrna Moore, the daughter of Sarah Catherine and Joseph Barker Moore. After the marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Morgan moved to Indianapolis, where they made their home for five years and where Mr. Morgan worked as airbrake inspector for the Penn- sylvania Railroad. Mi\ and Mrs. Morgan have one son, Joseph Kent Morgan, who was born in Casey on February 2, 1927. He spent two years in the Navy in World War II and then studied at the University of Illinois, where he took a degree in petroleum geology and then went on as a candidate for the mas- ter's degree in the Wyoming University at Laramie, Wyoming. Young Mr. Morgan mar- ried Madge Berkey of Belleville, Illinois, on June 5, 1949. Mrs. Kent H. Morgan is one of Casey's most active women. She is a member of the Casey Methodist Church choir, the Order of the Eastern Star, the White Shrine, the Nierht Owl Club, the Casey Infor- mal Club, the Women's Federated Club, the I. F. F. Club and the Friday Afternoon Club.
The Morgans returned to Casey in 1920 so that Mr. Morgan could go into business with Mrs. Morgan's brother, C. L. Moore. This was a retail grocery and meat business. In 1929, Mr. Morgan became sole owner of the busi- ness, but the following year Mr. Moore re- turned to the partnership. In 1933, the part- nership was again dissolved. Eight years later Mr. Morgan added to the enterprise by build- ing a frozen food locker plant with 400 lock- ers. In 1944, he sold out the store and locker plant to Ira Brosman, but in 1945 he bought the building at 20 South Central and reestab- lished himself in business. This was the self- serve store. In 1947, he sold half interest in the store to Richard Lacey, but continues active in its operation. His farm also holds his attention.
Mr. Morgan is on the official board of the Methodist Church. He has also served on its finance and building committees. He is on the boards of education for both the grade school and high school systems and is a direc- tor of the Casey Chamber of Commerce. He is, in addition, a Mason and Rotarian. He is a Republican. His hobbies and recreations include agriculture, stock raising, travel and hunting. At Casey he is hailed as a progres-
sive citizen actively interested in the growth of the community and surrounding agricul- tural area.
FRED REIFSTECK
Famed brands of beers and other beverages stream in large quantities daily from the Champaign plant of Fred Reifsteck, one of the largest distributors of such drinks in Cen- tral Illinois. He is also a farmer and live- stock breeder and a prominent figure in the Democratic organization of Champaign County.
Mr. Reifsteck was born on the family /arm in Champaign county on September 27, 1895. His father is Louis Reifsteck and his mother was the late Louise (Zollin) Reifsteck. His father, a native of Berlin, Germany, migrated to the United States in his early youth and settled in Champaign county, where he was a farmer for many years, finally moving to Shelby county. In 1949 he celebrated his eighty-sixth birthday, and his ability to con- tinue looking after his large farming property is notable. Louise Zollin Reifsteck, also a native of Germany, died in Shelby county, Illinois, in 1946.
Fred Reifsteck was educated in the public schools of Champaign and Shelby counties. He left school at an early age to work on his father's farm, but he has never found the meagerness of his formal education a handi- cap to his business success. In any event he has learned so much in various ways as to be deserving of the description, "educated man." He has never given up farming, but has tried and succeeded at various urban business activities.
For sixteen years Mr. Reifsteck was en- gaged in the oil business as a representative of the Mid-Continent Oil Company. Also, he was a salesman and agent for the Deep Rock Oil Company for eight years. In 1936, he be- came a distributor for beers and other bever- ages in Champaign and Champaign County, and he now has a large and buzzing plant at 116-118 North Oak Street, in Champaign. He does business under the name of Fred Reif- steck, Distributor, and he handles such popu- lar brands as Miller's High Life, Famous Berghoff, Fox de Luxe, Schmidt's City Club and others. He also distributes Canada Dry beverages.
Mr. Reifsteck's first wife was the former Saide Hemmeberger and to this marriage three children, Louis, Catherine Lucile, and Grace Irene Reifsteck were born. Louis Reif- steck is in the distributing business in Dan- ville. Catherine Lucile Reifsteck married Earl
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Fielder and they are the parents of Marcella Kay, Marvin Richard and James Francis Fielder. Grace Irene Reifsteck married Walter Kepner and they are the parents of Ronald, Sharon Jean, Claudia Rose and Andrew Kep- ner. Sharon Jean and Claudia Rose are twins. Mr. Fred Reifsteck's second marriage was to Hilda Marie Gerth, and they have become the parents of two sons — Fred J., and Wal- lace William Reifsteck. Mr. and Mrs. Reif- steck reside at 503 Elm Street, Champaign.
Mr. Reifsteck is a member of the St. Peter's Reformed Church of Champaign, the Cham- paign Chamber of Commerce, the Champaign Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Loyal Order of Moose and the Democratic Party. Prominent in politics and public affairs, he was a candidate for Sheriff of Champaign county in 1946. As a further contribution to development and gene- ral economy, Mr. Reifsteck breeds Hampshire hogs on his farm. He is a popular citizen of his county.
CARL H. BAUMGART
The Baumgart Lumber and Coal Company of Bloomington, born in World War II, has served the community, and state effectively and with mounting success since that time, under the leadership of Carl Herman Baum- gart, one of its founders and partners. Be- sides his prominence in the lumber, building materials and fuel industry, Mr. Baumgart has achieved a reputation in civic and agri- cultural affairs.
He was born in Bloomington on April 18, 1890, and is the son of the late William C. H. and Amelia (Brohm) Baumgart. His father, also a native of Bloomington, was a crane operator in the shops of The Alton Railroad in that city. Amelia Baumgart, born in Ger- many, died in Bloomington in 1942. Carl Baumgart, educated in Bloomington's ele- mentary and high schools, served as a book- keeper for a Decatur concern for five years. In 1915 he returned to Bloomington to be- come associated with the West Side Coal and Lumber Company. Five years later he was promoted to manager of this business, and this office he held until in 194 2 he resigned to participate in the organization of his own enterprise. The Baumgart Lumber and Coal Company was established then, as a partner- ship. Since that time their two sons, William K. and Phillip E. Baumgart and Lester W. Donnon have been taken into the partner- ship. This retail business in lumber, building
materials and coal operates in the Blooming- ton trade area and employs fifteen persons.
On April 15, 1920, at Decatur, Mr. Baum- gart married Ruth L. Burk, a native of that city who is the daughter of Karl and Kath- erine Burk, both of whom were born in Ger- many. Mrs. Baumgart's father, who was a butcher, died in 1944. Mrs. Burk is also de- ceased. Mr. and Mrs. Baumgart have two children — William K. Baumgart, who was born on April 4, 192 5, and who married Susan Stafford. They have two children: Thomas and Jacqueline, and Phillip E. Baum- gart, who was born on April 17, 1929, and who married Nancy Izatt. They have one child: Rebecca Sue, born November 2 9, 1949. Mr. and Mrs. Carl H. Baumgart maintain their residence at 200^ East Jackson Avenue, Bloomington. Both worship in the Methodist Church.
Mr. Baumgart is a member of the Bloom- ington Association of Commerce, Arts and Crafts Lodge, A.F.&A.M. and Bloomington Consistory, the Kiwanis Club of Bloomington, the American Legion (he served with the armed forces in World War I) and the Mc- Lean County Farm Bureau. Fishing is his favorite recreation. Mr. Baumgart is counted among McLean County's outstanding citizens.
OTTO WILLIAM HENRY WAHLFELD
In the wholesale millwork and building supply and retail lumber business in central Illinois, few names are better known than that of Otto Wahlfeld of Peoria. In that field of business since 1906, Mr. Wahlfeld is presi- dent of the Wahlfeld Manufacturing Com- pany, with headquarters, plant and yards at 1101 South Washington Street, Peoria. He is one of the leaders in the state in lumber and allied industries.
Mr. Wahlfeld was born in Peoria on De- cember 11th, 1887. His father August H. Wahlfeld, a native of Germany established the Wahlfeld Manufacturing Company in 18 91. He died in 1935. The mother, Anna Wahlfeld also a native of Germany, died in 1901. Both parents took an active part in the community and social life of Peoria.
Otto Wahlfeld was educated in the ele- mentary and high schools of Peoria, at the University of Illinois, where he spent six months and at Brown's Business College in Peoria. At the age of nineteen, in 1906, he was taken into the Wahlfeld Manufacturing Company and learned the business under his father's direction. In 1919 he became vice president of the company, and in 1935, after
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OTTO WILLIAM HENRY WAHLFELD
his father's death, he assumed his present duties as president. The company does a large business in wholesale mill work, sash and doors. They are also jobbers of building supplies. All Illinois is its territory. They em- ploy 170 people.
Mr. Wah It eld married Frieda Wallner, of Peoria, Illinois, Sept. 25, 1909. They became the parents of two children: James A. Wahl- feld, who was born November 9, 1910, and is the present vice president of the company and married to Dorothy Parker of Peoria, and they are the parents of Teddy Wahlfeld. The next son, Willis O. Wahlfeld, was born on March 15, 1915, and is Secretary and treas- urer of the company. He married Virginia Mitchner of Burlingame California, and they are the parents of John Wahlfeld. The mother of James and Willis Wahlfeld died in 1922.
Mr. Wahlfeld later married Elizabeth Meek of I'eoria on Feb. 26, 1926. She is the daugh- ter of the late Louis F. Meek, who was an at- torney and former Postmaster of Peoria, and Ethel (Perry) Meek, a native of Columbus, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Wahlfeld reside at High Point, Peoria, Illinois.
Known in the lumber industry throughout the state, Mr. Wahlfeld has served as presi- dent of the Illinois Retail Lumber Dealers Association, and is a former president of the Peoria Manufacturers Association, and office he held in 1948-50. He is a member of the Peoria Association of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Peoria, The Masonic Order, the Creve Coeur Club, the Peoria Country Club. His activities have done much to promote pros- perity in Illinois.
CLARENCE EASTLAKE SNELL
"The close friends and hundreds of busi- ness associates of Clarence Eastlake Snell af- fectionately call him 'Hap', but in his case this nickname refers not merely to his sunny dis- position but also to his optimistic outlook on life and on work. He works with a sense of purpose and with a sense of devotion to a cause seldom seen these days and derives from his work more genuine pleasure than most people who seek happiness directly ever find." So a friend has written of this prom- inent Chicago and Glencoe citizen who is vice president in charge of sales of F. E. Compton and Company.
Mr. Snell was born in Chicago on April 2 6, 1897. His parents are William George and Margaret J. (McElroy) Snell. His father, who was born in England in 1870 and who came to the United States at an early age, has been
with the Springfield Fire and Marine Com- pany sine*- 1885 and is still working. Clar- ence SneU attended Oak Park High School from 1910 to 1914. In 1918 he took the de- gree of Eachelor of Arts in Business Admin- istration at the University of Illinois. Promi- nent as a student at the university, he was business manager of the Glee Club and was elected to Chi Phi and Scabbard and Blade, social and military fraternities, respectively. Mr. Snell began his career in the sales pro- motion department of the Advance-Rumley Company at LaPorte, Indiana. From this organization he went to Hobart M. Cable Company, also at LaPorte, as sales manager. In 192 8 he was made sales promotion man- ager of F. E. Compton and Company, with headquarters at 1000 North Dearborn Street, Chicago. In 1936 he was promoted to his present office, that of vice president in charge of sales, and he has risen in importance in this field of business throughout the nation, making the hundreds of friends mentioned by (he Chicagoan quoted at the beginning of this biography.
On February 11, 1908, at Joplin, Missouri, Mr. Snell married Ruth Meloy, daughter of Ozra P. and Edith Meloy. They reside at 661 Bluff Street, Glencoe, where both have be- come prominent and popular. Mrs. Snell is especially active in school programs. Mr. and Mrs. Snell have two daughters and two sons —Helen Wight Snell, Natalie Ruth Snell, John Eastlake Snell and Thomas Andrew Snell. The family worships in the Glencoe Union Church.
Mr. Snell, who has always taken a great deal of interest in problems relating to school- ing, served for six years as president of the Board of Education, Glencoe Public Schools. He is a member of the Skokie Country Club. He is independent in politics and fishing is his favorite sport. In World War I, he served with the rank of Second Lieutenant in the 803rd Pioneer Infantry, and saw action in France, especially in the Meuse-Argonne.
Said his friend of him further: "it is quite literally true that his work is a source of great joy to him and that he is never so truly happy as when he has done any part of that work well. In fact, so big was the task which Mr. Snell set for himself in his company that he has deliberately shunned the usual, type of participation in club and community af- fairs. The one exception he has allowed him- self has been his work as president of the board oil education in Glencoe. Here was a big job which needed to be done and a chance
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to work out some of the ideas about educa- tion which had come to him in the course of his work with the Compton Company. He un- dertook this school board task with the same sense of devotion and the same sense of joy in doing bard things well that has found ex- pression in his vocation, and he has won wide attention for raising teacher salaries, select- ing and training high-type teachers and for getting the entire community solidly back of the work of the schools." Such is the caliber of Clarence Eastlake Snell.
VICTOR JAMES MUELLER
Peoria County is the home and center of activities of Victor James Mueller, fabricator of wire products, a well-known figure in his section of Illinois. Mr. Mueller is president of the W. A. Laidlaw Wire Company, Inc., of Bartonville, making his home at 2503 Knox- ville Avenue, Peoria. He is also president of the Pittsburgh Hanger Company, the Mem- phis Hanger Company at Monaca, Pennsyl- vania, and the W. A. Laidlaw Wire Co. of Pennsylvania at Monaca, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Mueller was born in Switzerland on February 25, 1898, the son of Adolf and Marie (Laubli) Mueller, both also natives of that country. His father, a farmer, died in 1928; the mother died in 1908. The manufacturer was educated in Switzerland schools equivalent to the American elementary and high schools. For four years he worked in a shoe store in his native country and then, in 1921, he came to the United States. For three months he was employed in a shoe store in Ohio. Later, he was with the Prosperity Company at Syra- cuse, New York, beginning as a clerk and rising to purchasing agent by 1928. In 1928 he came to Illinois and bought an interest in the W. Laidlaw Wire Company of Bartonville. In 1932, he bought the entire assets of the concern, which he has since incorporated and of which he is president. The wire products produced by this concern are distributed in all parts of the United States. Nine persons are employed.
On August 5, 1925, Mr. Mueller married Louisa Sommer, a native of Peoria, the mar- riage taking place in that city. Mrs. Mueller is the daughter of John Sommer, born at Tre- mont, Illinois, who was in the iron and steel business in Peoria until his death in 1928, and Lizzie (Schmutz) Sommer, also a native of Tremont, who survives her husband. Mr. and Mrs. Mueller are the parents of three chil- dren— Marylyn Louise, born May 27, 1926, now the wife of Victor V. Prince and mother
of Douglas Mueller Prince; John Sommer Mueller, born May 14, 1930, a graduate of the University of Arizona at Tucson; and Patricia Louise Mueller, born October 27, 1931. Mr. and Mrs. Mueller worship in the Christian Church.
Mr. Mueller is a member of the Peoria Association of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Peoria. His other organizations include the Mt. Hawley Country Club and the Creve Coeur Club.
WINTON EMMETT WALKUP
As District Traffic Agent for the St. Louis District of the Illinois Central Railroad, with headquarters at Carbondale, Winton Emmett Walkup has taken advantage of an unusual opportunity to serve his native Illinois and in the process he has become one of its most valuable and prominent citizens. He has served the City of Carbondale and its private and quasi-public organizations in many official capacities, helping to "get the city out of the red," and is one of the leaders in the move- ment known as Southern Illinois, Incorporated, not to mention many humanitarian programs.
Mr. Walkup was born in Pinckneyville, Perry County, on November 15, 1898, the son of Harry T. and Emma (Craig) Walkup. Both his father and paternal grandfather were railroadmen. After attending Carbondale's ele- mentary and high schools, Winton Walkup studied at Brown's Business College, Centralia, and on September 24, 1917, began work as clerk to the general foreman of the Illinois Central Railroad at Carbondale. In October of the following year Mr. Walkup entered the United States Army, but the Armistice, signed the next month, cut his service to two months. On December 28, 1918, he was back at work for the railroad in Carbondale. Later he was transferred to the office of the general super- intendent of transportation, at Chicago, and still later to the engineering auditor's office. In 1922, he was a suburban flagman briefly and in April, 1922, he was transferred to traffic duty in the office of the vice president and general ti-affic manager. Again, he was transferred to the commercial office in Chi- cago and on July 1, 1925, he was made City Freight Agent at Chicago. In 1926, he was returned to Carbondale as traveling agent in both the freight and passenger divisions. Six years later he was promoted to Division Freight and Passenger Agent and on June 6, 1942, was made District Service Agent in charge of all traffic solicitations. In June, 1942, he was elevated to his present office
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WINTON EMMETT WALKUP
of District Traffic Agent for the St. Louis District, a territory covering Centralia to Cairo, in which he has three assistants.
On August 21, 1921, Mr. Walkup married Helen Foley, the daughter of Louis F. Foley, of Carbondale, also an Illinois Central man. Mr. Walkup worships in the First Methodist Church, Carbondale and Mrs. Walkup wor- ships at the Catholic Church.
Mr. Walkup is a director of Southern Illi- nois, Inc., and is on the executive committee of the Southern Illinois University Foundation. From 1939 to 1943 he served as City Finance Commissioner of Carbondale, rescuing the community from a debt of several thousand dollars and giving it a safe surplus. He was president of the Carbondale Business Men's Association in 1946 and was exalted ruler of the Elks Lodge in 1942 and is a former chair- man of the Elks' board of trustees. He served one year as Commander of the American Le- gion post in the city. He has been active in Red Cross, Community Chest and March of Dimes fund-raising campaigns, serving once as chairman of the last-named. He is active in many bodies of the Masonic order, including the Shrine, the Knights Templar and the Royal Arch Masons, and has done much work on behalf of crippled children through these bodies and other organizations. His first job was in a grocery store at two dollars a week — another job, in boyhood, was with his grandfather's horse-drawn transfer business — and today he considers his main job service to the public through his railroad position and his many positions in community programs.
NORMAN GEORGE BITTERMANN
The leadership qualities of Norman George Bittermann of Carterville, Williamson County, which he exhibited prominently even in his schooldays, are today being turned upon the great effort to assure the future development and welfare of Southern Illinois. Mr. Bitter- mann has this opportunity through his office as executive director of Southern Illinois, Inc., headquartered at Carterville. He is also Lecturer and Field Representative at South- ern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Mr. Bittermann was born in Joliet on May 12, 1917, the son of George Phillip Bitter- mann, a carpenter at Joliet, and Minnie (Ber- lin) Bittermann, who, like the father and tlie son, was also born in Illinois. Norman Bit- termann was graduated from the Joliet High School in 1935. Here he had distinguished himself in student government activities, in dramatics and in class programs. Again, at
Joliet Junior College, he was active in stu- dent government and dramatics. Graduated from Jol^t J.C. in 1937, he spent a year working as a junior engineer and in 1938 en- tered the University of Illinois, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering in 1940. At the university he was president of the Independent Men's As- sociation, vice president of the Student Senate and a member of the University YMCA board of directors, the Illini Union board and the Student Affairs Committee. He was also a member of the Alumni Association board and the Independent newspaper board. Each sum- mer in his school years Mr. Bittermann work- ed with the Public Service Company of North- ern Illinois, on a training schedule, serving as sales engineer, sales manager and in other capacities. In September, 1940, he enrolled in the university's graduate school and in 1942 received the degree of Master of Science in Industrial Management. In this period he was assistant secretary of the University YM CA, in charge of public relations. For six months in 1942 he served as technical engi- neer for Southern Illinois, Inc., aiding in the establishment of the Illinois Ordnance Plant in Southern Illinois. In June, 19 42, he left for service with the United States Army Air Forces. He served with the Air Materiel Com- mand in production flight tests and proving research at Wright Field. Separated from the service in 1945 as a Captain, he retains that commission in the Reserve.
In 1946 Mr. Bittermann joined the Uni- versity of Illinois faculty as a research as- sociate in the Bureau of Economic and Busi- ness Research. Also, he taught a course in industrial management until September, 1948. Since that time, he has been executive di- rector of Southern Illinois, Inc., an area eco- nomic development agency which is planning and acting to the future of Southern Illinois.
Mr. Bittermann married Annette Louise Krumsiek, the daughter of Wesley Walter Krumsiek of Champaign, on April 19, 1944. They have two children — Kim Allan, born on January 16, 1946, and Karen Sue, born on November 28, 1947.
Mr. Bittermann maintains his relationship with the University YMCA. He was on its board of directors from 1946 to 1948 and is now on the advisory board. He is a member of the American Society of Industrial Engi- neers and Sigma Tau, national honorary en- gineering society, and Sigma Iota Epsilon, in- dustrial management fraternity. Tennis and swimming are his favorite sports and photo-
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graphy is his hobby. His reputation as a builder of the State has extended throughout the Middle West.
ADOLF E. KLEIN
One of those Americans who, as in the Horatio Alger stories, rose to success from a humble beginning as messenger boy, Adolf E. Klein of Peoria is today president of Faber and Musser, Inc., wholesale and retail dis- tributors of building supplies. He is well known in the civic and religious life of the community.
Born in Peoria on January 26, 1904, Mr. Klein is the son of Gustav H. and Marie W. (Helmerick) Klein, both of whom were na- tives of Germany. His father, who became chef of the University Club of Peoria, died in 1945; the mother died in 1933. Adolf Klein was educated in one of Peoria's primary schools and at the age of fourteen — in 1918— went to work as a messenger for the Central National Bank of Peoria. Five years later, when he resigned to follow more promising opportunities, he was holding the position of receiving teller. In 1923 he became a book- keeper for Faber and Musser, Inc., and rose step by step in the business until in 1942 he was elected president. The company, with plant and office at 100 Edmond Street, Peoria, handles every type of building supply except lumber and millwork. Employing seven per- sons, it covers the entire Peoria trade area.
Mr. Klein married Florence B. Doering of Peoria on November 29, 1928, and they have one child, Barbara Ann Klein, who was born on December 6, 1938. Mrs. Klein's parents were Henry F. and Anna (Lange) Doering, both of whom were born in East Peoria. Her father, a farmer, died in 1946, two years after the mother. Mr. and Mrs. Klein reside on Mount Holly Road, Peoria. They worship in the Arcadian Presbyterian Church, where Mr. Klein is a member of the board of trustees. Mr. Klein is also active in the Masonic frater- nity, in the Peoria Association of Commerce and the Illinois Lumber and Material Dealers Association. Fishing is his major recreation. Mr. Klein has impressed himself upon the community as an able business man and sincerely interested citizen.
FRANCIS RAYMOND BLADES
Immediately recognizable to baseball fans is the name of Francis Raymond Blades, famed player, coach, manager and scout. Known to all as Ray Blades, he has made a career which is part of the great history of
baseball. Formerly manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and coach of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Mr. Blades is now "trouble shooter" for the Dodgers' farm system and their scout — the finder of new talent.
On August 6, 18 9 6, Mr. Blades was born in the community which is still his home, Mount Vernon, the seat of Jefferson County. The house in which he was born was at Fif- teenth Street and Broadway. Today he lives at 203 North Ninth Street. His parents were Francis Marion and Mary Magdalene (Donald- son) Blades. His father was a railroadman and hotel owner who in the latter years of his life alternated between farming and hotel operating. He was active in many Illinois cities, chiefly at McLeansboro, in Hamilton County, where he operated the Commercial Hotel and where he died in 192 8.
The father made many moves and, natural- ly, the family made them with him. Ray Blades attended the public schools at Mc- Leansboro and in St. Louis. When he left high school in 1916, he went to work on the farm at McLeansboro. In 1918 he returned to St. Louis to work for the Emerson Elec- tric Company, but later the same year he en- listed in the United States Army and was as- signed to the 119th Field Artillery, with which he served a year overseas. He partici- pated in ihe Argonne offensive, and rose to a sergeancy.
Mr. Blades' base ball career, however, goes back to his grade school days. He was one of the pitchers for his team in a St. Louis ele- mentary school. This team, through his pitch- ing won the city grade school championship under the sponsorship of the St. Louis Post- Dispatch. Branch Rickey, then with the St. Louis Browns, umpired the deciding game, in which Ray Blades pitched. This was the first time Mr. Blades met Mr. Rickey. He was to see him again — in church. At that time Mr. Rickey held a Sunday School class spell- bound as a speaker. At high school Ray Blades was not only shortstop on the base- ' ball team but also played football and went out for track. In the summers he played as shortstop on the Alphenbrau team and the Hawke and Smith team. In 1914 and 1915 he played on the McLeansboro High School team and in the summer of 1915 he was shortstop and second baseman on the semi-pro Fairfield ( Illinois 1 team. In 1916 he played with a semi-pro club, managed by a cousin, at Web- ster City, Iowa. He was a second baseman. After this he was with a semi-pro club at Stratford, Iowa, and then went back to the
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farm ;il McLeansboro. Alter World War 1, Mr. Blades worked for a time with the Mount Vernon Car and Manufacturing Company, playing on the company team called the Car- builders. In the year Mr. Blades was with this team Branch Rickey, manager by then of the Cardinals, broughi them out to play the Car- builders. The Cardinals lost, 3 to 2. After the game Mr. Rickey signed up Ray Blades as second baseman and two other Carbuilders, Walter Schultz and Jimmy McLaughlin. These three reported at Brownsville, Texas, for spring training and tryouts in the Spring of 1920. After their return to St. Louis, Mr. Blades and Mr. McLaughlin were sent to Memphis, and in the next year Mr. Blades was with the .Memphis Club of the Southern Lea- gue. The following year he was with the Houston Club of the Texas League and in August, 192 6, he was recalled to play out- field with the Cardinals. At that time he ran into the wall and injured his knee, so that lie did not get to play in the 192 6 World Series. The knee cartilage was removed by the Cards' physician, Dr. Robert Hyland. Ray Blades continued with the Cards until 1933, partici- pating in the games which won the team the National League championship in 1928, 1930 and 1931. In 1932 he began his managerial career as manager of the Columbus (Ohio) team, in the American Association. In 1933 and 1934 his team won the championship. From 1936 through 1938 Mr. Blades managed the Rochester, New York, team, in the Inter- national League, and again produced cham- pionships. In 1939 he became manager of the Cardinals. He remained with the Cards until June, 1940, and was succeeded by Billy South- worth. In 1941 Mr. Blades became manager of the New Orleans Club, in the Southern As- sociation, and in 1942 went to the Cincinnati Club as coach under Manager McKechnie. In 1943 he returned to New Orleans as manager and in lf>44. 1945 and 1946 was manager of the St. Paul Club in the American Associa- tion. Since 194 7 he has been with the Dodg- ers, helping them win the pennant in 1947 as coach. In 1949, the Dodgers lost to the New York Yankees in the World Series, but is still one of the Nation's top teams. In 1949, too, Mr. Blades became farm trouble shooter and scout for the Dodgers.
Mr. Blades married Golda Bennett, who was born in McLeansboro, in 1900, the daughter of L. B. and Bessie E. (Mellon) Bennett. Mrs. Blades is active in the Methodist Church the Order of the Eastern Star, American Leg- ion Auxiliary and the Federated Woman's
Club. Mr. Blades is also active in the church, and belongs to the Masonic order and the American Legion. His most distasteful task, he says, is to tell a young baseball player he is not quite good enough for the major leagues. His motto, "If the desire to win dominates you, you are bound to win," has brought him success and been behind the great contribution he has made to baseball.
GRIFFITH I. DAVIS
Once a farmer, Griffith I. Davis of Decatur is one of the important figures in Downstate Illinois' dairy products industry today. He is president of the Kentland Dairy Products Company, headquartered at Decatur. His busi- ness interests serve not only Decatur and its area but also Gibson City and Farmer City. Mr. Davis is also prominent in church and civic affairs.
Born in Wolcott, Indiana, on June 7, 1904, Mr. Davis is the son of Harry and Lena (Re- progle) Davis. His father was a farmer in Indiana. Through the years he was growing up and helping on the family farm, Mr. Davis went to grade school in his native state. For a time after leaving school he farmed. Then he became a lineman for the United Telephone Company. In 1933, he entered his present field as a dairy helper. In 1934, he moved to Decatur to manage a cheese factory for the Kentland Dairy Products Company, founded in 1933 by Harold Foulkes. On September 13, Mr. Davis, with a partner, James Fruin, pur- chased this business. He has been president of the Kentland Dairy Products Company of Decatur and Gibson City, and the Farmers City Cheese Company of Farmer City since that time and has guided expansion of opera- tions into all sections of Macon, DeWitt and Ford Counties and far beyond. He employs thirty persons.
Mr. Davis married Lucille Miller on Febru- ary 12, 1924. Their children are Warren Davis, who married Betty Fear, and Sheila. They worship in the Methodist Church. Mr. Davis is a highly respected business man and citizen in Downstate Illinois.
LEWEN RUSSELL NELSON
An industrialist of international reputation, Lewen Russell Nelson of Peoria is also known as an inventor and as a citizen interested in the promotion of a better life for humanity. He is an influential figure in trade organiza- tions and a leader in health and welfare and lay Methodist circles. In the business world he is president of the L. R. Nelson Mfg. Co.,
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Inc., with plant and office at 1725 South Wash- ington Street, Peoria — a firm manufacturing garden and lawn accessories, golf sprinkling equipment and fireplace equipment.
Mr. Nelson was born on April 28, 1879, at Princeville, a village in Peoria County. His parents were Philip M. and Clara (Russell) Nelson. Both the Nelson and Russell families have been in Peoria County since the early part of the nineteenth century. John Nelson, the industrialist's great-grandfather, estab- lished himself in the county in 1849, while Ebenezer Russell, the grandfather on the maternal side, moved there in 1840. His fath- er, born in Peoria, died in 1932. He was a farmer and real estate man. Clara Russell Nelson was also a native of Peoria County. She died in 1888. L. R. Russell went to ele- mentary school at Princeville and high school at Boulder, Colorado. For a year after finish- ing his schooling he clerked in a general store at Boulder. Then he and his father became partners in the operation of a retail grocery business. This lasted two or three years and was followed by a five-year period in farming. Meantime Mr. Nelson was inventing various items and in 1907 he moved into Peoria, where until 1911 he was engaged in selling his inven- tions. In 1911, he founded his present busi- ness, called in the beginning the Central Brass and Stamping Company. He has been presi- dent of the concern since its inception. In 1921, the firm name was changed to L. R. Nelson Manufacturing Company. The entire United States and a good many foreign coun- tries constitute the company's trading terri- tory. It has two hundred employees.
On September 17, 1902, Mr. Nelson married Inez Baldwin of Boulder. Mrs. Nelson's par- ents were John and Rachel Baldwin. Her father, a native of Centralia, Illinois, was a hauling contractor who died in 1900. Her mother, born in Georgia, died in 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have two children — Ruth Alma, born on April 4, 1908, now the wife of Leonard Bradbury and the mother of Sarah and Anne Bradbury; and Russell Baldwin Nelson, born on July 15, 1911, who married Betty Bartholomew and is the father of Barton and Barbara Nelson. Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Nelson reside at 333 Parkside Drive, Peoria, and worship in the Methodist Church.
Mr. Nelson, prominent in that church, is a former director of the Methodist Hospital of Peoria. He is also a former director of the Peoria Association of Manufacturers and of the Rotary Club of Peoria. In addition, he is affiliated with the National Manufacturers As-
sociation, the Peoria Association of Com- merce, the Illinois State Chamber of Com- merce, the Peoria Country Club, the Creve Coeur Club and the Masonic fraternity. His activities have contributed much to the state's growth.
WILLIAM BRYAN HAMEL
The friends and associates of William Bryan Hamel, publisher and managing editor of The Daily Journal-Gazette at Mattoon, say- — and he admits it — his disposition is governed large- ly by reactions to his daily editorial column in that paper, and swings from good to bad. Be that as it may, that column, hammered out at home on a Royal portable with the "look-and- punch system," a one-finger formula, has made Mr. Hamel one of the best known and most liked individuals in Central, Illinois. He has helped in maintaining the reputation estab- lished for him by his column and other ac- tivities by appearing as guest speaker, toast- master or master of ceremonies at numerous functions, meetings, conventions and football banquets. Besides publishing and editing a newspaper, he likes to participate in the com- munity's health and welfare activities, in or- ganizational affairs and in civic and church work.
He was born in Christian County on October 27, 1898, the son of Marion and Viola Virginia (Berry) Hamel. His father, a farmer and car- penter contractor, was also born in Christian County, his mother at Rochester, in Sangamon County. The future journalist was educated in high schools at Palmer, Taylorville and As- sumption; at Milliken University in Decatur where he finished his high school credits. He was elected to to Sigma Delta Chi, the Na- tional journalism fraternity, University of Illinois Chapter.
Mr. Hamel began his career as a farmer, in association with his father in Christian County for seven years. For a time he was a hotel and restaurant owner in Assumption, then successively, the owner and manager of a drug store in Decatur and a partner in a book and stationery store and office supply house in Mattoon.
In 1928 Mr. Hamel entered the publishing business as advertising manager of the Jour- nal-Gazette. He rose to business manager in 1933, then to general manager in 1936, and finally to publisher in 1939. He is president and treasurer of the Mattoon Journal Com- pany, operating the Gazette Printing Com- pany and publishing the Daily J oumal-Gazette, as well as publisher and managing editor of
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WILLIAM BRYAN HAMEL
the paper. In the first decade of Mr. Hamel's administration as president and publisher, the paper showed an increase of 41 percent in the circulation and 147 percent increase in the gross business. Mr. Hamel's column, his ac- tivities in the community and his other work have helped to further the influence of the paper.
Mi\ Hamel married Katherine Virginia An- drews on May 2, 1925. They were divorced on December 24, 1942. On March 4, 194G, he mar- ried Jennie Elizabeth Day. To the first mar- riage was born a son, William Bryan Hamel, Jr., now (1949) a junior at the University of Illinois. A daughter, Susan Elizabeth, was born to the second marriage on March 7, 1948. The family home is at 30 Lakeshore Drive, Lake Mattoon, Mattoon.
Mr. Hamel is a former director of the Meth- odist Memorial Hospital and a former mem- ber of the board of trustees of the Central Community Church. He is now on the board of directors of the Illinois Daily Newspaper Markets, of which he has also served on the advisory board since 1939, and is a former di- rector and secretary of the Mattoon Com- munity Chest and former president of the Rotary Club of Mattoon. He is a director of the Coles County Fair Association. He was once a member of Company E, 130th Infantry, Illinois Reserve Militia. Other organizations to which he now belongs include the Chicago Key Club, Chicago International Club, St. Louis Victoria Club, the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks, the Loyal Order of Moose and the Mattoon Golf and Country Club. He has been listed in "Who's Who in Chicago and Vicinity" for several years. He is also listed in the Decatur-Central Illinois Program Talent Bulletin as an after dinner speaker. He is a member of the Legislative Committee of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and the Chicago Press Club. He is a Republican who insists on strict political impartiality in the news columns of his paper.
Newspapermen throughout the State have long recognized Mr. Hamel as one of the few members of their craft who are wholly dedi- cated to public service.
HAMILTON MORITZ LOEB
The prominence of Hamilton Moritz Loeb as an insurance man in Chicago is exceeded only by his great renown as a civic leader working on behalf of philanthropic enter- prises, non-sectarian and Jewish, education of the American born and of naturalized citi-
zens and the general welfare. An insurance operator Mr. Loeb is president of the agency firm of Eliel and Loeb Company, 175 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, and has served or is serving in important capacities in insur- ance trade organizations.
Mr. Loeb, the son of Jacob Moritz and Rose (Stein) Loeb, was born in Chicago on Sep- tember 16, 1900. His father, who was one of Chicago's famous citizens, founded the firm of Eliel and Loeb, as a partnership in 1900, the firm was incorporated as Eliel and Loeb Company in 1916. Jacob Moritz Loeb served on the Chicago Board of Education from 1913 to 1922, and from 1914 to 1917 was its presi- dent. He was a native of Chicago. The mother's parents were Adolph and Emma Stein.
Hamilton M. Loeb first attended grade school in the Windy City. This was in the years 1906 and 1907. From 1908 to 1914 he was a pupil at the University of Chicago Lab- oratory School. Then he attended the Har- vard School of Chicago from 1914 to 1917 and in the school year 1917-18 he was at the University of Illinois, Urbana, where he was elected to Zeta Tau Fraternity. In 1918, the final year of World War I, he was a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Mr. Loeb began his career with the insurance firm of Crum and Forster in New York City, in 1919. The following year he joined the staff of Eliel and Loeb Company in New York. In 1921 he returned to Chicago and joined Eliel and Loeb's office in that city. In 1922 he was elected vice president of the firm, which had been in- corporated in 1916, and in 1941 he was ele- vated to his present office of president. In the years of his association with the firm his reputation has spread in an everwidening cir- cle, so that he is well known both to the lay public and the insurance trade.
On June 3, 1922, in New York, Mr. Loeb married Ruth A. Enrich, the daughter of Jesse and Alice (Morgenthau) Enrich. Mrs. Loeb is a leading figure in the welfare world, and is known for her work in the field of the family and the child. She is past president and administrative director of The Associa- tion for Family Living, Chicago, and a di- rector of the Child Study Association of America. Mr. and Mrs. Loeb are the parents of three children, two sons and a daughter. The eldest is Jacob Moritz Loeb, II, who mar- ried Dorothy Maranes and is the father of Robert Eric Loeb and Patricia Ann Loeb. The second son is Hamilton Moritz Loeb, Jr.,
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who married Elsa Jane Levit and is the father of Judith Ann Loeb and Sandra Jean Loeb. The daughter, Alice Ruth, is the wife of Charles R. Grailcourt of London, England. They were married June 16th, 1950 and re- side in Oxford, Ohio where Mr. Grailcourt is a teacher in economics at Western College for Women. Alice received an M.A. Degree from the above College. The Loeb home is at' 3260 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago.
Mr. Loeb's figure — five feet eleven inches tall, weight 190 pounds, bald and brown-eyed —is a familiar one throughout Chicago, and his good disposition and manners, and general distinguished appearance, are coupled with his enlightened leadership in many spheres. He was the first vice chairman, and later chairman, of the Chicago Insurance Agents Association and is a former director of the Chicago Board of Underwriters. In his wider civic activities, he is a director of the Jewish Federation of Chicago, the Jewish Welfare Fund, the Community Fund of Chicago, the Welfare Council of Metropolitan Chicago, the Chicago Medical School, United Service for New Americans and the Association for Fam- ily Living. He is a member of the Chicago Lodge, No. 43 7, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; the Standard and Lake Shore Country Clubs of Chicago and the Lambs and Drug and Chemical Club of New York. He is truly a noted citizen.
LEONARD EUGENE DUNLAP
Known for his tremendous contribution to the field of office building and plant construc- tion, Leonard Eugene Dunlap is now president of Carr and Wright, Inc., an architectural and engineering firm. A veteran of World War I, Mr. Duncap gave the Federal Government vital aid in his construction specialty in World War II.
Mr. Dunlap was born at Savoy, Illinois, on April 15, 1893, the son of Robert Livingston and Charlotte (Jutkins) Dunlap. His father, also a native of Savoy, was a graduate of the University of Illinois of the Class of 1885, who afterward made a reputation as a chem- ist. After attending the elementary and high schools of Urbana, Leonard E. Dunlap himself became a student at the University of Illinois. There he prepared for the business world in the School of Engineering, Department of Architecture. His first position after leaving school was that of structural designer for Swift and Company, in its building depart- ment. From there he went, successively, to the
building departments of the Illinois Central Railroad and the Sinclair Oil Company. An association with the architectural firm of Nimmons, Carr and Wright followed, and then Mr. Dunlap became district engineer for the Kalman Steel Company. From 1926 to 1942 Mr. Dunlap was chief engineer for Nimmons, Car and Wright, in charge of structural design and field supervision. From 1942 to 1944, he supervised design and construction of large building projects for the War Department as an executive of Charles T. Main, Inc., Boston firm of architects and engineers. Since 1944, he has been with Carr and Wright, Inc., with offices at 333 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, in charge of structural design, field supervi- sion, contracts and business administration. The firm has been architects for Sears, Roe- buch and Company plants in all important cities in twenty-seven states, and also design- ed and constructed the American Furniture Mart; Olympia Fields, Ravisloe and Flossmoor Country Clubs; the Chicago Beach Hotel; All- State Insurance Company office building; Port- land Cement Association on Research and De- velopment Laboratory and a score of other major structures. His work in the develop- ment of these construction projects has made Mr. Dunlap a prominent and important figure in this field.
Mr. Dunlap married Louise Parker of Ur- bana. Mrs. Dunlap, an artist and pianist, has been a designer of residences, interiors and gardens and has thus shared her husband's professional interests. In common, too, is their love of gardening. Their home is at 683 Marion Court, Highland Park.
Mr. Dunlap is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Concrete Institute and the Cliff Dwellers. In World War I, he served as regimental sergeant- major in the Field Artillery Corps. He is a Republican and, for recreations, likes fishing as well as gardening. A leading personality in pre-war and wartime construction, Leonard Eugene Dunlap is outstanding in the postwar construction program.
HARRY WARREN DAY
A former executive of the Illinois State Department of Agriculture and of the Illinois Fruit Growers Exchange, Harry Warren Day of Carbondale is today one of the leaders in the fruit and vegetable world, being president and manager of the Growers Sales Service, Inc., of Carbondale. He has a national reputa- tion especially among peach growers and is
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LEONARD EUGENE DUNLAP
HARRY WARREN DAY
also known in the horticultural and building supplies field. He is a veteran of World War I. Mr. Day was born in Shelbyville on June 15, 1894, the son of John W. Day, a native of Michigan who first moved to Indiana and eventually to Illinois, and Elizabeth (Lumpp) Day, a native of Illinois. Harry Day spent his boyhood in Shelbyville, where he attended the elementary and high schools. In 1917, he re- ceived the degree of Bachelor of Science at the University of Illinois College of Agriculture and, the United States having entered World War I, then entered the Navy at Great Lakes. Later he was transferred to Cambridge, Mass- achusetts, and then to the Submarine School at New London, Connecticut, and finally to Puget Sound, Washington. He was discharged in 1919, by which time he had risen to the rating of Radio Electrician First Class.
Returning to the University of Illinois, Mr Day became an assistant in the department of horticulture. After a year, he accepted an ap- pointment as associate farm advisor in Cook County, and spent the years 1920 through 1923 at Blue Island. In 1923 he was appointed superintendent of the Division of Markets of the State Department of Agriculture, at Springfield, serving under Governor Len Small until 1926. He then went to Centralia to serve as a fieldman for the Illinois Fruit Growers Exchange, of which he later became manager. He held the managerial post from 1932 to 1941, and in this period, in 1935, supervised the moving of the organization's headquarters to Carbondale. In 1941 Mr. Day was one of the three organizers of the Growers Sales Service, Inc., and he is now president and manager. The organization acts as sales agents for growers in Louisiana, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri, handling strawberries, apples and peaches as well as assorted vegetables. The major portion of the business is from Illinois orchards.
Mr. Day married Harriet Lillian James of Amboy in June, 1920. Mrs. Day is a graduate of the University of Illinois, having taken her degree of Bachelor of Science in 1917. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Day. The first died in infancy. The others are Ruth Elizabeth, who graduated from the University of Illinois in 1947, and married Wayne A. Smutz of Rock Island, Illinois; Warren James Day, who holds a Civil Engineering degree from the University, served in a Navy V-12 unit in World War II and is now (1949) at- tending Union Theological Seminary in New York, with plans to combine his engineering knowledge with missionary work, and Mary
Louise Day, a piano and pipe orgen major in the University of Illinois College of Music.
Mr. Day, whose organization ships by truck or rail from 1500 to 2000 carloads every year, is an authority on growing and marketing fruits and vegetables. He was secretary of the Illinois State Horticultural Society from 1924 to 1932 and is a director of the Illinois Fruit Council, an organization of orchardists design- ed to promote education and research and sales. He is also a director of the National Peach Council and the Colp Wholesale Com- pany of Carbondale, a building supply firm. He has been a member of the Carbondale High School Board since 1944. He also be- longs to the Lions Club of Carbondale, the Carbondale Business Men's Association, the Elks Club, and the American Legion. He wor- ships in the First Presbyterian Church of Carbondale and is a Republican. Golf is his favorite sport. Mr. Day's extraordinary con- tribution to the agriculture of his State is widely recognized.
HON. WILLIAM MARTIN LAUGHLIN
Four generations of the Laughlin family, descended from Irish stock, have made them- selves an important place in the life of Illinois. The Honorable William Martin Laughlin, of the second generation, and his grandson, Rob- ert Neil Laughlin of the fourth generation, together carry on the traditions today, with the younger man managing a business found- ed by the older at Mattoon in Coles County. This business is known as W. M. Laughlin and Son, handling coal and grain and related mer- chandise, with warehouse, yards and sales- rooms at 1813 Broadway, Mattoon. At one time, William Martin Laughlin's son, William Neil Laughlin, father of the present executive head of the business, was its leading figure, for William Martin Laughlin, who in 1950 was approaching his ninety-second birthday, has been retired since 1933. He is a former public official of Vandalia, where he lived a good many years of his life.
William Martin Laughlin was born in Chi- cago on November 20, 1858, the oldest of the three sons and one daughter of Michael and Ellen (Carey) Laughlin. His father, born in Ireland, migrated in his youth in a sailing vessel, settling in Cook County. His wife was also of Irish birth. Michael Laughlin died when he was still a young man. The family moved from Chicago to St. Louis, Missouri, when the first child was still an infant. When he was six, William Martin Laughlin and his family settled in Vandalia, the seat of Fayette
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County. There he attended the public schools, later transferring to those of Weldon in De- Witt County. At a young age Mr. Laughlin became a telegraph operator for the Illinois Central Railroad at Weldon, working nights and receiving $36 a month as pay. Later he worked as trainsmaster's clerk for the rail- road at Mattoon. In 1903, Mr. Laughlin, with a partner, organized a coal, flour and feed business known as the Farmers Milling and Grain Company. In this business Mr. Laughlin owned a third interest. Two years after it was established, however, he bought out his partner and changed the name to W. M. Laughlin, dealer in Coal, Flour and Feed, heating fuels, farm supplies, garden supplies and wholesale groceries. When, in 1911, he took his son Wil- liam Neil Laughlin into the enterprise, the name was changed to the present one: W. M. Laughlin and Son. The original site of the business at 320 South Twenty-first Street, Mattoon, is still used as the firms coal and fuel oil storage yard ; the present headquarters on Broadway were taken over in 1920 alon": with the warehouses at 113 So. 18th Street and 320 So. 21st Street. The business has a trading area embracing not only Coles County but a radius of forty miles beyond.
On October 3, 1886, Mr. Laughlin married Mary Elizabeth Neil of Vandalia, the daugh- ter of Robert Neil, a prominent farmer of Fayette County, and Ann Neil. William Neil Laughlin was the first of four children born to Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Laughlin. His birth occurred on August 4, 1887. He was in busi- ness with his father, managing the enterprise in his later years, until his death on February 11, 1946. The other children were Nellie Mar- garet, who was born in 1889 and died in in- fancy, and Regina Mary, born on July 17, 1900, and Anne Catherine, born on February 8, 1903. Regina Mary is now the wife of Joseph J. Schneider and the mother of Joseph Neil Schneider. Anne Catherine is the wife of Barnard E. Smith of Rochester, New York, and the mother of Donna Jean, Kathleen and Neil Kingston Smith. The family is Catholic.
Mr. Laughlin, prominent in lay Catholic circles, is a past grand knight of the Knights of Columbus. He is also a past president of his church's Holy Name Society. A Democrat, he served one term as an Alderman in Van- dalia and was also Tax Collector of the City of Vandalia in the period before he moved to Mattoon in December, 1900. In 1933, he re- tired from business, leaving the management to his son, who was, in turn, succeeded by his own son. Mr. Laughlin's favorite games are
billiards, five hundred, and he still furnishes the younger ones with stiff competition. He is also quite a baseball fan. His home is at 504 North Nineteenth Street, Mattoon. He is a popular and venerable old figure in Coles County — a business and civic leader who has done much to promote the prosperity of the entire region.
ROBERT NEIL LAUGHLIN
In 1903, William M. Laughlin established a firm now famed throughout Central Illinois — W. M. Laughlin and Son of Mattoon. Today that concern is headed by his grandson, Robert Neil Laughlin, who has added to its three other divisions a fourth, wholesale groceries. The other divisions handle coal, farm supply and garden and pet supply products. Robert N. Laughlin, who was in the publication circula- tion and insurance business and an officer in the United States Army in World War II be- fore entering his grandfather's firm, is one of the prominent young business men of Coles County.
Born in Mattoon on March 22, 1917, Mr. Laughlin is the son of William Neil and Ruth (Gray) Laughlin. His father, born at Vandalia on August 4, 1887, moved with his parents, William M. and Mary Laughlin, to Mattoon at the turn of the century. After completing his elementary school education in that community he went to work. His father had meantime established the now renowned business house at Mattoon. After several years with the New York Central Railroad, the Washburn-Crosby Company and other concerns in Illinois, W. Neil Laughlin became associated in 1913 in his father's feed and grain business. Their part- nership became known as W. M. Laughlin and Son and though W. M. Laughlin did not re- tire until 1935 his son took over active man- agement early in their association, and the firm prospered and became one of the best known in the wholesale and retail merchandis- ing of coal, farm and garden and pet supplies. After his father's retirement, W. Neil Laugh- lin continued the business until his sudden death on February 11, 1946, and it was then his son, Robert Neil Laughlin, took over.
The latter was graduated from St. Patrick's Parochial School in Mattoon in 1930. Four years later he was graduated from the Mat- toon High School and in June, 1938, he took the degree of Bachelor of Commercial Science in Acccounting at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. From 1932 to 1934 Mr. Laughlin was district agent for the Curtis Publishing Company in the Mattoon territory.
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HON. WILLIAM MARTLN LAUGHLIN
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In 1938 he became a special agent for the Southeastern Illinois District of the Massa- chusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company in Mattoon. On April 21, 1941, Mr. Laughlin was inducted into the United States Army. He was a private in, the 129th Infantry, 33rd Di- vision, until November, 1941, then rose to Master Sergeant in the Division Finance Of- fice, 33rd Division, with which he remained until March, 1943. Afterward, until February, 1944, he was Warrant Officer Junior Grade and Assistant Finance Officer of the division and on June 22, 1944, after attending Officer Candidate School, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant. In the Army Finance School from that time until January, 1946, he rose to First Lieutenant, and he now holds that rank in the Officers Reserve Corps. He was separated from the active service in January, 1946. His father's death occurred less than a month later, and Mr. Laughlin assumed the manage- ment of the business. In 1948 he added the wholesale grocery division, making his firm the distributor for many nationally advertised brands of fine foods and food products.
He married Marjorie Ann Fitzgerald, daughter of Joseph L. and Irma J. Fitzgerald, in Mattoon on November 1, 1941, and their children are Carol Ann, born October 2, 1944, Michael Joseph, Born January 1, 1947, John Neil, born March 31, 1948, and Bernard James, born February 26, 1949. The family resides at 204 North 22nd Street, Mattoon, and worships in the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
Mr. Laughlin, prominent in civic affairs, served one term as president and one term as board member in the Young Business Men's Club of Mattoon and is currently vice-president of the retail division of the Chamber of Com- merce. He is an outstanding citizen of Mattoon.
HARRISON E. COLP
One of those who made history in the mo- tion picture business — and in the United States Army — is Harrison E. Colp of Carbon- date, for he was among the brave few who stood unmoved as battle raged about them and took motion pictures of the most violent combat scenes in World War I, films which are shown again and again in cavalcades of war and American and world history. Today Mr. Colp is vice president of the wholesale phase of the Colp Lumber Company and presi- dent of the retail organization and is, in ad- dition, a Carbondale citizen who is working assiduously on behalf of development of Sou- thern Illinois and the contiguous regions.
Born in this State on January 1, 1889, Mr. Colp is the son of John and Dora (North) Colp, both of whom, together with their parents, were also natives of the State. John Colp was a coal operator who established a lumber business. His children, aside from Harrison, who was born fourth, were Mary; Leon A., a lawyer; Loran R., a hotel opera- tor; Logan N. ; M. D., who was in the lumber business but is now deceased; P. R., who was in both the lumber and coal business and is now deceased, and Effie, who died in 1931.
Harrison E. Colp was educated in the public schools of Carterville, St. John's Military Academy in Wisconsin and the Lewis Insti- tute of Chicago. In 1912 he went to work in the production department of the Western Electric Company. Alter two years, ne took to the road as a motion picture cameraman. When the United States entered World War I, he went into the Corps of Engineers and served as cameraman with the rank of Master Engineer, shooting battle pictures in all major engagements — a pioneer in this type of mili- tary activity. He received the Verdun Award from the French Government for distinguish- ed service, and after the Armistice served with the Army of Occupation in Germany. He was discharged in the States in June, 1919, and then returned to Carterville, to join the. family milling business located there. The firm's first lumber yard was in Centerville and the dcwntown office was opened in Car- bondale in 1923. There is also a wholesale business of building supplies and related ma- terials and, in addition to Carbondale, the firm operates in Fulton, Kentucky; Sikeston, Missouri; and Goreville, Illinois.
Mr. Colp married Martha Morrison at Ful- ton, Missouri, on October 19, 1919, and they have one daughter, Mrs. Mildred Jones, who lives in Fulton.
Mr. Colp was chairman of the Williamson County Draft Board No. 2 for six years. He is active in the American Legion, the Illinois Retail Material Dealers Association, the Car- bondale Business Men's Association, the Ma- sonic Blue Lodge at Carterville and the Car- bondale Lodge, Benvolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is a former member of the Lions Club of Carterville. He and his family worship in the Presbyterian Church. Wholly civic-minded, Mr. Colp has served his community to the utmost of his ability.
BENNIE FRANK McCLERREN
Among the younger business men who are giving considerable leadership in activities in Southern Illinois is Bennie Frank McClerren
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of Benton. A Naval veteran of World War II who saw considerable action in the Pacific area, Mr. McClerren is now operating the McClerren Motor Company at Benton and is leading automobile dealer in Franklin County. He has the DeSoto-Plymouth franchise.
Mr. McClerren was born in Franklin County on October 3, 1917, the son of Harry and Elsie (Jent) McClerren. Both parents are als*) na- tives of Franklin County. The father, a coal miner, is the son of the late Mat McClerren, another who was born in that county.
Bennie McClerren was educated in the pub- lic schools of Weavertown. From 1933 to 1936 he worked on a farm. When he left the farm he went to Chicago, where he entered the em- ploy of Johnson and Johnson, the surgical dressing concern. He remained with this or- ganization until in 1944 he was called into the United States Navy, in which he became a Seaman First Class. He served in the Pacific Theater of Operations and received eight Battle Stars, one of them for action at Iwo Jima. Separated from the service in 1946, Mr. McClerren returned to his position with John- son and Johnson in Chicago. In the next two years, without giving up his post with the surgical dressing firm, he bought and sold automobiles for various Chicago dealers, and thus not only learned the business but de- veloped a keen interest in it. This interest developed to the point where in 1948 he re- signed from Johnson and Johnson and, re- turning to his native county, entered the automobile business in Benton, the county seat. He now has the franchise as DeSoto-Plymouth dealer for one-half of Franklin County. He has attractive show rooms and complete shop facilities, owning all his equipment. Six per- sons are employed in the business, which has grown rapidly in volume and prestige. Mr. McClerren is active in the Illinois Automobile Dealers Association and the National Auto- mobile Dealers Association. Saddle horses are his hobby.
On August 27, 1936, in Franklin County, Mr. McClerren married Juanita Melvin, the daughter of Carrie Melvin of West Frankfort. Mr. and Mrs. McClerren are the parents of three children — Deon and Leon McClerren, who are twins, and Gary McClerren. The fam- ily worships in the Pentecostal Church. Stand- ing five feet nine inches tall and weighing 160 pounds, the automobile dealer is a man of great health and strength. His energy, which helped make him a business success, is contributing to his popularity among his neighbors and customers.
GEORGE H. LECAS
Once a poor immigrant boy, George H. Lecas is today one of the more successful of American citizens — an outstanding Illinoisan and a leading figure in Pana and Christian County. He is the owner and operator of the Lecas Candy Company of Pana, which sup- plies a large variety of confections to big five- and-ten chains and to small jobbing firms throughout the United States. He gives much time to community enterprises in Christian County and also money.
Mr. Lecas was born in Greece on August 10, 1899, and came to the United States in 1914. He was still only fourteen years old when he went to work in a confectionery store in Peoria. It was there he learned the candy-making business, under the tutelage of an uncle, Christ Lecas, the owner of the store. In 1920 Mr. Lecas left his uncle's employ and moved to Joplin, Missouri, where he again worked in a confectionery store. Then he came back to Illinois and worked in another such establishment in Champaign for a year. In 192 3, he established himself at Pana. At first Mr. Lecas ran a combination restaurant and candy store in this commun- ity. Then, in 1929, he began manufacturing candy. His start in this field was indeed humble, but -vith characteristic energy and ability he was able to expand rapidly. By 1943 he had his present plant in Pana going. Since then the expansion has been phenome- nal. His first building was 18 by 30 in di- mensions. The second building, new, modern and constructed of brick, was many times larger and the third, an addition to the second, has multiplied the space for office and factory and shipping operations many times more. In 1949, Mr. Lecas also erected a separate warehouse. He has had a contract with the S. S. Kresge Company for years. He now also nas a contract with the F. W. Wool- worth Company and with small jobbing firms which distributed his candy to thousands of retail outlets. Mr. Lecas makes all kinds of suckers, peanut brittle and specialty items. In 1949, he produced more than 200,000 pounds of peanut brittle alone. In that year, he used about 2500 100-pound bags of sugar and 200,000 pounds of corn syrup. He em- ploys thirty girls and five or six men.
In 192 0 Mr. Lecas married Edith Banks, a native of Germany who has been a resident of Pana since childhood. They have two chil- dren— Diane Lycas, born in 1936, and Vallas Lecas, born in 1939.
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GEORGE ROBERT KENNEDY
In the community, Mr. Lecas is active in the Pana Chamber of Commerce and in American Red Cross and Community Fund money-raising campaigns. Through this work, he not only helps the city expand its com- mercial and industrial facilities but also to support important health and welfare and youth-serving programs. He is himself one of Pana's big employers and is one of those who has done much to promote civic progress and well-being.
GEORGE ROBERT KENNEDY
In the laundry business his entire working life, George Robert Kennedy is now owner and operator of one of Springfield's and Sang- amon County's largest establishments in its field — the Kennedy Laundry and Dry Cleaners. Mr. Kennedy, whose reputation extends throughout the laundry world, is also one of the state capitol's leading citizens.
Born in Peoria, on July 8, 1899, he is the son of the late George Thomas and Ella (Roth) Kennedy. The father, a bank teller in his early days, entered the laundry business at the beginning of the century, with a partner named William Bourke. They operated the Bourke and Kennedy Laundry at Peoria. George T. Kennedy retired in the 1920's, and died in 1925. His wife is also deceased. Their other children were William, deceased; Mrs. Margaret Kennedy Conrad; Walter T., oper- ates the Kennedy Laundry and Dry Cleaners of Peoria; Ralph J., deceased; Edward; and Mrs. Catherine Kennedy Abbey. After com- pleting his education, George Robert Kennedy worked in his father's laundry in Peoria for a year or two, and then became a salesman for the American Tobacco Company. His next em- ployment was with the Willy Laundry Machin- ery Company of Philadelphia. He spent ten years demonstrating and selling laundry equip- ment for this concern ; this machinery was known as the Nu Way Laundry Systems. In the period that Mr. Kennedy did this work his company merged with Ellis Brothers of Chi- cago and for a time operated under the name of Willy-Ellis Laundry Machinery Company. Then there was another merger with the Tol- hurst Machine Works at Troy, New York, and the operation was conducted under the name of the General Laundry Machinery Company. In 1930 this corporation sold out to the Ameri- can Laundry Machinery Company.
In 1930, Mr. Kennedy left the General Laun- dry Machinery Company and established him- self in Springfield. For less than a year he was an employee of the Mahon Laundry.
On January 1, 1931, he purchased the entire business from Mr. Mahon and for the next three years continued operating under the Mahon name. In 1934, however, he changed the name to the Kennedy Laundry. At that time he operated two trucks and employed fifteen persons. He has since so developed the business that today it operates seven trucks and em- ploys forty-four persons. The addition of a dry cleaning department in 1934 has helped the de- velopment of the business. Today dry cleaning constitutes about fifty percent of Mr. Ken- nedy's annual volume. He maintains a "pick- up" office in downtown Springfield, and is himself frequently seen in the central area of the city, being active in civic enterprises.
On June 14, 1928, Mr. Kennedy married Helen I. Rittenhouse, and they have three children — George Robert Kennedy, Jr., born on August 23, 1930; Eugene David Kennedy, born on August 26, 1934, and Mary Ellen Ken- nedy, born in February 12, 1938. The family worships in the Roman Catholic Church.
Mr. Kennedy belongs not only to such or- ganizations as the Knights of Columbus and Te Deum International, but also to the Spring- field Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; the Springfield Manufacturers and Employers Association, the American Institute of Laundering, the National Institute of Cleaners and Dyers and the Springfield Cham- ber of Commerce. His favorite sports are golf and bowling.
RICHARD KARL GEBHARDT
Few men are better known in the paint and decorating field than Richard Karl Gebhardt of Peoria. President of the Born Paint and Wallpaper Company, with headquarters at 536 Fulton Street, Peoria, Mr. Gebhardt holds honorary memberships and offices in various organizations of the trade and is a member of the board of directors of the Marquette Paint and Wallpaper Company. He is one of Peoria's civic leaders and is especially well-known among Illinois' great population of citizens of German descent.
Mr. Gebhardt is a native of Germany. Born on August 11, 1900, he is the son of Karl Gebhardt, also born in Germany, now retii'ed and living in Peoria, and Anna (Starke) Geb- hardt, another native of that country, who naturally also makes her home in Peoria. Rich- ard K. Gebhardt obtained his entire education in his native land. After attending the ele- mentary and high schools of that country, he attended the Mannheim Commercial College until 1923. For a short time he worked in the
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exporting department of a machinery manu- facturing concern in Germany, but it was still 1923 when he came to the United States and settled in Peoria. Until 1925 Mr. Gebhardt was employed by the Keystone Steel and Wire Company of Peoria. Then he went to Syracuse, New York, to work for the Prosperity Com- pany. In 1929 he was back in Peoria and as- sociating himself with his father-in-law in the operation of the Standard Decorating Co. In 1945, he became president of the Born Paint and Wallpaper Co. and has been since that time. The company does a retail and whole- sale business in paints, wallpaper and sundries. Its trading territory is the Peoria area and it employs twenty-five persons.
Mr. Gebhardt married Adele Stemfle of Germany in May, 1926, and two children were born to the marriage — Richard Lawrence Geb- hardt on December 31, 1929, and Wilma Ella on October 18, 1928, now Mrs. Gilbert Spur- geon. Adele Gebhardt died in 1939. On July 3, 1940, Mr. Gebhardt married Margaret Lauk- itis, a native of Pennsylvania, and daughter of Michael Adam Laukitis, a miner born in Lithuania who died in 1929, and Margaret Mary (Kevege) Laukitis, also a native of Lithuania, who died in 1949. The Gebhardts reside at 1617 West Glen Avenue, Peoria.
Some of the indications of Mr. Gebhardt's standing in his field of business are the fact that he has served as vice president of the Illinois State Council of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America and is an honorary member of both the state and na- tional organizations as well as the Peoria chapter. He was also active in the Wisconsin State Council. His other organizations include the Rotary Club of Peoria, the Steuben Club, the German Central Society, the Peoria As- sociation of Commerce, the Peoria Better Busi- ness Bureau, the Creve Coeur Club and the Masonic fraternity, including the Shrine. He has made a widely recognized contribution to the progress and welfare of Illinois.
EUGENE DUNCAN FUNK, JR.
In association with twenty-one other pro- ducers, the Funk Brothers Seed Company of Bloomington originated their famed Hybrid Seed Corn which is serving the entire corn growing region of the United States. The com- pany is also one of the pioneers in soy bean processing and does a heavy business in soy bean meal and oil as well as in seed corn and many varieties of other seeds and in grasses. Of this concern Eugene Duncan Funk, Jr., is
president. He is also prominent in the cham- ber of commerce movcrr-ut and in educational work.
Mr. Funk was born at Shirley, McLean County, on August 25, 1900, the son of Eugene Duncan and Mary E. (Anderson) Funk. His father, also born at Shirley, founded the Funk Brothers Seed Company in 1901. He died in 1944, and is survived by his wife, who is a native of Portland, Oregon. E. D. Funk, Jr., received his early education in the elementary and high schools of Shirley and Normal, and then spent three and one-half years at the University of Illinois. He joined the Funk Brothers Seed Company in 1922 and was made secretary of the corporation in 1932. In 1944, after the death of his father, he succeeded him in the presidency. He partici- pated in the establishment of the company's soy bean oil mill in 1924. This mill is one of the oldest in continuous operation in the United States. The company's products are sold in virtually every corner of the nation. It employs about two hundred and fifty per- sons. The Funk name has been associated for a half century with corn, grass and other seeds throughout the agricultural world, a world in which Eugene D. Funk, Jr., is an outstanding figure.
Mr. Funk married Malotta Divelbiss of Lawrenceville, Illinois, daughter of Otto and Mae (Stevenson) Divelbiss, on July 15, 1925. Mrs. Funk's father, a native of Farmer City, Illinois, was farming at the time of his death in 1905. Her mother, a native of St. Joseph, Illinois, survives him. Mr. and Mrs. Funk are the parents of two children — Sara Funk, who was born on March 14, 1930, and Eugene Duncan Funk, III, who was born on December 17, 1935. Mr. and Mrs. Funk and their chil- dren reside at 1318 East Grove Street, Bloom- ington.
Mr. Funk has enjoyed considerable leader- ship in his native area and in the state at large. He is a former president and member of the board of directors of the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce and a former director and member of the agriculture-industry com- mittee of the Illinois State Chamber of Com- merce. He is also a member of the Univer- sity of Illinois Foundation, and of the Amer- ican Seed Trade Association, the Rotary Club of Bloomington and various Masonic bodies, including the Shrine. He is foremost among those who are guiding Bloomington to greater prosperity and to cultural heights.
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RICHARD KARL CKBHARDT
ORVILLE F. WAREHAM
DARRELL E. WAREHAM
The Wareham Dairy at Taylorville, seat of Christian County, is one of the outstanding business enterprises in that region. Founded by Darrell E. Wareham, a farmer all his life, the business has grown rapidly and steadily until it has become an important factor in the area. Mr. Wareham is himself well known in business circles and in the affairs of his city and county.
Born in Clarksdale, on November 21, 1913, Mr. Wareham is the son of Orville F. and Flossie S. (Payne) Wareham, both of whom are also natives of downstate Illinois, the former a farmer and livestock breeder. Others in the family are Frederick H. Wareham, a partner of his brother Darrell in the dairy business; Donald 0. Wareham, who is also associated with the dairy; their sister, Irma, who is now Mrs. John Kevie, and younger sister, Marcella, who is now Mrs. Ivan Pit- tinger.
Darrell E. Wareham began his education in the grade schools of Christian County. He continued at Hedge College grade school and then spent a year each at Washington School and Brush College grade school. He completed his education at Taylorville High School. Until 1930, Mr. Wareham farmed part time. In that year he started a dairy route with his father and he gave it such ability and energy as to build it into a successful venture, despite the depression. In 1940, Mr. Wareham and his brother purchased their present dairy farm and started pasteurizing raw products. The enterprise, named the Wareham Dairy, soon prospered and has grown to a point where the partners employ twenty persons, operating twelve trucks. All varieties of milk products are marketed, and the dairy produces about 300,000 units a month.
Darrell Wareham married Louise Gilpin of Taylorville in that city on February 24, 1934. They have three sons — Rodger Wareham, born in 1937; Duane Wareham, born in 1941; and David Wareham, born in 1948.
Mr. Wareham is active in the Taylorville Association of Commerce and in the Illinois Dairymen's Association. As a dairy operator he is giving vital service to his fellow citi- zens, and he has won great prestige among them thereby.
JAMES ALBERT CHERRY
In the insurance and real estate business since March. 1939, whe he was nineteen years old, James Albert Cherry has become well known throughout Jackson County. His firm,
known as the Cherry Insurance Agency of Carbondale, was founded by his father. It was operated by the father until his death in 1928 and then by the mother before the son took over. Mr. Cherry attributes much of his suc- cess to the traditions established by his par- ents as a pattern for him to follow.
Mr. Cherry was born in Carbondale on De- cember 1, 1919, the son of Thomas L. and Alice Sarah (Vanden) Cherry. His father, a native of Kentucky, lived most of his adult life in Carbondale.. A civic-minded citizen who did much for Cardondale, he served on the board of trustees of Holden Hospital and on the of- ficial board of the Methodist Church. Alice Sarah Cherry was a native of Illinois. She died in April, 1947. Mr. Cherry has three broth- ers and a sister — Richai-d V. Cherry; George T. Cherry, an insurance man in Omaha ; Luth- er A. Cherry, and Alice S. Cherry. Richard V. Cherry is now associated with his brother in the insurance and real estate business. He was formerly an executive with the Western Adjustment and Inspection Company of Chi- cago.
James A. Cherry attended the grade and high schools of Carbondale, graduating from high school in 1938. He played football, bas- ketball, track and tennis at high school. For four months he was a student at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, but dropped out to take over the business his widowed mother had been operating from 1938 on. Mr. Cherry became head of this insurance and real estate firm in March, 1939, eight months be- fore his twentieth birthday. Since that time the business has multiplied in volume. He now employs four persons and in the latter part of 1948 he had completed six residences and was planning the development of a new sub- division for Carbondale.
Mr. Cherry married Mary Coletta Taylor, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. L. Taylor of Carbondale in that city on August 30, 1940. They are the parents of two children — Coletta Sue born May 17, 1943, and Lucinda Jane Cherry born Dec. 9, 1947. The family wor- ships in the First Methodist Church of Car- bondale.
Mr. Cherry is a member of the Rotary Club of Carbondale, the Carbondale Business Men's Association ; the Carbondale Lodge, Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks; the Car- bondale Lodge, Loyal Order of Moose; Sheki- nah Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Ma- sons, and the Jackson Country Club. His fa- vorite recreations are golf and hunting. He also likes most other outdoor sports, chiefly
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as spectator, though he is himself of the ath- letic type, six feet one inch tall and weighing two hundred pounds. He has contributed to the reputation of the Cherry family, first es- tablished by his parents, and to the develop- ment of the community.
FREDERICK E. BLOOM
At 201 Adams Street, in Peoria, stands an institution which has been serving that com- munity and a region far beyond it since 1890. This is the renowned B. and M. Department Store, of which Frederick E. Bloom is presi- dent. Mr. Bloom not only heads this great busi- ness but gives leadership to the community in its business, civic and fraternal life and is a man who enjoys a reputation for mer- chandising skill among the merchants of the nation.
Mr. Bloom was born in Peoria on March 27, 1894, the son of Jacques and Marie (Asher) Bloom. His father, a native of Alsace- Lorraine who came to America in his youth and established himself as a leading citizen of Illinois, founded The B. and M. Department Store in 1890. He was president of the com- pany until his death in 1938. The mother, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, survives her husband and continues to make her home in Peoria.
Frederick Bloom received his early educa- tion in the elementary and high schools of Peoria and then studied at Princeton Uni- versity in New Jersey, emerging with the Bachelor of Literature degree in 1917. By the time he took this degree the United States had entered World War I, and before enter- ing the business world Mr. Bloom went into military service. He was overseas first with the Ambulance Field Service, then with the Army Motor Transport Corps. He was hon- orably discharged in August, 1919, with the rank of Second Lieutenant. The following month he joined his father in the department store and has devoted himself to the work since that time. Founded in 1890, the store was first known as Bloom and Mayer, but in 1892 took its present name, The B. and M. Frederick Bloom worked in the store in vari- ous positions, learning the business, until in 1923 he was made secretary of the corpora- tion. In 1938, upon the death of his father, he assumed the presidency. Under his leadership the store has continued to gain in prestige and volume of business, and he himself has made a nationwide reputation as a merchan- diser and business executive.
On May 8, 1943 at Springfield, Mr. Bloom married Frances Houy of that city. Mrs. Bloom's parents are Philip and May (McCor- mick) Houy. Her father, who is in the jewelry business, was born in Germany, her mother in Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Bloom reside at 120 Kickapoo Street, Peoria, and worship in the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Peoria.
Mr. Bloom is not only active in that church but in various community organizations. He is a member of the Peoria Association of Commerce of the United States, the Ivy Club, the Creve Coeur Club and several masonic bodies, including the Shrine. An employer of 128 persons, he is the head of one of the few home-owned businesses in Peoria. He is rated highly among those who are devoting them- selves to the building of Peoria and the state.
RAY H. NEISEWANDER
The woodworking shops owned and operated by Ray H. Neisewander of Springfield are known throughout a wide section of the state. Located at Springfield and Dixon, seat of Lee County, these shops make home kitchen cabi- nets, overhead garage doors and other items. A leading member of the woodworking industry Mr. Neisewander was born in Gibson City, Ford County, on March 19, 1906, the son of W. J. and Margaret (Houston) Neisewander, the former a building contractor and farmer. Ray Neisewander spent two years at high school after completing grade school. He worked on his father's farm and occasionally in the father's building contracting business in his school days and for a time afterward. He left Gibson City and his father's farm when he was sixteen years old, moving to Springfield. There he took a job as a drafts- man in a patent office. This job he gave up in order to embark on an apprenticeship in the woodworking trade at the P. A. Wetzel Company plant in Springfield.
After mastering this trade, Mr. Neisewander worked not only in Springfield, but also in Decatur, St. Louis, Chicago and Detroit, as well as in several other cities. In 1928 he returned to Springfield and for one year more worked as an employee. In 1929, he chan- neled his woodworking skill into a business of his own, The Capitol Wood Works. He started his first shop with a capital of $661 saved after years of work. Renting space in the rear of a grocery store, he began making home kitchen cabinets. From there he moved to larger quarters, where he employed twenty men. In 1940 Mr. Neisewander built his present Springfield plant at 1010 East Ed-
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RAY H. NEISEWANDER
wards St. He has since added to this structure several times. In 1944, he and a partner opened a plant in Quincy. Two years later Mr. Neisewander, alone, purchased a plant at Dixon. In 1948, he bought out his partner and now owns the controlling' stock in his business. He has consolidated the Quincy plant with the Dixon plant known as the Raynor Mfg. Co. and in the latter now employs 200 men. At Dixon Mr. Neisewander specializes in over- head garage doors, while at Springfield he does a general woodworking business which includes among other things garage doors. Each plant has about 55,000 square feet of floor space.
On April 15, 1925, at Springfield, Mr. Neise- wander married Adrienne Murphy, a native of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Neisewander, both of whom worship in the Catholic Church, are the parents of six children— Margaret, now Mrs. William Bradley and the mother of Susan and William Bradley, Jr.; Catherine, now Mrs. Eddie Vespa and the mother of Eddie Ray and David Joe Vespa; Ray H. Neisewander, Jr., born in 1932; Patsy Ann, born in 1933; Eleanor Mae, born in 1937, and John William, born in 1938.
Mr. Neisewander is active in the Knights of Columbus, the Cosmopolitan Club, the Spring- field Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; the Springfield Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Manufacturers As- sociation. Hunting and fishing are his fa- vorite recreations. One of the best known men in the Springfield area, Mr. Neisewander has done much as employer and maker of vital items to add to the area's wealth and well-being.
HON. HENRY C. G. SCHRADER
Probably the most widely known abstract and title man in Illinois, is Henry C. G. Schra- der of Belleville, Illinois. He is president and general manager of the St. Clair Guaranty and Title Company and president of the Sav- ings and Loan Association of Belleville and former treasurer of the Belleville Security Building and Loan Association. He is a man who throughout his long life has served his community, county and state in every conceiv- able capacity, forwarding the cause of educa- tion, culture, welfare, business and civic de- velopment and good government. His reputa- tion as a citizen is national in scope and non- partisan in character, for he has been called to the attention of two Democratic Presidents: Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roo-evelt and Republican Herbert Hoover.
Mr. Schrader was born October 31, 1868, in Belleville, the eldest son of Henry E. and Louise E. (Winter) Schrader. His maternal grandfather, John Winter, was the proprietor of the Belleville House, a popular hostelry of that era. Educated in the public schools, he went to work in a grocery store in Belleville in 1884. A few months later he entered the employ of the former Belleville Stove Works, however, at the request of his father, who was then manager of the St. Clair Title Office, he went to work for that concern on December 1, 1884. His salary was eight dollars a month. In October, 1886, Mr. Schrader left Belleville, Illinois to work for Haddock, Vallette and Rickords, a title company in Chicago. In his time with this firm, the name was changed to Security Title and Trust Company, and thus Mr. Schrader was gaining experience in the field in which he is so renowned.
In April, 1898, Mr. Schrader returned to Belleville and the St. Clair Title Office, still under his father's management. In 1903 when the Mississippi flood drove out the inhabitants of East St. Louis and adjoining lowlands Mr. Schrader was made Special Chief of Belleville's Police to care for the housing and feeding of the homeless numbering in the hundreds. In 1907 he was elected vice-president of the Good Government and Improvement Association, in recognition of his leadership in civic and public affairs. In 1909, he became a member of the Library Board and was instrumental in start- ing a movement to obtain a Carnegie gift re- sulting in the present library building. He served on the Board till 1913. In 1909, too, he became assistant manager of the St. Clair Title Office and later as manager, succeeded his father who retired at the age of seventy. In 1910 Mr. Schrader, with other citizens, organized the Memorial Day Association, of which he was elected and has been president ever since. Since his election to the presiden- cy, Mr. Schrader, at the request of the G.A.R. has exemplified the ritual of that organiza- tion at the graves of its members, acting for the enfeebled members still living, until the last survivor was laid to rest in 1943. On May 30, 1944, at the Memorial Day Exercises he was presented with an Army Distinguished Service Medal by the Veterans of Foreign Wars in recognition of his services on Memo- rial Day for over thirty-four years.
In 1913 he was made president of the Belle- ville Commercial Club, and in his three term administration the International Shoe Com- pany plant was brought to Belleville. In 1913, also, Mr. Schrader became treasurer of the
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Belleville Security Building and Loan Associa- tion and of the Illinois Abstractors' Associa- tion. In 1917 he was elected Exalted Ruler of the Belleville Lodge, No. 481, B.P.O.E., and represented the Lodge at the Atlantic City convention two years later. He has been a trustee of the lodge for over forty years and was a member of the building committee that erected the lodge building on West Lincoln Street. He was chairman of entertainment programs for men leaving for the armed forces and served on the Draft Board by appoint- ment of President Wilson. In 1917 he was made vice-president of the Illinois Abstrac- tor's Association and in 1918 president. In 1918 he was elected president of the War Camp Community Service.
Mr. Schrader's present company, the St. Clair Guaranty and Title Company, was formed in 1919. He joined with others in or- ganizing this firm which was an amalgama- tion of the St. Clair Title Office; Donovan- Guignon Title Company and Wolleson-Wolf Abstract Company. He was elected the first president, and has been president ever since. In November, 1920, Mr. Schrader was made secretary of the Citizen's Building and Loan Association and, being a recognized authority on loan matters throughout Illinois, he is now president of that organization under the name of the Citizens Savings and Loan Associa- tion. In June 1932, Mr. Schrader was elected vice-president of the Title Examiner's Section of the Illinois Title Association and in July, 1933, was elected president of the section. He considers this the highest honor that can come to anyone in his profession.
In his continued service to the community, Mr. Schrader served on the Committee of the Greater Belleville Board of Trade, through which he participated and led in civic group amalgamations into what is today known as the Belleville Chamber of Commerce. In 1923 he became a member and president of the Belleville Park Board and in 1925 of the Ro- tary Club. In May 1950, Mr. Schrader was presented with a gold pin in recognition of his thirty years-100% attendance as a member of the Belleville Rotary Club. In 1930 he became vice-president and in 1931 president of the Belleville Area Boy Scouts of America, and in 1950 he was presented with a thirty-five year service pin, prior to which he had been honored with the Silver Beaver Award by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of Amer- ica.
On January 31, 1933 Mr. Schrader was named personal ambassador by President
Hoover to make the President's Award to the Belleville Area Council. In 1930 he became a member of the Zoning Commission, in 1931 president of the Builders club and in 1931 he was elected to the office of president of the Board of Education, a position his father had also held, and served as such for ten consecu- tive years until 1941.
Mr. Schrader was one of the donors of the 26-acre site known as Belleville Park to the city in 1922. In 1933 he became a member of the Mediation Board for the city under the National Recovery Act and in 1934 he was President Roosevelt's personal ambassador in the making of the Boy Scout Award. In De- cember 1934, Mr. Schrader celebrated the 50th anniversary of his entrance into the title busi- ness. In 1949 he had been in the title business 65 years.
Mr. Schrader is the oldest active ex-presi- dent of the Illinois Title Association, and with the exception of the noon hour and other meal times he spends eight hours daily at his of- fice excepting Saturdays and Sundays. He is probably the most widely known abstract and title man in Illinois and his reputation for painstaking and accuracy extends to the bor- ders of the nation and the services rendered by his company are recognized by all financial institutions as beyond criticism. His opinion in title matters is sought by lawyers and lay- men alike. He has never aspired to public office with remuneration, although having been approached many times. He preferred to give his services to his community without compensation. He has received the highest type of recognition not only in his title field but in the great general field of citizenship.
RAYMOND W. FRANK
A noted insurance man who is a Life Mem- ber of the Million Dollar Round Table, Ray- mond W. Frank is General Agent for the State Mutual Life Assurance Company of Worcester, Massachusetts, at Chicago. He is well known in the business life of Chicago and at Wilmette, where he makes his home.
Mr. Frank, born at Freeport, Illinois, on June 29, 1903, is the son of William Albert and Dora (Wachlin) Frank. His father, a native of Stephenson County, was a mason contrac- tor. In the Spanish-American War he served with Company L, Illinois Militia. He was prominent in Masonic and Elks circles in Northern Illinois. The insurance executive at- tended Freeport High School and the Univer- sity of Illinois School of Commerce, graduat- ing from the latter in 1925 with the degree of
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RAYMOND W. FRANK
JACOB HENRY IRIONS
Bachelor of Science. He was elected to Theta Xi and Delta Sigma Pi Fraternities at the university.
In 1925 Mr. Frank entered the life insur- ance business as an agent at Champaign. On January 1, 1927, he was made district agent of the Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa at Freeport. On July 1, 1929, he became associated with the Chicago agency of the State Mutual Life Assurance Company of Worcester. He was promoted to supervisor of agents on June 1, 1936, and to General Agent on October 2, 1944.
Only two years or so after beginning his career, Mr. Frank married Leone A. Donner, daughter of Edward and Alvina Donner. The wedding took place in Geneva, Illinois, on July 5, 1927. Mrs. Frank, also a University of Illinois graduate, is active in sorority work and is a writer of verse and a book reviewer. Mi-. Frank is a member of the Methodist Church, Mrs. P>ank of the Catholic. Their home is at 1315 Richmond Lane, Wilmette.
In the course of his insurance career, Mr. Frank constantly aimed at the coveted goal of all insurance men, membership in the Mil- lion Dollar Round Table. In 1941 he quali- fied for such membership and in 1944 he was made a Life Member. In 1944, too, he served as president of the Life Agency Supervisors of Chicago. In the year 1949-'50 he was presi- dent of the Life Agency Managers Association of Chicago. He is also a former director of the Chicago Life Underwriters Association. He holds the thirty-second degree in Masonry and is a member of the North Shore Country Club at Glenview. Mr. Frank usually votes Republican. Golf is his favorite game. His garden and photography are his hobbies, but perhaps the form of relaxation he likes most is travel. A builder of the insurance business, he is a builder of the nation — and outstanding citizen among Illinoisans of note.
JACOB HENRY IRIONS
Holder of a position of great influence in the construction industry in the Illinois Valley, Jacob Henry Irions of Chillicothe and Peoria is the owner of three companies operating in this vital field, one of which he founded him- self. The firm he purchased is now called the Irions Concrete Block Company and is lo- cated at Chillicothe, the other is the Irions Quality Concrete Company at Peoria and the third is also in Chillicothe. All three of these concerns are contributing to the development of the Peoria trading territory, which covers
an extensive area of the state. Mr. Irions is a leading participant in civic affairs in both the communities in which he maintains busi- nesses.
Born at nearby Congerville on July 2, 1911, Mr. Irions is the son of Albert J. and Lillie (Evelsizer) Irions. Both parents are still living at Congerville, where Albert Irions is a farmer. Albert Irions is a native of Con- gerville, Lillie Irions of Woodford County, Illinois. Jacob Henry Irions was educated in a primary school at his birthplace and until he was nineteen years of age worked with his father on the family farm. In 1931 he entered the employ of the enterprise then known as the East Peoria Sand and Gravel Company, and by 1935 had learned the business to such an extent that he was made superintendent. In that same year he established the Irions Concrete Block Company in Chillicothe and operated this without relinquishing his super- vision over the East Peoria Sand and Gravel Company. In 1948 he purchased the latter con- cern and a year later changed its name to Irions Quality Concrete Company. Mr. Irions maintains a headquarters for his three busi- nesses at 418 First National Bank Building in Peoria, continuing to operate plants and branch offices in Chillicothe. The Irions Quality Concrete Company handles ready-mixed con- crete, employing twenty-two persons. The Chillicothe firms produce concrete blocks now so popular in construction; it employs thirty persons. Mr. Irions is president of all three corporations.
On July 30, 1930, Mr. Irions married Luella Gibbons, a native of Hanna City, Peoria County, and the daughter of John and Fern (McAlister) Gibbons. Mrs. Irions' father, who was born in England, established the East Peoria Sand and Gravel Company in 1920. He died in 1946, and is survived by his widow, a native of Hanna City now making her home in Morton. Mr. and Mrs. Irions are the parents of two sons — Donald Lee Irions, born on April 3, 1931, and Gerald Richard Irions, born on December 27, 1933. The family worships in the Methodist Church.
Mr. Irions is active in the Chillicothe Cham- ber of Commerce, the Peoria Association of Commerce, the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and other organizations. Fishing is his favorite sport. His home is at 918 North Fourth Street, Chillicothe. He main- tains a splendid record of business and civic achievement and is a highly respected citi- zen of his region.
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HON. WILLIAM PAUL BUCHANAN, A.B., LL.B.
An attorney, insurance man and public official, the Honorable William Paul Buc- hanan of Peoria has served his community and state in a manner which has brought him con- siderable prestige. He is a former Alderman of the City of Peoria and a former member of the Illinois State Liquor Control Commis- sion. He is one of the leading figures at the bar in Peoria County and as founder and operator of Buchanan and Company has equal rank in the insurance world. Buchanan and Company specialize in insurance coverages on financial institutions in the Middle West.
Born at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on Janu- ary 31, 1913, William Paul Buchanan is the son of William C. and Pansy B. (Blough) Buchanan, both of whom were also born in that Keystone State community. His father is president of the Globe Steel Tube Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mr. Buchanan and his family moved about a great deal in his early years, with the result that he went to elementary school at Warren, Ohio, and high school at Peoria. He attended Culver Military Academy in 1926. For his pre-legal studies he attended the University of Illinois, which in 1934 awarded him the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and for his professional work he matriculated at the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, taking the degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1936. Returning to Peoria and obtaining admission to the Illinois State Bar that same year, Mr. Buchanan be- gan his practice of law then and has con- tinued to the present time, with ever-increas- ing success and prestige. In 1938, he estab- lished Buchanan and Company, now one of the area's most successful insurance firms. His office is in the Jefferson Building, Peoria.
On December 30, 1939, at Peoria, Mr. Buch- anan married Imogene L. Squire of that city and they have become the parents of two children — William Paul Buchanan, Jr., who was born on April 14, 1941, and Mary Irene Buchanan, who was born on February 1, 1946. The family resides at 419 Columbia Terrace, Peoria, and worships in the Presby- terian Church.
Though he began the practice of law only in 1936 Mr. Buchanan rose to prominence and community leadership so rapidly that within three years he was elected to the Peoria City Board of Aldermen. He served on that body from 1939 to 1943. In 1942 the Governor ap- pointed him to the Illinois State Liquor Con- trol Commission and he held office until 1946.
He is active in the Peoria Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Ivy Club, the University Club of Peoria and various Masonic bodies, among them the Shrine. Also, he is a member of the Peoria Association of Commerce and Phi Delta Phi Fraternity. Among his favorite recreations are fishing, hunting and boating. His activities have en- abled him to promote, in most effective and concrete fashion, the public good in his adopted state.
IRVIN J. BOWER
Many names are outstanding in Central Illinois but none is better known than Irvin J. Bower's. For Mr. Bower, who is in the automotive parts and equipment business in conjunction with which he operates an auto- motive machine shop, has served a large area through that business, while also giving serv- ice in civic fields, in his church and in his municipality. He is president of the Bower Automotive Company at Bloomington, the seat of his native McLean County.
Mr. Bower was born on a farm in that county on March 7, 1898, the son of Charles and Mollie (Allison) Bower. Both his parents were also natives of McLean County. His father, who died in 1937, was not only a farmer but also a grain dealer and the operator of a general store. The mother died on August 23, 1943. Irvin J. Bower began his education in a country school in McLean County, some distance from his native farm. Later, he attended and was graduated from the high school at Stanford, one of the com- munities in the county, and he finished his education at Illinois Wesleyan University at Bloomington, where he spent two semesters. When the United States entered World War I, Mr. Bower joined the armed forces and after the war worked as a mechanic for an automobile dealer.
In 1920 he started to work for the E. B. Collins Company of Blooming-ton as salesman, followed by seventeen years as manager. In 1938 he bought out the company, which he operated for a decade as the Bower-Collins Company. In 1948 he moved the business to a new building which he had constructed for it at 305 South Center Street, Bloomington, and renamed it the Bower Automotive Com- pany. The concern, in addition to operating its automotive machine shop, is wholesale distributor in the Bloomington trade terri- tory of automotive parts, garage and service station supplies, tools, machinery and equip- ment. It employs seventeen persons. On
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HON. WILLIAM PAUL BUCHANAN, A.B., LL.B.
IRVIN J. BOWER
October 23, 1920, at Bloomington Mr. Bower married Pearl Mitchell, a native of the community. Mrs. Bower is the daughter of Isaac Johnson and Emma Jeanette (Rogers) Mitchell. Both her parents were born in Mc- Lean County, as she was herself. Mr. Mitchell, a farmer and general store operator, died in 1929 ; Mrs. Mitchell died in 1937. Mr. and Mrs. Bower are the parents of three children — Laurel Bee Bower, who was born on July 5, 1930; Emily Sue Bower, who was born on September 7, 1933, and Alice Ann Bower, born on November 20, 1934. The Bovvers, who live at 33 Country Club Place, Bloomington, wor- ship in the Methodist Church.
Mr. Bower is a member of the Board of trustees of the Church. Also, he has served on the Building Committee of the Wesley Methodist Church. He is a former president of the Rotary Club of Bloomington, and is active also in the Bloomington Association of Commerce, the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, the American Legion, the Bloom- ington Country Club, and the Masonic order in which he has attained the thirty-second de- gree. His hobby is stamp collecting and his favorite outdoor activities are golf and fish- ing. Mr. Bower has won an outstanding place in the contemporary history of Central Illinois.
ALBERT CHARLES BECKEN, JR.
Renowned in the business world, Albert Charles Becken, Jr., of Chicago, is especially well known in the wholesale jewelry business across the nation. He is managing partner of A. C. Becken, Jr., Wholesale Jewelers, 35 East Wacker Drive, Chicago. A leading stu- dent at the University of Illinois in his col- lege days, Mr. Becken continues interested in education, in college athletics and in fra- ternity activities. He has headed fraternity units and various jewelry trade organizations.
Chicago is Mr. Becken 's native city. Born on November 10, 1898, he is the son of Albert Charles and Grace R. (Huntley) Becken. His father, born in Buffalo, New York, was also a wholesale jeweler. The mother, a native of Pennsylvania, was the daughter of George William and Luzerne Huntley. After attend- ing Park Ridge, Illinois elementary and high schools, Mr Becken studied for the Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Illinois, winning the degree in 1920. He also did post- graduate work at Northwestern University. At Urbana, he was senior baseball manager and secretary of the Athletic Board of Con- trol and was elected to Chi Psi Fraternity.
He has made his entire career in the whole- sale jewelry business and as managing part- ner of A. C. Becken, Jr., Wholesale Jewelers, has become known in the trade in every cor- ner of the United States.
On March 26, 1923, in Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Becken married Mary Louise Webb, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Leslie Webb. The Beckens make their home at 353 Green- wood Avenue, Glencoe. Both Mr. and Mrs. Becken are prominent in the civic and social life of that community, and they worship in the North Shore Methodist Church there. Of this church Mr. Becken is a trustee. Mrs. Becken is past president of the Woman's So- ciety of the church and is past treasurer of the Glencoe Thrift Shop, an enterprise of the Women's Library Club of Glencoe. Mr. and Mrs. Becken are the parents of two sons — Charles Webb Becken, who married Ruth Halls and is the father of Christine Louise Becken, and Leslie Webb Becken; and Albert Charles Becken, III, who is unmarried.
Albert Charles Becken, Jr., is one of the most influential men in the National Whole- sale Jewelers' Association. Former president of that organization, he is currently on its Advisory Board. He is also a former presi- dent of the Chicago Jewelers' Association and the Golden Roostei's of the jewelry trade. Another organization of which he is former president is the Chi Psi Corporation of the University of Illinois. At one time he served on the Glencoe Caucus Committee and is cur- rently on the Glencoe Caucus Advisory Coun- cil. In addition to the organizations men- tioned, he is a member of the Skokie Country Club at Glencoe and of various Masonic bod- ies. Holder of the thirty-second Masonic de- gree, he is a Noble of Medinah Temple, An- cient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, in Chicago. In World War I, Mr. Beck- en reached the point where he was preparing for a commission at the Central Infantry Offi- cers' Training School, Camp MacArthur, Wa- co, Texas, when the Armistice ended the war and his military career. He is a Republican. Golf and fishing and travel are his main recre- ational interests. Mr. Becken occupies as high a place in Chicago's community development as in the jewelry business.
JOHN FRANK HANFT
One of the business leaders of Coles County, John Frank Hanft is the operator of a large jewelry business in Charleston, the county seat. He is one of Charleston's most active citizens and is noted for his active interest
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in health and welfare work and in other civic programs.
Mr. Hanft was born in Iowa on Novem- ber 12, 1898, the son of J. T. Hanft, a con- tractor, and Mae (Stevens ) Hanft. He went through elementary and high school, and in his latter years at school played football and baseball and was a track man. Mr. Hanft went into the jewelry business when he was still in high school. Today he has the large and successful business bearing his name, with both his sons, F. Keith Hanft and Roddy E. Hanft, as partners. At one time, J. Frank Hanft was in business with his brother, E. H. Hanft, at Warsaw, Indiana.
On June 8, 1920, Mr. Hanft married Besse Mae Leffler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Leffler. Mrs. Hanft is active in the Methodist Church in Charleston. Their home is at 1513 Eleventh Street, in that city. Of their two sons, F. Keith Hanft is the older. He married Bargara Schneider of Devils Lake, North Dakota and is the father of Everett Byron Hanft, born in 1948. The younger son, Roddy E. Hanft, married Harriet Brooks of Ingle- wood, California and is the father of Michael K. Hanft.
J. Frank Hanft is as well known among jewelers as he is in the civic life of Coles County, and is a prominent member of the American Diamond Guild. In 1950-1951 he was president of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce. He had previously served on its board of directors. In the 1949 fund-raising campaign of the Coles County Chapter, Amer- ican Red Cross, he was the chairman who successfully led the volunteer workers "over the top." He is a former governor of the Charleston Lodge, Loyal Order of Moose, and is also active in the Charleston Country Club. At one time he was a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mr. Hanft has two favorite sports, hunting and fishing, and he indulges in both as often as possible in Minnesota and South Dakota. He is recognized as a hard-working citizen who has made an outstanding contribution toward the development of Downstate Illinois.
HENRY GETZ SOMMER
The products of the Keystone Steel and Wire Company of Bartonville are known throughout the United States and in many foreign countries. Interwoven with the repu- tation of the company is the name of Som- mer, for the father of Henry Getz Sommer
718
was one of the founders. Today, Mr. Som- mer is chairman of the board of directors and one of the eminent figures in the indus- try.
Mr. Sommer was born at Peoria on August 22, 1897, the son of Peter W. and Elizabeth (Getz) Sommer. His father, who was a native of Fairbury, in Livingston County, partici- pated in the founding of the company in 1889 and was its first secretary and treasurer. Later he was president. He died in April, 1924. Tne mother, who was born at Tremont, Tazewell County, died in 1941. Henry Getz Sommer's great-grandfather, whose home was in Tremont, was one of the first men in the United States to make wire fence. Mr. Som- mer is a graduate of Peoria's elementary and high schools. Also, he spent three years at Bradley College in Peoria. In 1917, when he was twenty years old, he went to work for the Keystone Steel and Wire Company, Inc., at Bartonville. He was employed in various departments until his election as treasurer in 1928. In 1946, he was made chairman of the board. Mr. Sommer's leadership has helped to extend the prestige and operations of this great company, which operates not only in the American but also in the foreign trade and which employs twenty-two hundred persons. The company has such subsidiaries as National Locker Company at Rockford, Illi- nois, and Mid States Steel and Wire Company at Crawfordsville, Indiana.
On November 20, 1917, Mr. Sommer mar- ried Dorothy Wilson of Terre Haute, Indiana, the daughter of William E. Wilson, a native of Mattoon, Illinois, who was in the paper business until his death in 1906, and Mary Ann (Hudson) Wilson, a native of Worces- ter, England, who died in October, 1907. Mr. and Mrs. Sommer became the parents of three children — Paul Wilson Sommer, born on No- vember 15, 1920, who married Anne Nugent; Peter William Sommer, born on September 4, 1924, who married Mary Lou Frederick and was killed while on duty with the United States military forces in England on January 20, 1945; and Marjorie Jane Sommer, who was born on October 16, 1927. The Sommer home is at 130 Edgehill Court, Peoria.
Mr. Sommer is a member of the Peoria Association of Commerce, the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, the American Iron and Steel Institute, the Peoria Country Club and the Creve Coeur Club. Science and math- ematics are his hobbies. He ranks among the nation's leading manufacturers.
LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
■■■■ JOHN FRANK HANFT
ORVILLE JOSEPH HAYES
ORVILLE JOSEPH HAYES
The Hayes name is one of the best known in the poultry world today. Orville Joseph Hayes, the oldest of five brothers in this indus- try, took the family into a hatchery business a few years after World War I and from that time has been a leader among poultry men. The business, called the Hayes Brothers Hatchery, has its headquarters at 405 South Water Street, Decatur ,and from there are shipped by rail, truck, parcel post and air millions of chicks annually, some of them going1 not only into distant parts of the United States but even into foreign lands. O. J. Hayes is prominent not only in this industry but in the community at large. He is a veteran of World War I.
Mr. Hayes was born in Morrisonville, Chris- tian County, on August 10, 1893, the son of Arthur Gilmore and Stella Arilla (Williams) Hayes. His father was born March 21, 1868, the son of Calvin Hayes, and his mother was born July 15, 1872, the daughter of Joseph and Emily (Hall) Williams. After going through the country grade schools, Butler High School and Brown's Business College, 0. J. Hayes became an office worker for the Standard Oil Company in Decatur. He was there when the United States entered World War I and, taking a military leave of ab- sence, he went into the 30th Infantry, with which he served from August 1, 1918, to October 6, 1919. After the war, Mr. Hayes continued on his job with Standard Oil, but, dissatisfied with office work, left in 1921 to go into the hatchery business. Within a few ye^irs all five of the Hayes brothers were in busi- ness together, M. C. Hayes, S. R. Hayes, D. A. Hayes, J. R. Hayes, with 0. J. Hayes head- ing the organization they called Hayes Broth- ers Hatchery. Mr. Hayes began with two small incubators, one holding 130 eggs, the other 240 eggs. The present capacity of the Hayes Brothers Hatcheries is 5,316,000 eggs at one setting, with 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 chicks hatched annually. Their plants are lo- cated at Decatur, Springfield, Champaign, Pana, Centralia, Bloomington, Vandalia, all in Illinois and Portland, Indiana. Shipping is done chiefly by parcel post, with selling by mail, but other forms of transportation are also used, the entire United States being covered. Those foreign countries which can be reached by air are also in the trading territory of Hayes Brothers Hatchery, which is one of the best known in its field in America.
O. J. Hayes married Agnes B. Costello, the daughter of Michael and Wilhelmina Costello, in Decatur on March 16, 1918. Mrs. Hayes was born on March 14, 1896. Three daughters have been born to the marriage. They are Gwendolyn, born November 8, 1922, now the wife of Edwin Cummings and to whom a son, William Wingate, was born on October 29, 1942, and a daughter, Annette Sue, on July 10, 1948; Nancy, born on October 23, 1928, now the wife of James Duncan ; and Dolores, born on April 21, 1931. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes reside at 1516 West Macon Street, Decatur. They worship in Grace Methodist Church. Mr. Hayes and brothers have been recognized as foremost among those who are making an important contribution to the American poul- try industry and the American food supply.
JAMES WALTER WARD
It took a loan of one hundred dollars, back in 1917, to put James Walter Ward in the transportation business at Murphysboro. To- day he is one of the oldest and best known truckers in Southern Illinois. With his two sons, Lavern, and Elmer Ward, as partners, he operates under the name of J. W. Ward Trans- fer and is himself general manager of the enterprise. He is one of Murphysboro's civic leaders, and is a member of the City Council:
Born at Ava, Jackson County, on October 26, 1886, Mr. Ward is the son of Ellis M. and Mary (Lindsey) Ward. His father, also a native of Illinois, was a farmer prominent in the Baptist Church. The mother's family came from Kentucky. Mr. Ward was the second born among six children, the others having been, in the order of their birth, Cenie; Homer, now deceased; Myrtle, Maymie and Clarence. Educated in the public schools of Ava, Mr. Ward went to work at an early age in a flour mill there. After three years, he left to become a brakeman for the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. This job he held for four years, and then for three years he was ship- ping clerk in a wholesale house in Murphys- boro. On August 10, 1917, having box-rowed that hundred dollars, he purchased a wagon and team of horses and went into his present field of business. He did so well so quickly that in 1918 he was able to motorize his equipment. Today he operates seven trucks and maintains a modern warehouse with fourteen thousand square feet of floor space. In addi- tion to his two sons, who went into the busi- ness as partners after twenty-nine years of successful operation, Mr. Ward employs seven men and two women. He has made the name
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EDITION
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J. W. Ward and Sons known throughout Southern Illinois, and even in more distant regions.
Mr. Ward married Dora E. Carter, daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Carter of Ava. The four sons are his oldest children, in this order: Leslie, Raymond, Elmer and Lavern. There are also three daughters — Nadine, Chresta and Neona Ward. Mr. Ward has fourteen grandchildren of which he is very proud. Like his father before him, Mr. Ward is prominent in the Baptist Church, and he is secretary of his Sunday School class. The entire Ward family worships in this church.
Mr. Ward, always active in civic affairs and a Democrat, was elected to the Murphys- boro City Council in 1943, and has been re- elected. He is constantly seeking to improve the city and is noted among his fellow citi- zens for his sincere public interest. He is active in the Motor Carriers Service Associa- tion, the Jackson County Farm Bureau, the National Truckers Association, the Murphys- boro Chamber of Commerce and the Masonic Blue Lodge. He is a great baseball enthusiast. In his quiet way, Mr. Ward gets things done — in his own business and in the community at large — and hence is a respected, popular citi- zen.
HON. GEORGE ERNEST LUEHRS
A coal dealer with a tremendous sense of civic duty, George Ernest Luehrs has for years given extraordinary service to his na- tive city and county — Kankakee and Kanka- kee County. He is the operator of the Luehrs Coal Company in Kankakee and holds such important public offices as the presidency of the Kankakee County School District and the chairmanship of the Kankakee County Board of Supervisors. He has headed all the major civic groups in the city and has been a leader in civic, welfare and recreational endeavors.
Mr. Luehrs was born in Kankakee on Feb- ruary 14, 1887, the son of the late Henry C. Luehrs. He was educated in the city's public schools, graduating from the Kankakee High School. After completing his education, Mr. Luehrs became assistant cashier of the Legris Brothers Bank, a private bank in Kankakee. He remained with this business until in 1921 when the new Illinois state laws prohibited the operation of private banks. Back in 1910 Mr. Luehrs, in association with his father and his late brother, Harry C. Luehrs, established the Luehrs Coal Company in Kankakee, and since 1921 he has devoted himself to this en- terprise.
In May, 1910, he married Josephine E. Kramer, a native of Illinois. They have four daughters — Eleanor, the wife of Charles E. Marson and mother of Alice, Susan and Rob- ert Marson; Edna Mae, the wife of Norman Roski and mother of Jeffrey and Pamela Ros- ki; Katherine, the wife of Gerhard J. Paulis- sen and mother of George Paulissen; and Helen, the wife of Hamilton K. Wheeler and mother of Hamilton and Sally Wheeler. The family worships in the First Baptist Church.
One of the most active and civic-minded men in Kankakee, Mr. Luehrs served as chair- man of the Kankakee County Rationing Board in World War II, and since 1938 has been chairman of the Kankakee County Board of Supervisors and is now president of the Kankakee County School District. He is a former president of the Rotary Club of Kankakee, the Kankakee Chamber of Com- merce and the Kankakee Young Men's Chris- tian Association. There has hardly been one important civic movement that has not had his participation or leadership, and there are few men in the entire county who are more popular or influential than he.
HON. VERNON L. NICKELL, Ed.D.
From the modest post of rural school teacher the Honorable Vernon L. Nickell has risen to the high office of Superintendent of Public In- struction of the State of Illinois, with head- quarters at Springfield. In addition to giving leadership to the cause of education in the state, he is prominently active in civic, reli- gious and fraternal organizations in both the capitol and his home city, Champaign.
Born at Bellflower on March 2, 1891, Mr. Nickell is the son of Elias D. and Ida Mae (Lewis) Nickell. He began his education in rural schools, continued at Farmer City and Wesleyan Academy in Bloomington. He grew up on his father's farm and in early youth began earning his livelihood by doing farm chores. These helped to pay for his education. After three years at Illinois Wesleyan Univer- sity, Mr. Nickell went to Illinois State Nor- mal University, where he took the Bachelor of Education degree. Later he was awarded the Master of Arts degree at the University of Illinois and in 1944 he received the hon- orary degree of Doctor of Education at Illi- nois Wesleyan.
As a rural teacher for eight years, and later superintendent of village schools, Mr. Nickell acquired a pi'actical knowledge of rural educa- tional needs and problems. His executive abil- ity and success as a teacher were recognized
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
JAMES WALTER WARD
HON. VERNON L. NICKELL, Ed.D.
in Eastern Illinois and subsequently he was called to a broader field, Champaign, where he was principal of the city elementary and special schools and later principal of the Junior High School. In 1930, he was appointed superintendent of schools of Champaign, an office he held twelve years. On January 1, 1943, he assumed the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and he has since cap- tured national attention through his able administration of the post.
In 1916 Mr. Nickell married Leta 0. Nof- zigger of Bloomington. They have two daugh- ters— Geraldine Nickell and Maxine, who is now Mrs. Thomas Riggs. The family worships in the Methodist Church.
Mr. Nickell is active in many spheres. He is chairman of the State Teachers Examining Board and ex-officio member of the board of trustees of the University of Illinois. He has served on many important committees of the Illinois Educational Association and was its president in 1942-43. He was a state delegate to the National Education Association for many years, and also served on various com- mittees of that group. He is a former presi- dent of the City Superintendents Association of Illinois and a prominent member of the Illinois School Masters Club. In his civic work he has also held impoi-tant offices. He is past president of the Champaign County Tuberculosis Association and past president of the Arrowhead Council, Boy Scouts of Amer- ica, and was a director of Burnham City Hos- pital Nursing School. He is a member of Phi Delta Kappa, Kappa Delta Pi and Kappa Phi Kappa. He is a Republican, Mason and an Elk. That he has been re-elected to the office of State Superintendent of Public In- struction is but one indication of the popularity and success of Mr. Nickell in that office. He has done much to expand the state's program to increase transportation for pupils and thus expand educational opportunities, to de- velop the school lunch programs and the edu- cation of exceptional children and to further develop the tremendous vocational education system, agricultural, business and otherwise, and the work of training veterans of World War II.
ALBERT GRAVES STORME
A leading figure among the funeral di- rectors of Illinois, Albert Graves Storme, own- er and operator of the Albert G. Storme Fun- eral Home at Herrin, seat of Williamson County, is also an outstanding figure in his community. He is active in banking, in edu-
cational and welfare work, and in the rent control program. He is a former member of i he Illinois State Board of Examiners of Em- balmers and a former president of the Illinois State Funeral Directors Association, and through both these organizations contributed to the elevation of standards in his profession. He continues to give leadership to his work as a member of the association's advisory board.
Mr. Storme was born in Trigg County, Ken- tucky, on September 10, 1882 the seventh of the eight children of William Albert and Sere- tha (Sizemore) Storme. He was a twin, his twin brother being Elbert Storme. The other children of the family, both heads of which were also natives of Kentucky, were: Charity, Cordus, Lee; Luther, now deceased; Elbert, who has been County Clerk of Williamson County since 1927; Clyde now deceased, and Wylie. Albert Storme was educated in the public schools of Williamson County, where his father was a farmer.
He worked on the family farm until he was twenty years old and then for a coal mine for six years. For five years more he served as manager of the dry goods department of the Elles Store Company in Herrin. In 1912 he attended the Worsham School of Embalm- ing in Chicago and the following year entered his present field of business, establishing the Albert G. Storme Funeral Home in Herrin.
Mr. Storme married Hallie Crowell, a native of Williamson County, early in his career. Two daughters were born to them — Eva Marie and Ruth Wilma, both now mar- ried. In 1928, Mr. Storme married Lila Van Natta. Mr. Storme's grandchildren are; Jacky Saylor, daughter of Eva Marie Saylor; Thomas Albert and Frank Elbert Colombo.
Mr. Storme has been on the advisory board of the State funeral directors organization since 192 1. He is also active in the National Funeral Directors Association. He served for seven years on the State examining board. He is a charter member and past president of the Herrin Rotary Club, and has not mis- sed a meeting of this organization in a quar- ter century. He is on the board of directors of the Herrin Chamber of Commerce and the board of deacons of the First Christian Church of Herrin, and has participated in Red Cross campaigns and other civic activities. He was president of the Herrin Board of Edu- cation at the time the Lincoln School was built. In World War II, he worked on Bond Drives ar-.d served on the OPA rationing panel. Currently, he is on the rent control board for
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Williamson County. Also, he is a director of the Bank of Herrin. Mr. Storme is vice-presi- dent of the Federal Home Loan Association and a member of the Williamson County Hous- ing Authority — vice president of same. He be- longs to the Masonic Blue Lodge and the Royal Arch Masons, and is a Republican. He is a man who believes in service and through his devotion to it has become an important citizen in his area.
EARL M. SCHWEMM
A famous name in the life insurance field is that of Earl M. Schwemm of Chicago. He is Agency Manager for the Great-West Life Assurance Company's Chicago Agency. He is one of the most influential members of insur- ance men's organizations in the Chicago terri- tory and in the State as a whole and is very well known in insurance circles throughout the United States and Canada. He is a promi- nent citizen of both Chicago and his home community, Barrington, Illinois.
Mr. Schwemm, the son of John L. and Ger- trude (Meyer) Schwemm is a native of Bar- rington and was born in that community on June 23, 1901.
At the University of Illinois, Urbana, where he completed his education with the Bachelor of Science degree in 1924, Earl Schwemm had a most distinguished career. He was President of the Student Council from 1923-1924 and of the Athletic Board of Control in the same period, as well as manager of the varsity track team. His social fraternity was Sigma Nu, his professional fraternities were Beta Gamma Sigma and Alpha Kappa Psi and his honorary fraternities were Sachem and Ma- Wan-Da.
On February 1, 1928, in Barrington, Mr. Schwemm married Eunice Butler, the daugh- ter of George O. and Carrie Butler. They have three sons — John B. Schwemm born May 18, 1934, Richard E. Schwemm born July 25, 1937 and Robert G. Schwemm born May 18, 1945. Their home is at 240 Elm Road, Bar- rington. The family attends the Barrington Methodist Church and Mr. Schwemm is cur- rently Chairman of the Official Board.
For the first three years after graduation from the University, Mr. Schwemm worked as an accountant for the Illinois Power and Light Corporation. He entered the Life Insur- ance business with the Equitable Life Assur- ance Society of New York on March 1st, 1927. After establishing himself as a successful pro- ducer, he was appointed Assistant Manager in 1930 for the Equitable. In January, 1934,
he was appointed Agency Supervisor in Chi- cago for the Connecticut General Life Insur- ance Company.
In 1932 Mr. Schwemm received his degree of Chartered Life Underwriter which is so coveted by life insurance men.
On May 1st, 1936 he accepted a position as Agency Manager for the Chicago office of the Great-West Life Assurance Company. At that time the Chicago Agency was in eleventh place among all the Company's agencies. By the end of 1938 the Agency was in first place and has remained in first place since that date. Since 1944 the annual business placed by this Agency has been in excess of twenty million dollars each year and the Agency is continu- ing at this pace currently. Another outstand- ing record of the Agency is that it has estab- lished up to the present time, a record of 76 consecutive months of over a million dollars or more of monthly production. This and Mr. Schwemm's leadership activities among his colleagues have made his name an outstand- ing one in the insurance world. He is a fre- quent speaker before Life Insurance Sales Congresses and Life Association meetings all over the United States and Canada and is also an extensive writer of insurance sub- jects.
Mr. Schwemm's business address is 135 S. LaSalle Street, Chicago. He is Past President of the Life Underwriters Association of Illi- nois, The Chicago Agency Managers Associa- tion, Chicago Life Insurance and Trust Coun- cil, and the Chicago Chapter of the Chartered Life Underwriters. For the year 1950-51 he is serving as President of the Chicago Asso- ciation of Life Underwriters. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Commerce of Chicago. His club affiliations include the Union League of Chicago, the Executive Club of Chicago and the Masonic Order.
HAROLD EUGENE WAGNER
Like many another American of unusual achievements, especially in the industrial world, Harold Eugene Wagner of Urbana be- gan his career as a machinist. Today he is a partner in the well-known and successful H.- W. Manufacturing Company of Urbana. He was one of those who helped build the first twenty- five motors for the Allen automobile of a former day and has since participated in the development of many other and more endurable items known to Americans. He is active in the fraternal world.
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
EARL M. SCHWEMM
HAROLD EUGENE WAGNER
Born in Van Wert, Ohio, on May 5, 1899, Harold Eugene Wagner is the son of Ernest J. and Alma (Jenkins) Wagner, both also natives of the Buckeye State and still making their home there. The father is a stationary engineer. After attending the elementary schools of Van Wert, the manufacturer com- pleted his education in the Van Wert High School in 1917.
From high school he went to the trade of machinist and this started him up the proverb- ial American ladder of success. For a time he worked for the Ohio Power Company. Sub- sequently, he was also a machinist for the Lakewood Engineering Company at Cleveland and then with the Ohio Steel Company of Bu- cyrus, Ohio. It was when he worked for the latter concern that he participated in the building of the first twenty-five motors for the Allen motor car which was manufactured by the Allen Motor Car Company of Bucyrus. It was popular in the nation for several years. He later became directly associated with the Allen Motor Car Company. For seven years he was with the William A. Rogers Silverware Company, of Niagara Falls, as a tool and die maker.
In 1927 Mr. Wagner established himself in Urbana. At first he was associated with the firm of J. B. Hays, Machinist and for ten years he was shop foreman. In 1937 he went into business for himself, forming with E. W. Harriman, the firm of H.-W. Manufacturing Company, with plant and office at 121 West Water Street, Urbana. This has become a highly successful and prominent institution in the Champaign-Urbana area.
On June 23, 1923, Mr. Wagner married Grace Colvin of Champaign, the ceremony being performed at Niagara Falls, New York. They are the parents of a son and a daugh- ter— Meldon E. Wagner, who was born Aug- ust 4, 1924, and who attended the University of Illinois, and Merlee N. Wagner, who was born November 23, 1928, and attended Illinois State Normal University at Bloomington. The family resides at 601 East Clark Street, Champaign, and worships in the Christian Church of Champaign.
Mr. Wagner is active in the community, chiefly through his organizations. Among these are the Masonic order, in which he holds the thirty-second degree and in which he is a Noble of Ansar Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Springfield; and the Champaign Lodge, Loyal Order of Moose. Hunting and fishing are his favorite sports. As a voter he is an inde-
pendent, casting his ballot for the candidate he considers best qualified. His activities as a machinist and manufacturer have contributed to industrial and business progress of the State.
WILLIAM JAMES PATTON
Among individuals to whom the City of Peoria owes a great debt — because of the contribution they have made to the commu- nity's welfare and progress — is. the noted banker, William James Patton. Identified with the Jefferson Trust and Savings Bank and one of its predecessors, the State Trust and Savings Bank of Peoria, since 1923, Mr. Pat- ton is today president of this strong and stable institution which is exercising so great an influence on the entire region's growth. Also, he participates in most of the worth- while community activities and is well known in fraternal and civic as well as banking organizations.
Mr. Patton was born in Peoria County, on his father's farm, on January 21, 1900. His parents were Robert Patton, a farmer who came to Illinois from Ireland and who died in 1938, and Belle (Anderson) Patton, a native of Peoria, now making her home there. The banker, after attending Peoria's elementary and high schools, spent two years at Bradley Polytechnic Institute there. In the first two years of his business career Mr. Patton worked in the accounting department of a Peoria wholesale grocery concern. In January, 1923, he became a bookkeeper for the old State Trust and Savings Bank, rising in responsi- bility through the ensuing years until in 1929 he was made assistant cashier. Less than two years later, amid the depression, the State Bank was closed and the Jefferson Trust and Savings Bank was organized. The Jefferson Trust took over the assets and lia- bilities of the defunct State Bank, and has in the years since then grown into one of the great financial institutions of Illinois. Among the "assets" taken over from the State Bank in 1931 was Mr. Patton, and he was assistant cashier of the new institution until January, 1937, when he was promoted to cashier. An- other promotion came on January 9, 1945, with his election to the vice presidency and the final promotion on February 19, 1947, with his elevation to his present office, the presidency. Among Peorians there is no doubt of the effective part he has played in the activities which have established the Jefferson Trust among the leading banks in the state. Mr. Patton is also a member of the board of
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directors of the Great Central Insurance Com- pany of Peoria, the only company in the United States selling nothing but holdup and burglary insurance.
'On June 2, 1927, Mr. Patton married Mar- garet Aileen Cleveland of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the daughter of H. C. Cleveland, a native of Whitehall, Illinois, and a contractor who died in 1945. Mr. and Mrs. Patton have an adopted son, William James Patton, Jr., who was born on April 18, 1946. They make their home at 526 West Richwood Boulevard, Peoria.
Mr. Patton has held positions of leadership in various community groups. He is now pres- ident of the Peoria Clearing House Associa- tion and is also active in the Illinois Bankers Association and the American Bankers Asso- ciation. He is treasurer of the Peoria Asso- ciation of Commerce and is past district de- puty of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, being past exalted ruler of the Peoria Lodge. He is also a member of the Kiwanis Club of Peoria, the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, the Peoria Advertising and Selling Club, the Mount Hawley Country Club and the Creve Coeur Club. Golf is his favorite sport. At one time it was football; he was captain of the football team at Bradley Polytechnic in 1920. An outstanding Peorian, he is giving rare service to his neighbors and is popular among them.
ROBERT CURTIS PREBLE, SR.
Engaged in reference book publishing con- tinously since 1921, Robert Curtis Preble, Sr., is now executive vice president and treasurer of the Encylopaedia Britannica, Inc., with headquaners in Chicago. Long before he be- came associated with this most celebrated of reference works Mr. Preble was one of the leading figures in this field. He is known also for his civic activities in Cook County.
Born in Chicago on August 3, 18 97, Mr. Preble is the son of Andrew Curtis and Jes- sie Grace (Work) Preble and a member of one of the nation's oldest families, tracing his ancestry to forebears who on his father's side emigrated to the New World from Eng- land about 1630. His father, who was born at Boston, Massachusetts, in April, 18 70, was brought to Chicago in 18 72 by his parents. In the Windy City Andrew Preble became a successful industrial building contractor. He has been retired since 1937. The mother was born in Scotland, daughter of Lawrence
and Laura Work, of the famed Bruce clan of .Scotland.
Robert Curtis Preble, Sr., grew up in Oak Park. He was graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana, in 1921, with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineer- ing. From 1923 to 1925 he attended the Kent College of Law, Chicago. He was well known in his university days, and is remembered as the organizer of the first "Dads' Day" at any American college. He was elected to Chi Psi and Delta Phi Fraternities and various col- lege societies. He was a college journalist, president of the Student Chamber of Com- merce and of the Interfraternity Council and a member of the Student Council and the Honor Commission. In 1921, as previously noted, Mr. Preble went into the reference book publishing business. At first he was a salesman for the Midland Press, Chicago. By the time he resigned from this firm in 1925, he was a vice president. That year he joined Quarrie Corporation, now the Field Enter- prise, Inc., also in Chicago, as advertising manager. He served variously as sales pro- motion manager, credit manager, treasurer and sales manager and when he resigned in 1949 he was holding the posts of vice presi- dent and general manager. It was in 1949 that he became executive vice president of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Formerly of the boards of directors of Midland Press, Rus- sell Hampton Company, Carter-Adams Com- pany and the Quarrie Corporation, Mr. Preble is now on the boards of Encyclopaedia Britan- nica, Inc., and Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, Inc.
He married (first) Dorothy Katherine Sidel of Kansas City, Missouri, 1918; they were divorced in 1934. He married (second) Madge Jean Collar of Chicago in 1939. Mrs. Madge Jean Preble was a professional librarian until 1942. She has been active in various health and welfare organizations in Chicago and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Chapter of the American Red Cross. By his first marriage Mr. Preble is the father of two sons and a daughter — Robert Curtis Preble, Jr., born in December, 1922; William Work Preble, born in May, 1925, and Patte Ann Preble, born in December, 1930. The Prebles reside at 2256 Lincoln Park West, Chicago.
Mr. Preble has, like his wife, been active in Chicago projects relating to the public wel- fare and he has served on various commit- tees of public and semi-public character. Hav- ing in World War I served as pilot with the
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
WILLIAM JAMES PATTON
MR. AND MRS. EDMOND FRANK LITOBORSKI
United States Army Air Service, thus pioneer- ing military aviation, he is a member of the American Legion. Also he belongs to trade associaiions, the Chicago Club and the Lake Shore Club of Chicago. Reading, travel and sailing are his recreations. Mr. Preble, through his work, is performing yeoman serv- ice on behalf of culture and knowledge.
EDMOND FRANK LITOBORSKI
Known throughout Eastern Illinois, Ed- mond Frank Litoborski is the owner and op- erator of Conrad's Bakery at Momence in Kankakee County. A leader in that industry in the region, Mr. Litoborski is also an out- standing personality in civic affairs and in civic and trade organizations.
He was born in Chicago on November 24, 1916, the son of Edward and Sarah Barbara Litoborski. His father, a native of Poland who came to the United States at the age of twelve, was also a baker. He was associated with his brother, Frank Litoborski who on coming to America from Poland had opened a bakery in the Windy City. Edward Litoborski died on November 16, 1945. His widow who survives him, is a native of the United States. Edmond Litoborski has four sisters, all mar- ried— Mrs. Genevieve Sikorski, born May 18, 1913; Mrs. Bernice Rose Stamborski, born January 26, 1915; Mrs. Eleanor Childs, born July 27, 1920, and Mrs. Rose Madeline Simek, born February 4, 1906.
The Momence bakery executive began his education in the grade schools of Chicago. Then he attended St. Peter's and Paul's Grade School and finally Tilden Technical High School, graduating from the latter in 1932. He was about twelve when he went to work in his father's bakery, a wholesale and retail enterprise, in Chicago. The family moved to Momence, Kankakee County, in 1933, and pur- chased Conrad's Bakery, then owned by H. W. Conrad. Since the death of his father, Ed- mond Litoborski has been president. When the Litoborskis took the bakery over, it operated six trucks and employed twenty-three persons. Today the bakery has a fleet of twenty-four trucks and employs seventy-eight persons. Its payroll is the largest in Momence. The trad- ing territory of the business is a radius of sixty-five miles of Momence. The trucks carry bread, pies and all other bake goods to whole- sale dealers in this territory. Mr. Litoborski buys his flour in carload lots, as he uses at least a carload of flour a week most of the year. In the summer months his consumption goes up to one and one-half cars a week, Al-
together, he averages a production of 259,122 units each week. This production and the wide sale of these products have made him one of the influential men of the community and the in- dustry.
Mr. Litoborski married Dolores Marie Stear- man, born on May 28, 1918, the daughter of Elmer and Marie Stearman, also natives of Illinois. The marriage took place in Novem- ber, 1936, at Momence. Mr. and Mrs. Lito- borski have two children — Diane Marie, born on March 12, 1940, and Susan Jane, born on January 18, 1946. Mrs. Litoborski is active in women's circles.
Active in the community, Mr. Litoborski is a member of the local and state Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Chicago Bakers Club. The Litoborski family are mem- bers of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Mo- mence. Few men are doing as much as he to build their communities and their sections of the state as Edmond Frank Litoborski.
GEORGE RUSSELL CARR
A national figure in railway supply circles, general engineering work and industry as a whole, George Russell Carr is chairman of the boards of directors of the Dearborn Chemical Company and the Locomotive Firebox Com- pany of Chicago. He is one of Chicago's lead- ing citizens, with a reputation for work done on behalf of good government and in the field of welfare. He is a Chevalier in the French National Order of the Legion of Honor.
Mr. Carr was born at Argenta, Macon Coun- ty, on January 23, 1877, son of Dr. Robert Ferrier and Emily Ann (Smick) Carr. His father, a physician and surgeon and operator of a drug store at Argenta, was born in Sus- sex County, New Jersey, May 13, 1832, the son of David and Elizabeth (Ferrier) Carr, and died on March 13, 1893. He was a gradu- ate of the State Medical College at Albany, New York, and helped work his way through college by teaching school. He first practiced in Decatur. Emily Ann Smick Carr, the daugh- ter of David and Eliza Ann (Ferris) Smick, was born on April 10, 1839 and died July 2, 1937. She and Dr. Carr were married on April 28, 1859. George Russell Carr began his school- ing at Argenta. He was graduated from Aus- tin High School, Chicago, and in 1901 took the degree of Bachelor of Science at the Uni- versity of Illinois, where he had majored in chemistry. He was manager of the football team in the Fall of 1900 and served as a mem-
ILLINOIS EDITION
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ber of the Athletic Advisory Board after graduation.
In 1901 Mr. Carr joined the staff of the Dearborn Drug and Chemical Works, Chicago, as a salesman. In 1907 he was advanced to as- sistant general manager. Five years later the business name was changed to Dearborn Chemical Company) In 1922 Mr. Carr was made general manager and vice president and in 1944 he was elected chairman of the execu- tive committee. In 1945 he was elected chair- man of the board. He became chairman of the board of the Locomotive Firebox Company in 1921. He is a member of the American Chem- ical Society, the American Railway Engineer- ing Association, the Railway Business As- sociation, the Western Railway Club, the Na- tional Association of Power Engineers and is on the board of governors of the Transporta- tion Association of America. He was nomi- nated a Chevalier in the French National Or- der of the Legion of Honor at a dinner of the Society of the National Railways of France in Paris, July 19, 1948, in recognition of assis- tance in repairing the damage that occurred in France during the war and especially for the cooperation given the French Railway Mission in Washington.
On July 15, 1913, at San Francisco, Mr. Carr married Katherine Mortenson (de- ceased), daughter of Jacob and Ida Mortenson. Two children were born to them — Katherine, now Mrs. Robert Henze, living in Pasadena, California, the mother of Peter, Christopher and Claire Henze; and Martha, the wife of Dr. Omar John Fareed, living in Beverly Hills, California, the mother of Diana Moon, Donald, George, Shireen and Martha Fareed. Mr. Carr himself makes his home at 209 East Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. He worships in the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago.
In his civic work Mr. Carr is a director of the Citizens' Association of Chicago, of which he was president from 1945 through 1948. He is also on the boards of the Chicago Nursery and Half Orphan Asylum and the Chicago Home for the Friendless. His other organiza- tions include the Art Institute of Chicago (life member), Chicago Historical Society, Illinois Historical Society, Chicago Academy of Sciences and Chicago Museum of Natural History, Chicago Club, Commercial Club, Uni- versity Club, Old Elm, The Casino, Chicago Athletic Association, Traffic Club, South Shore Country Club, Newcomen Society of England, Annandale Country Club off Pasa- dena, and the Masonic fraternity.
HON. FRED BROSS HERBERT, LL.B.
Born on June 29, 1895, in the same room and bed in which he now sleeps in his old home at 1829 Walnut Street, Murphysboro, Fred Bross Herbert has devoted his entire life and career to that Jackson County seat, except for the period in World War I when he served the nation at large as a soldier. A lawyer, he was County Judge in Jackson County for twenty years and at present is active as presi- dent of the First National Bank of Murphys- boro. He is one of the notable citizens of Southern Illinois.
Mr. Herbert comes of a distinguished fami- ly. His father, John M. Herbert, was a lawyer and banker and a trustee of the University of Illinois, as well as State's Attorney for Jack- son County for eight years. Born in Wales, John Herbert came to the United States with his father when he was six years old, his family settling first in Pennsylvania, but later moving to Jackson County. Mr. Herbert's mother was Matilda (Bross) Herbert, the daughter of Judge Fred Bross of Cairo, Illi- nois, the first man to serve on the Alexander County bench under the Constitution of 1857. He was a native of Germany who came to the United States in his youth, married in New Orleans and traveled up the Mississippi to Cairo.
Fred Bross Herbert was graduated from the Murphysboro High School in 1911. He then attended Taft Preparatory School in Watertown, Connecticut, and later Northwest- ern University at Evanston, where he took his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1917. Next, he entered Harvard University School of Law in Massachusetts, but the United States having entered World War I he left Harvard after eight months and went into the Army as a private, declining and opportunity to receive a commission. He served fourteen months over- seas, and was discharged in 1919. He then re- turned to Harvard, and in 1921 was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Returning home, he passed the Illinois State Bar exami- nation and after a brief period of practice be- came County Judge in 1924. He served on the bench until 1944. In 1929 Mr. Herbert had been elected president of the First National Bank of Murphysboro, but he has been active in that office only since March, 1948. He still engages, intermittently, in the practice of law.
On May 10, 1947, Mr. Herbert married Mrs. Ruby Hadfield, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Fraley. Mr. Herbert married late in life, he says, because he kept a promise
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
GEORGE RUSSELL CARR
HON. FRED BROSS IIFRBKRT, I.I..B.
to his father that he would care for his mother and aunt.
When asked about his organization mem- berships Mr. Herbert replies he is a "banquet member" of the Illinois, and American and other Bankers Associations. This applies, too, apparently, to the Jackson County Bar As- sociation and the Illinois Bar Association. In the past he was also active in the American Legion. He continues active in the Lions Club of Murphysboro, in which he is a member of the board of directors, and in the Republican Party. For eight years he was chairman of the Republican State Central Committee and dur- ing World War II he was chairman of the draft board advisory committee in Murphys- boro. He is also a member of the Elks, the Masonic Order, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Murphysboro Chamber of Commerce. He owns and operates six farms. Horses, dogs and guns are his hobby. He likes to hunt birds and to ride. All of Jackson County and the State of Illinois know him for his active inter- est in the general welfare and in progress.
EDMUND WILLIAM TWENHOEFEL
An insurance man with interests in other fields and a most unusual avocation, Edmund William Twenhoefel of Belleville, has made an outstanding contribution to home building and home ownership and has founded one of the largest insurance agencies in southern Illinois.
Born in Belleville on August 11, 1884, Mr. Twenhoefel is the son of William Au- gust and Lena (Ehrhardt) Twenhoefel. His grandfather Johan Twenhoefel was a rope maker who had learned his trade in Germany. He came to America with John A. Roebling and Henry Leschen, who were also rope mak- ers. Mr. Roebling and Mr. Leschen entered the wire rope business and they and their suc- cessors have since become world leaders in this field. Johan Twenhoefel continued in the hemp rope business in his yard at Belleville. Mr. Tvvenhoefel's father, August, was a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, and his active business life was spent as a groceryman in Belleville. He was a public spirited man and was known as the father of the white way in Belleville. Lena Ehrhardt Twenhoefel was a native of Belleville. Her father was a Captain in the United States Army and saw service in the nation's eai-ly wars.
Mr. Twenhoefel attended the public schools of Belleville and went ahead to study book- keeping and stenography. He was employed by the Belleville Deep Well Water Company,
which was largely owned by the Roebling and Leschen interests, and was later employed in the light office in East St. Louis. The turn- ing point in his life occurred in 1905 when he entered the insurance business. Beginning with nothing but the will to do, he secured the agency of several outstanding companies and started to build his agency. He still rep- resents some of these original companies. Since that humble beginning he has built his agency to where it is recognized as one of the largest in southern Illinois. During these for- ty-five years he has acquired twenty-two oth- er insurance agencies and merged them with his own. The Twenhoefel Insurance Center now represents twenty-nine of the oldest and strongest companies in the nation. No com- pany that they have represented has ever failed. With this record of reliability, Mr. Twenhoefel, together with his twelve asso- ciates and employees, has earned the confi- dence of his community.
Mr. Twenhoefel married Martha B. Mc- Quilkin on March 19, 1906, and they have two children, William James and Ruth. Wil- liam James Twenhoefel is associated with the Twenhoefel Insurance Center. He married Helen Mayer and they have two children, William C. and Helen Laurine. Ruth Twen- hoefel married R. L. Johnson and they reside in Baltimore where Mr. Johnson is vice-pres- ident of the Glen L. Martin Company, one of the nation's largest aircraft manufacturers.
Years ago Mr. Twenhoefel became inter- ested in sea shells. He acquired a large col- lection of them, many of which are very rare specimens. He was, at the same time, acquir- ing a most unusual knowledge of them, and he is now recognized as an authority on sea shells and semi-precious stones. He is one of the few members of the Malacological Society of London in the United States, and he is also a member of The American Malacologi- cal Union and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is a guaran- tor of the St. Louis Municipal Opera, and is one of a few non-resident members of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York. His list of memberships in insurance societies and associations is long and impres- sive. He is a Mason, having advanced through the York Rite to Knight Templar, becoming a Noble of Ainad Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., in East St. Louis.
Mr. Twenhoefel has achieved leadership in the region of his birth. A recent article said of him "He has built a remarkable business in his community, under many many difficul-
ILLINOIS EDITION
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ties, which made him misunderstood by some, but his institution appreciated by many."
CLARENCE A. PATTISON
Outstanding in its field of operations, the Peoria Malleable Castings Company of Peoria does an international business in iron castings, chain and marine hardware. Of this concern Clarence A. Pattison is president. He is also active in Peoria's financial affairs and in its civic life, and is one of the eminent citizens of that section of the state.
Mr. Pattison was born at Dowagiac, Mich- igan, on March 12, 1868, the son of Edwin and Mary (Daly) Pattison, both now deceased. His father, a dealer in horses, was a native of New York. His mother was born in Ireland. The manufacturer was educated in Dowagiac's elementary and high schools. He began his career, as have many other successful business men, as a newsboy. After two years at this work, he became a clerk in a Dowagiac shoe store. Subsequently, he held several public positions — he was assistant postmaster of Dowagiac for two years, a page in the Mich- igan legislature at Lansing and secretary to the speaker of the Michigan House of Repre- sentatives during a session of the Legislature. Back in his native city he worked for the Do- wagiac Drill Company from 1887 to 1899 and from 1899 to 1902 Mr. Pattison was manager of the Haworth Corn Planter Company of Decatur. Illinois. In 1902 Mr. Pattison came to Illinois as manager of the Selby- Starr Co., a post he held three years. He then organized and served as president of the Peoria Drill and Seeder Company, which purchased the Selby-Starr Company. Mr. Pattison headed the new concern from 1905 to 1923, when it was sold to the Vulcan Plow Company of Evansville. In 1917 he became vice president and secretary of the Peoria Malleable Castings Company and in 1947 succeeded to the presidency of this firm. The company, employing more than three hun- dred fifty persons, operates in all sections of the United States and in the foreign trade.
Mr. Pattison married Theopheli Rudolphi, daughter of the late Dr. Theodore Rudolphi, a native of Czecho-Slovakia, and Anna (Win- ters) Rudolphi, a native of Germany, in Do- wagiac on January 30, 1889. Mrs. Pattison, who was herself born in Dowagiac, died in November, 1944, at Peoria. There is one daugh- ter, Kathryn, who was born on September 8, 1902. She is the wife of Earl N. Batchelor, of Peoria who was president of the Jefferson Trust and Savings Bank. Mr. and Mrs. Bat-
chelor have two adopted children, Betsy and Pat Batchelor.
Mr. Pattison is a member of the board of directors of the Jefferson Trust and Savings Bank of Peoria, an institution which he helped organize. He was also one of the organizers of the Peoria Association of Commerce and is a former director of the Creve Coeur Club. Among his other organizations are the Na- tional Malleable Castings Association, the Illi- nois Manufacturers Association, the Peoria Country Club and the Masonic order. His of- fice is at the foot of Alexander Street, his home at 214 Barker Avenue, Peoria. Through the half century he has been active at Peoria, Mr. Pattison has proved himself a valuable citizen to that community and to Illinois at large.
HON. HARROLD PIERSON RARDIN
Rardin has long been a familiar name in Edgar and Clark Counties and one of the holders of this name, the Honorable Harrold Pierson Rardin, is a leading citizen of Edgar County. Aside from being Mayor of the City of Kansas, he is the operator of the Rardin Grain Company.
Mayor Rardin was born at Dolson, Clark County, on September 1, 1910, the son of Clarence and Odettie (Edwards) Rardin. His father, born in the same community on April 6, 1885, is a prominent farmer. His own father, a coal miner, came to Illinois from Indiana and started the Rardin farm in Clark County. The mother was born at Hutton, Coles County, on March 22, 1887, the daughteer of Will and Hannah Edwards.
Mayor Rardin was educated in the public schools of Pleasant Hill, Edgar County, and West Liberty, Clark County. When he was fifteen years old he began working a farm. Then, for two years, he was employed by George Von Lanken at a wage of fifty cents a day. Subsequently, he spent three years in the employ of Paul Behner, a farmer, and afterward he was with G. R. Acord. From 1932 to 1940 Mayor Rardin was in the truck- ing business on his own and from 1942 to 1945 he operated the Sinclair Service Station in Kansas. In 1946, he founded the Rardin Grain Company there, and he has since de- veloped it into an important enterprise.
On June 7, 1930, at Terre Haute, Indiana, Mayor Rardin married Freda Marie Baker, the daughter of Willis and Sylvia Baker. Mrs. Rardin is active in the Kansas Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, and is well known throughout the community. The Mayor and
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
CLARENCE A. PATTISON
HON. HARROLD PIERSON RARDIN
his wife are the parents of five children — Pierce Eugene Rardin, born on January 12, 1931; Harrold Dean Rardin, born on Decem- ber 2, 1932; Norman Russell Rardin, born on April 25, 1936; Max Ray Rardin, born on July 6, 1938, and Gerrald Leon Rardin, born on May 19, 1941.
Harrold Pierson Rardin's activities in Kan- sas, his pleasant disposition, kindness toward others, sense of humor and interest in fair play, made him a popular figure in Kansas, with the result that in 1945 he was elected Mayor. He has continued to hold the office, giving the community an exceptional admin- istration and constantly increasing his popu- larity. In the same year Mr. Rardin was in- ducted into Masonry and today he is a holder of its thirty-second degree, and is a Noble of Anzar Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Springfield. He also belongs to the Kansas Lodge, Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows.
His political affiliation is with the Republi- can Party. As business man and public offi- cial, Mayor Rardin is rendering service of the highest value to his fellow citizens and is receiving recognition from them for this service.
JO VINCENT WALKER
To hundreds of thousands of Americans the Walker name has come to represent lead- ership not only in the retail clothing world but in banking, community and regional de- velopment, Boy Scouting, disaster and flood relief and in a myriad other fields of interest. One of the bearers of this illustrious name, Jo Vincent Walker of Herrin, seat of Wil- liamson County, is secretary and treasurer and general manager of the J. V. Walker and Sons Clothing Stores, with branches in various Illinois communities, and of a related concern operating in three large Ohio cities. He is also a leader in the multitude of activities which may be gi-ouped as civic affairs.
Mr. Walker was born in Carterville, Wil- liamson County, on March 22, 1891. His father, James Vincent Walker, founded the J. V. Walker and Sons Clothing Stores in 1884. His mother, Nellie (Spiller) Walker, born in 1864, was the daughter of William J. and Susan Goodlow Spiller both of whom were pioneers of Williamson County. She lives in Carterville, 111. Born in the same county, James V. was the son of Benjamin Walker, al^o a native, and was active in church and school board work. He died in 1913, and in the twenty-nine years he had
given to the business had established stores not only in Carterville, where he began his career, but also in Herrin and Chi'istopher. Since his death, his sons, who took over the business, have established stores in West Frankfort, Benton, Mount Vernon, DuQuoin, Carbondale and Marion. Under a separate company, they have also opened stores in Co- lumbus, Dayton and Canton, Ohio.
Jo Vincent Walker was born third among four children. The others are Fred S., Carl S. and Nell Walker. Jo Vincent Walker was educated in grade school in Carterville, high school in Marion and at the Gem City Busi- ness College, Quincy. In 1911 he went into the family business as manager of the Herrin store. Later, he was placed in charge of all the accounting and advertising for the firm. In 1928, he was made general manager of all the stores and elected secretary and treas- urer of the corporation. About sixty persons are employed in the business.
On April 17, 1919, Mr. Walker married Jane Elizabeth Mitchell, the daughter of E. E. Mitchell of Carbondale, one-time State Treas- urer of Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Walker's first child, Suzanne, died when she was six. The other children are: Jo Mitchell Walker, man- ager of the Mount Vernon store, who mar- ried Dorothy Shaeffer of Fairfield and is the father of John Vincent Walker; James Carl, advertising manager for all the stores, who married Helen Stotlar and is the father of James Warren Walker; and Sally Jane Wal- ker, attending Northwestern University. The family worships in the First Clu-istian Church of Herrin, in which Jo Vincent Walker is an elder.
Mr. Walker in 1938 participated in the organization of the Bank of Herrin, the only bank in Herrin, and is chairman of the board. He was president of the Herrin Chamber of Commerce in 1948-49 and is on the board of Southern Illinois, Inc., a sort of regional chamber of commerce, to which he has de- voted much time. A charter member of the Rotary Club of Herrin, Mr. Walker was its second president in 1922-1923. He was pres- ident of the high school board from 1932 to 1946. In World War II, he was county bond chairman and U.S.O. chairman. He has served as disaster relief chairman of the Red Cross in the county since 1929, and he has directed relief work in cyclones and floods. He is treasurer of the Egyptian Council, Boy Scouts of America. He is an Elk and holds the thir- ty-second degree in Masonry. Music is one of his hobbies. In World War I, he played the
ILLINOIS EDITION
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trombone in the Navy Band at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. His fellow cit- izens say that much of the improvement of Herrin and Southern Illinois is due to his efforts.
FRED ARTHUR POOR
An industrialist of international reputation, Fred Arthur Poor of Chicago is now chairman of the board of directors of Poor and Com- pany. He is also director of four other cor- porations and of four organizations in the field of health, welfare and youth protection and development. A man who celebrated his eightieth birthday in 1950, Mr. Poor remains one of the Windy City's most active citizens.
Born in Andover, Maine, on April 16, 1870, Mr. Poor is the son of William C. and Hattie A. (Smith) Poor. His father, who was an officer of the Adams Express Company, was also a native of Andover; his mother was born in Skowhegan, Maine. In 1887 Fred Poor was graduated from high school. This was the Union Free School No. 4 at Port Chester, New York. He began his career at an early age with the old Adams Express Company, and held various positions until 1892. In that year he joined the engineering department of the Hall Signal Company, remaining until 1893, when he was taken into the engineering department of the Illinois Central Railroad. Mr. Poor remained with the railroad until 1900 and then accepted appointment as West- ern representative of the Weber Rail Joint Manufacturing Company. In 1907 the com- pany made him its European representative and from 1909 to 1914 he was back at his post as Western representative. In 1914 Mr. Poor was elected president of the P. M. Com- pany, an office he held until 1929. In 1928 he became president of Poor and Company. Twenty years later he was advanced to chair- man of the board of directors. He is also on the boards of directors of the J. I. Case Com- pany of Racine, Wisconsin; Combustion Engi- neering-Superheater, Inc., New York City; Ken- sington Steel Company, Chicago, and Peerless Equipment Company, Chicago.
On August 4, 1944, in Chicago, Mr. Poor married Martha Buehring, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Buehring. One of Chi- cago's well known women, Mrs. Poor is on the women's boards of Chicago Presbyterian Hospital and the Children's Home and Aid Society. Both she and Mr. Poor are active in the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago. Mr. Poor is a member of the church's board of trustees. Mr. and Mrs. Poor reside at 1448 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. Mr. Poor has a
daughter, Elizabeth, now Mrs. C. Winn Can- field and mother of Patricia and Virginia Can- field.
In his civic and welfai'e activities Mr. Poor is a director of the Presbyterian Hospital, In- fant Welfare Society and Boys' Clubs of Chi- cago. He is a Republican, and also belongs to the Chicago Club, Chicago Athletic Club, Tav- ern, Electric, Racquet, Knollwood, Old Elm and Onwentsia (Chicago) Cloud Clubs, the Metropolitan and River Clubs of New York, and the Bath Club, Indian Creek Country Club, Everglades Club of Miami Beach, Florida, and the Bohemian Club of San Francisco. One of the noteworthy Illinoisans, he has long taken a leading part in the building of America through industrial and social programs.
HAROLD H. CHAPMAN
At 101 West Cook Street, Springfield, San- gamon County residents find their largest laundry. This is the Chapman Laundry and Dry Cleaners. Of this large organization, founded in 1904, Harold H. Chapman is the controlling partner and general manager. Mr. Chapman is not only the operator of Spring- field's largest laundry but is also one of the most active citizens of the city, and is as well known in the Masonic world as he is in the business and social world.
Born in Springfield on June 9, 1900, Mr. Chapman is the son of Alvin W. and Nora (Drury) Chapman. His father was also born in Springfield and the mother is another native of the state. In 1904 Alvin Chapman, with a partner, H. C. Edwards, launched the business known today as Chapman Laundry and Dry Cleaners. Operations, headquartered at 514 East Monroe Street, Springfield, were begun with a minimum of machinery and a delivery service consisting of one horse and wagon. By 1909 the founders were able to move into a new brick building at 101 West Cook Street which they had built themselves. Since that time three additions, with an aggregate front- age of 168 by 172 feet, have been consti'ucted.' Also there are now a large garage and a fur storage building with dimensions of 160 by 120 feet. There are three offices and new and modern equipment throughout the plant.
The man who was eventually to head this enterprise, Harold H. Chapman, was educated in the elementary and high schools of Spring- field and at the University of Illinois, where he spent two years. He was at the university in the World War I period and for four months was in the United States Army. In 1920, when he left college, Mr. Chapman joined his father in the laundry business, and
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
FRED ARTHUR POOR
This Space Reserved for the Portrait of Harold H. Chapman
as he learned the business earned ten cents an hour. His brother, Robert R. Chapman, also came into the business. In 1927 the father pur- chased his partner's shares of stock and in 1942 Harold and Robert Chapman bought ninety percent of the business from their father. Robert Chapman died in June, 1948, and at that time Harold Chapman acquired control of the Chapman Laundry and Dry Cleaners. He owns ninety percent of the stock. The father still retains ten percent. In addi- tion, Harold Chapman has sole responsibility for the management of the enterprise. He employs one hundred persons and operates nine routes, giving a complete laundry, dry cleaning and dyeing and fur storage service.
Mr. Chapman married Frances Easley, daughter of James A. and Minnie A. Easley, in Springfield in October, 1922. They have one son. James Harold Chapman, born on Janu- ary 19, 1927, in Springfield. Now in charge of the laundry's cleaning department, the son married Dorothy M. Mountz and is the father of Melissa Ann Chapman, born on November 24, 1949. The family worships in the First Methodist Church of Springfield.
Harold H. Chapman is a member of the American Institute of Laundering; the Spring- field and Illinois State Chambers of Commerce; the Springfield Lodges of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; the Rotary Club of Springfield; the Masonic order, in which he holds the thirty-second degree and belongs to the Shrine; the Sangamo Club; the Illini Country Club; Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. He is also active in the American Legion. As a business man and active citizen, Mr. Chap- man has done more than his share toward the contemporary development of Springfield.
CHARLES VINCENT O'HERN, SR., LL.B.
Conducting a general practice of law and giving leadership to numerous civic, welfare
I and organizational movements, Charles Vin- cent O'Hern, Sr., of Peoria, has become one of the noteworthy citizens of Central Illinois. He has long been a leader of the bar on the
| local and State level and has interested him- self in all civic projects devoted to the pub-
I lie welfare.
Born at Vermont, in Fulton County, on Oc-
I tober 1, 1883, Mr. O'Hern is the son of John
O'Hern, a farmer at Vermont, who died on
f October 23, 1928, and Maria (Green) O'Hern,
a native of Canton, another Fulton County
community, who died on March 12, 1923.
Mr. O'Hern began his education in the pub- lic schools of Vermont. He attended the Ver- mont High School, and was a student for a year at Western Illinois State College, Ma- comb, and then went to the Illinois State Nor- mal University at Normal, Illinois, from which he was graduated in 1908. For three years Mr. O'Hern taught in the public schools of Fulton County, but the law kept attracting him as a profession. Accordingly, he con- tinued his education, taking the degree of Bachelor of Arts at the University of Illinois in 1910, and the degree of Bachelor of Laws at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, in 1912. Admitted to the Illinois State Bar in 1912, Mr. O'Hern established himself in general practice in Peoria in that same year, in association with his brother, Thomas L. O'Hern, now deceased. He later became asso- ciated in the practice of law with the late Frank J. Quinn, of Peoria. Later the firm of O'Hern, Alloy and O'Hern was formed and it has been continuous since that time. It is composed of Mr. O'Hern, Mr. Jay Alloy and Mr. O'Hern's son, Charles Vincent O'Hern, Jr. The senior Mr. O'Hern is counsel for the Central Illinois Light Company, among other corporations.
On June 26, 1913, Mr. O'Hern married Tressa Smith of Normal, the daughter of John F. Smith, a DeWitt county farmer, who died in 1948, and Viola (Silvers) Smith, native of Webster City, Iowa, who died in 1926. Charles V. O'Hern, Jr., is the older of two children born to this marriage. He was born on January 9, 1915. Betty, now Mrs. Betty O'Hern Muhlke, was born on February 9, 1918. Mrs. Tressa O'Hern died on October 25, 1940. Mr. O'Hern married Margaret Mary O'Reilly of Peoria on August 30, 1947.
The extent of Mr. O'Hern's leadership in legal circles is indicated by the fact that he has been on the board of governors of the Illinois State Bar Association and served the Peoria County Bar Association as president. He is also a former board member of the F'eoria School Board and of the Peoria Asso- ciation of Commerce, and is active, in addi- tion, in the Knights of Columbus, the Union League Club of Chicago and the American Bar Association. He is a member of the legal fraternity, the Order of the Coif, and the Creve Coeur Club. Both he and his wife are communicants of the Roman Catholic Church. Mr. O'Hern is recognized as having made a major contribution to progress and welfare at Peoria.
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HON. CHARLES LESTER SWORDS
Nearly five thousand miles of road linking important communities and promoting pro- gress, trade and the gaiety of life are to the credit of the Honorable Charles Lester Swords, contractor, hotel owner, real estate man, farmer, orchardist and former Sheriff of Peoria County. Mr. Swords, who has made this outstanding contribution to his native Illinois is founder of and a partner in the construction firm of C. L. Swords and Son and is president of the Pere Marquette Hotel, both in Peoria.
Born in Limestone, in Peoria County, on December 31, 1890, Mr. Swords is the son of William A. and Clara (Stevens) Swords. The father, also a native of Limestone, who died in 1914, was a contractor and farmer. The mother, born at Canton, also in Fulton County, died in 1948. C. L. Swords was educated in the public schools of Limestone and at Brown's Business College in Peoria. For five or six years after completing his education he was in the trucking business in his native com- munity. In 1920 he went into the contracting business there. After about eight years, he moved this business to Peoria, where he has since made his headquarters at 107 South Jefferson Avenue. In 1937, his son, Earle I. Swords, joined him in the contracting busi- ness and since that time the firm has been called C. L. Swords and Son. In 1943 Mr. Swords bought the Pere Marquette Hotel, one of the finest in the state, and since that time has been president of the company operating this five-hundred-room hostelry. They also operate the New National Hotel at 200 North Jefferson Street, Peoria.
Mr. Swords married Edna M. McCartney of Limestone on September 12, 1911. Mrs. Swords is the daughter of William I. McCartney, a native of Ohio who was long a farmer at Limestone and who died in 1942, and Syrena (Smith) McCartney, born at Gridley, McLean County, who died in 1924. The son, Earle, born on June 9, 1914, is Mr. and Mrs. Swords' only child. The family lives at 226 North Orange Avenue, Peoria.
Charles L. Swords has accepted every oppor- tunity to grow with Illinois and to help Illi- nois grow. Active in the real estate business, he has opened El Vista subdivision of six hun- dred lots at Peoria and also Fernwood No. 2. He operates an apple orchard of 125 acres in Macoupin County — an orchard rated among the best in the state. Also, he has 100 acres devoted to general farming. As a contractor he has not only built roads but handled num-
erous other projects of immense value to the state. His popularity reached such a point in 1942 that he was elected Sheriff of Peoria County, and this office he held until 1946. He is active in the Peoria Association of Com- merce, the Peoria Ad Club, the Illinois Con- tractors Association and the Black Top Con- tractors Association. The name of Swords has come to stand for progress and initiative in Illinois.
ROBERT BRENT AYRES
In three ways Robert Brent Ayres of Chi- cago has made his impression upon the Illi- nois and American scenes — as insurance agent and broker, as a teacher of insurance and as a writer on insurance. From this it must justifiably be surmised that he is an impor- tant figure in the insurance world. The record shows that, in addition, he has attained great stature in other spheres.
Mr. Ayres was born in Hinsdale, DuPage County, on August 18, 1901, the son of Frank E. and Frances J. (Brent) Ayres. His father, an electrical goods manufacturer, was a county supervisor. After he was graduated from the Hinsdale Township High School, Robert Brent Ayres attended the University of Illinois, and in 1924 took his Bachelor of Science degree. He was a trackman in 1922, 1923 and 1924 and was elected to the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. In his business career, Mr. Ayres has become a graduate of the Aetna Home Office School and he is a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter. In the insurance busi- ness since 1924 — his office is at 120 South La- Salle Street, Chicago — Mr. Ayres became visit- ing lecturer in insurance in the University of Illinois Department of Economics in 1947. He is also vice president of the Kelly Metal Pro- cessing Company.
On February 12, 1927, at Hinsdale (which continues to be the Ayres home), Mr. Ayres married Helen Joan Meyer, daughter of Julia (Holzgrafe) and William R. Meyer. Their children are: David B., born May 9, 1930., Peter B., born Aug 11, 1931 and John -M. Ayres, born Feb. 14, 1937. One of the out- standing women of Hinsdale, Mrs. Ayres is past president of the Hinsdale Garden Club, treasurer of Friends- of the Library, past vice president of the Hinsdale Women's Club, mem- ber of the boards of the P.-T.A. and Garden Club of Illinois and vice president of the In- fant Welfare Society. She is also president of the Women's Guild of the Hinsdale Epis- copal Church. Mr. Ayres is a former member of the vestry.
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
HON. CHARLES LESTER SWORDS
ROBERT BRENT AYRES
His activities cover many areas of service. He is a past member of the Hinsdale Plan Commission and past president of the Hinsdale Community House and in 1940 was acting- treasurer of the DuPage County Republican Committee. He is also a former member of the board of directors of the Hinsdale Club and a former president, secretary and treas- urer of the Junto of Chicago, in which he con- tinues an influential member. He also belongs to the Press Club of Chicago and the Adven- turers Club of Chicago. He was in the tem- porary Reserve of the United States Coast Guard in the World War II period. Fishing is his favorite recreation, but sharing his in- terest with it are such other pastimes or hob- bies as camping, travel and woodworking. He is five feet ten inches tall, weighs 150 pounds and has brown eyes and brown hair. He has high rank among Illinois' leading citizens.
LEROY BARHAM
Once a zone official for the Ford Motor Company out of St. Louis, LeRoy Barham of Harrisburg is today one of the leading Ford automobile and tractor dealers in Southern Illinois. He is the supervising partner in the firms of Barham-Green, Inc., automobiles, and Barham-Green Tractor Division, agricul- tural equipment and implements, both at Har- risburg. Also, he is president of the Keith Builders Supply, Inc., a development corpora- tion. An ex-prize fighter, Mr. Barham is still well known to ring followers, especially those interested in middleweights. His sporting in- terests today are in gaited horses and the outdoors. Mr. Barham is also known for the work he has done on behalf of Southern Illi- nois and as a public speaker.
Born in Williamson County, Mr. Barham is the son of William W. and Adeline (Williams) Barham. His father was a native of Williamson County, his mother of Johnson County, and the former was a son of William R. Barham, who was born in Clark County. William W. Barham was the first Postmaster and set the corner- stone of Johnson City Post Office.
LeRoy Barham, the oldest of three children, first went to school in Johnson City. In 1913, he entered the employ of a man who gave him no salary but plenty of experience. The choice of the field in which the young man was to make his career was made by his fath- er, and LeRoy Barham has always thought the choice was a wise one. But in any event, on that first job, which paid him no salary,
he worked from six in the morning to eight or ten at night. However, he did not com- plain, for he was gaining valuable experience. He spent two years without pay, as a me- chanic's helper. Then for three years he worked at the rate of fifty cents a day and for five years he was paid $1 a day. Alto- gether, he was with the firm, Davis Brothers Motor Company, from 1913 to 1926. At the time he left the firm, he was sales manager — and he had learned the business well. His salary by that time was $65 a week. From 1926 to 1928, Mr. Barham was manager of the Ford agency at Mount Vernon. It was in 1928 that he went to work directly for the Ford Motor Company at St. Louis. He re- mained until 1936, and during the eight years was commercial manager, zone manager, serv- ice manager and wholesale manager of sales.
In 1936 Mr. Barham established himself at Harrisburg, buying, with his partner, the Ford agency there. Mr. Barham is secretary and treasurer and general manager. In 1937 he and his partner established the Barham- Green Tractor Division, selling Ford equip- ment. Keith Builders Supply, Inc., was es- tablished in 1947. It handles steel buildings, air conditioners, oil furnaces and tile floors.
On April 5, 1924, Mr. Barham married Hope E. Kelley, the daughter of Patrick Hen- ry Kelley of Marion.
Five feet eight and three-quarters inches tall and weighing 208 pounds today, Mr. Bar- ham was once a leader in the welterweight division in the pugilistic world. He had nine- ty-one fights from Chicago to Cuba and had sixty-four wins. He was, however, never knocked out. To overcome his original stage- fright, he announced fights without pay. To- day he is an accomplished public speaker, in great demand. A Democratic leader in Saline County, he was the party's candidate for Con- gress from the Twenty-fourth Illinois District in 1942. He carried Saline County by 367 votes, but lost by a small margin in the other counties. Mr. Barham is active in Masonry, being a member of Ainad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at East St. Louis, and the Mississippi Valley Consistory, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. He always owns from one to five gaited horses. A lover of birds, trees and nature in general, he is a fisherman and hunter and owns a cabin on his own sixty-acre lake. He is widely recognized as one of the most ardent and effective workers on behalf of conservation, welfare and progress.
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EDITION
765
CARL AMRHEIN
Baking and bakery operation have been the preoccupations of Carl Amrhein of Springfield since his youngest days. Even when he was in the United States Navy in World War I, he was a baker. Today he is presi- dent of Amrhein Bakery, Inc., one of the largest businesses in its field in the Spring- field area, and is one of the better known citi- zens of the region.
Mr. Amrhein was born in Springfield on December 25, 1893, the son of Christopher Amrhein, who was born in Germany and who founded the Amrhein Bakery. The father, whose people were in the baking business in his native Germany, was sent to America at the age of sixteen to learn New World meth- ods in the industry. He learned, and remained. After traveling through various parts of the United States, Christopher Amrhein settled in Springfield. There he worked in a bakery for a year. In 1889, he purchased a small bakery business. A year or so later he bought another small bakery and consolidated the two. In 1895 he erected a new building, into which he moved his business and in which he remained until he sold the entire business to his sons Carl and Nicholas.
Carl Amrhein, educated in Springfield, had served his baking apprenticeship under his father and become active in the business. When the United States entered World War I, he went into the Navy as a baker and was in the service for a year. His brother Nicholas had also entered the family bakery's employ as a boy, but in young manhood went into the banking business. When Carl Amrhein was called into the Naval service, Nicholas Amrhein resigned his banking position and returned to the bakery to take over its man- agement from the aging father. Upon the return of Carl Amrhein in 1919, the two brothers bought the business from their father. The firm has since been incorporated, with Carl Amrhein as president and Nicholas Amrhein as secretary and treasurer.
Nicholas Amrhein, who is also a prominent citizen of Springfield, is the father of Ni- cholas Amrhein, Jr., sales manager of Amr- hein Bakery, Inc.
Carl Amrhein married Clare Werth of Springfield in 1924. They have one son, John, better known to all as Jack Amrhein, who was born in 1930. In 1950, he was a student at Notre Dame University, South Bend, In- diana.
Carl and Nicholas Amrhein so built the bak- ery founded by their father that a new
building became imperative. In 1929 they completed this modern structure and in the following year occupied it. They have in- stalled all new and modern equipment in this structure and in 1947 built an addition cost- ing more than the original complete plant. Christopher Amrhein operated the business with two horses and wagons. His sons find at least twenty-five delivery trucks necessary. They employ eighty persons and have a trad- ing territory with a radius of sixty miles of Springfield. Amrhein Bakery, Inc., makes only bread and buns. One of its ovens has a capac- ity of 4,500 loaves of bread an hour. The bun oven's capacity is 12,000 buns an hour. The firm uses from 800 to 1,000 bags of flour weekly.
Carl Amrhein is active in the community life of Springfield. He is a member of the Springfield Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; the Springfield Aerie, Frater- nal order of Eagles ; the American Legion ; the Springfield Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Manufacturers Association. He is a popular figure in his industry as well as in the civic life of his city.
LEROY LOUIS BENOIST
Since the days when what is known today as the Benoist oil sand formation was dis- covered on the Benoist farm near Sandoval, the name of Benoist has been famed in the oil industry not only of Illinois but of the nation. One of the family who is a leading figure in this and other fields is Leroy Louis Benoist of Mount Vernon. Mr. Benoist is not only an outstanding business man and orchard- ist but a citizen who has more than proved his public interest to his neighbors.
The son of Albert E. and Flora (Dill) Ben- oist, Mr. Benoist was born at Bunker Hill, Illinois, on October 23, 1891. His father, born on April 23, 1857, in St. Louis, was a farmer and oil man who also operated a chain of meat markets. The famed oil sand formation named after him was found on his farm. This was the first oil discovered in Illinois west of Robinson, and oil is still being pro- duced there. A. E. Benoist was also one of the big developers of Harlingen, Texas. He died in 1938. Flora Dill Benoist was a native of St. Louis, where her father edited the first newspaper published in that city.
Educated at Sandoval and Centralia, Illi- nois, Leroy L. Benoist joined his brother Charles in establishing the Benoist Hardware Store at 117 South Tenth Street. This suc-
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LKROV LOCIS BENOIST
cessful enterprise is today the oldest in its field in Jefferson County. In 1927 the three brothers, Leroy L., Charles G. and Raymond E., launched a wholesale heating equipment business known as the Benoist Brothers Sup- ply Company, with 200 dealers in Southern Illinois. In 1937 the firm won a Silver Cup for the sale of the greatest number of coal stokers in the nation.
The Benoists are still active in the oil pro- ducing and prospecting business, operating in seven states, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Miss- issippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. They also operate an orchard of 20 acres of apples and 70 of peaches, and are the originators of the "pick-your-own" system. Their orchard attracts individuals and whole families from Indiana, Missouri and other states as well as Illinois to pick peaches for their canning and tables. Leroy Benoist is manager of the R. E. and L. L. Benoist Company, the Benoist Brothers Oil Company, L. L. Benoist, Trustee, Oil Producers, and Coast Producers, Inc., an oil drilling company, with offices in Mount Vernon.
He married Edna J. Humes, a native of Patoka, in Marion County, in 191G. Mr. and Mrs. Benoist have three children, all gradu- ates of the University of Illinois — Virginia Marie, born in 1918, now Mrs. L. W. Davis and mother of Jenna and Steven Davis; Aline Flora, born in 1922, now Mrs. Robert E. Douglas; and Donald Leroy Benoist, born in 1928, holder of the degree of Bachelor of Science in General Engineering, who is asso- ciated with his father in business.
Leroy L. Benoist is president and manager of the Illinois-National Oil and Gas Company, a former director of the Mount Vernon Cham- ber of Commerce and a trustee of the First Methodist Church of Mount Vernon. He is a former member of the Lions Club of Mount Vernon, and belongs to the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His home is at 1500 Main Street, Mount Vernon. As the record shows, Leroy L. Benoist has done much to develop several fields of great importance, thus contributing to the prosperity and wel- fare of his native state and a large portion of other states.
HON. R. E. DUVALL
Saint Clair County, named tor General Arthur St. Clair, first Governor of the terri- tory which embraced what is now Illinois, is the oldest county in the state, having been organized by proclamation in 1790. And the
oldest of ihe living citizens who have done the most for this county is the leading citizen of the county seat, Belleville — the Honorable R. E. Duvh'1. Three times mayor of Belleville and also former member of the Illinois State Department of Conservation of which he was assistant director, Mr. Duvall continues active in development activities, being a real estate operator specializing in land for industry. As Belleville's Mayor, he made a national reputa- tion for the outstanding fashion in which he directed handling of the pavement of Main Street, which is still a model for municipal officials and engineers.
R. E. Duvall was horn in Todd County, Kentucky on June 2 4. 18 79, and was edu- cated in his native state, where tor a time he was a farmer. He arrived in Belleville on July 1, 1900, in a year when the entire nation was in the throes of a political campaign: William Jennings Bryan, the silver-tongued Democratic orator, was running against Wil- liam McKinley, who, aided by Theodore Roose- velt as the vice-presidential candidate on the Republic;'!) ticket, swept into office only to be assassinated the following year and suc- ceeded by the famous "Rough Rider." For two years Mr. Duvall farmed in Saint Clair County Mid for I wo more years he was a railroadman. In 1904 he went into the real estate business as an associate of Frank Bud- erer, and in a comparatively short time was himself a big and important land developer and a builder of the county seat and the county itself, a citizen whom a grateful citi- zenry were to elect to high municipal and state offices.
In the ear'y days of his Illinois career Mr. Duvall married Luetta Miller of Belleville. Mrs. Duvall is the daughter of the late Joseph Miller, outstanding farmer and cattle breeder of Saint Clair County and one-time member of the State Legislature.
In 1911, only eleven years after he had, a youth of twenty-one, entered the City of Belle- ville, Mr. Duvall was elected Mayor. In 1913, he was re-elected, and so favorably did he im- press the citizens that he was elected twice more, in 1915 and 1917. The five-and-one- half-mile-long Main Street, which he built with twin roads each nineteen and one-half feet wide, has made him famous among municipal administrators. He had the street laid with nine and one-half inches of con- crete and a steel binder and topped with two and one-half inches of wearing surface. After three decades the street is still in perfect con- dition. It cost $284,000 and has returned
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771
nine percent to the taxpayers. Engineers still visit Belleville to study the paving and the University of Illinois highway and street ex- perts awarded Mayor Duvall first prize for the best highway in the United States. In Jan- uary. 1919, Mr. Duvall was elected to the State Senate, where he served eight years. Governor Emerson appointed him to the De- partment of Conservation because of his in- terest in fish and game protection and propa- gation. Mr. Duvall is an expert in clay bird shooting, and is a follower of all sports. He is an expert pistol and rifle shot and has com- peted in various tournaments. He has a score of 94 cloy pigeons. Mr. Duvall is engaged to- day in activities which are benefiting his com- munity and state, and he is one of the most honored men in the region.
SAMUEL L. MARTIN
A native of Watseka, Samuel L. Martin is now one of that city's and Eastern Illinois' most prominent citizens. A leader in the lum- ber business, he makes packing boxes for big home appliance and other manufacturing con- cerns and, in addition, operates a retail and wholesale lumber yard. He owns yards at Piper City, in Ford County, and in Watseka. In World War II Mr. Martin made boxes di- rectly* connected with the war effort.
Born on May 27, 1900, Mr. Martin is the son of A. W. and Jessie (Loveridge) Martin, both also natives of Iroquois County. The father was in the lumber business. Samuel Martin was educated in elementary and high schools at Watseka, at Lake Forest College and the University of Illinois. He joined his father in the lumber business in 1922 and has been in that industry since then. In 1942, to make his contribution to the all-out war effort, Mr. Martin founded the Hemb and Martin Box Factory at Watseka, and through- out the war devoted himself exclusively to war contracts, making gun mounts, radio boxes and food boxes and employing seventy- eight persons. He now employs eighty in mak- ing boxes for washing machine and other home appliance manufacturers such as Bendix and Hurley. In his retail and wholesale lum- ber operations, both at Watseka and Piper City, he employs twenty-four people. He also operates a ready-mix concrete plant at Wat- seka. In addition, he is a member of the board of directors of the First Trust and Savings Bank of Watseka and vice-president of the Concrete Products Corporation of Sko- kie, Illinois, and operates several farms. Not far from Watseka is the little community of
Martinton. This was named after Mr. Mar- tin's paternal grandfather, James C. Martin, who had been Sheriff of Iroquois County.
On December 26, 1927, at Watseka, Mr. Martin married Nadean Meents, the daughter of State Senator and Mrs. Richard R. Meents and born in Iroquois County on January 12, 1908. They have one son, Richard Alfred Martin, who was born on July 12, 1932, and who was a member of the Class of 1950 at the Watseka High School.
One of the county seat's most civic-mind- ed citizens. Mr. Martin has been active in all community enterprises. He is a member of the board of directors of the Watseka Chamber of Commerce and is active also in the Lions Club of Watseka, the Watseka Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Or- der of Elks and many Masonic bodies, in- cluding both the York and Scottish Rite and the Shrine. He worships in the Presbyterian Church. As a lumber dealer and box maker he has aided in the development of his city, county and the entire Eastern Illinois region.
LESLIE FRANK FULLERTON
Until ill health forced him into retirement, Leslie Frank Fullerton of Lincoln was one of the most active men in the dairy business in Downstate Illinois. His name is still known throughout the industry and he is still the owner of the popular Fullerton Dairy at Lin- coln.
Mr. Fullerton was born in the Logan County seat on September 5, 1883, the son of Benja- min Scott and Mary Ann (Layton) Fullerton. His father, a native of New York, was in the dairy business before him. In boyhood Benja- min Scott Fullerton was brought to Illinois from his native state by his parents, the family settling in Atlanta, Logan County. When he reached young manhood he opened up a dairy at Atlanta. In the early 1900s he moved to Lincoln, where he established the dairy business later taken over by his son Leslie. He died in 192 4. There were two so;is in the family, the younger Leslie F. Fullerton and Ray A. Fullerton.
Leslie Fullerton was educated in the ele- mentary rchools of Lincoln. He left when he was in the eighth grade and joined his father in the dairy business. After the elder Mr. Fullerton died, the son took over the active management of the enterprise. Until 1930 he sold raw milk. Then he purchased pasteur- izing equipment and since then he has sold pasteurized milk. In 1947, with the installa- tion of homogenizing equipment in his plant,
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he added homogenized milk to his products and at the present time is distributing milk- in paper cartons. He employs eight persons and operates eight trucks, selling an average of one thousand gallons of milk a day. The dairy is under the management of Mr. Fuller- ton's son-in-law, Warren Gallagher, who took over when Mr. Fullerton retired.
Mr. Fullerton married Emma Pedigo of Lincoln on April 18, 1913. She died on July 17, 11)45. One daughter, Dorothy May, was born to the marriage. She is Warren Gal- lagher's wife and is the mother of Sharon Lee Gallagher, who was born in 1940, and Les- lie Ann Gallagher, who was born in 19 48.
Mr. Fullerton was active in Lincoln's civic affairs and in social circles. He is a member of the Lincoln Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of the Methodist Church. He is one of the best known and most highly respected citizens of Logan County.
ROBERT WILLIAMS GIPSON
Few men have served their communities with the sincerity, ability and effectiveness of the late Robert Williams Gipson of Bloomington. Mr. Gipson, who established and headed the R. W. Gipson Agency, at Bloomington, was one of the noted figures in this field of en- deavor in Central Illinois, and was a man who had behind him many years of experience in the insurance field in Indiana and Florida be- fore establishing himself at Bloomington. He was one of those who, as a member of the Bloomington-Normal Sanitary District, helped these communities with many of their munici- pal problems and who also worked to develop Illinois Wesleyan University at Bloomington, the Bloomington Young Men's Christian As- sociation and the Bloomington Country Club. He died an untimely death at the age of forty- eight but lives on in the hearts of all those who knew him — anc they were legion. His widow, the former Naomi Huli. who was his partner for years and who is now president of his busi- ness, carries on with his traditions and poli- cies and has herself become an outstanding figure in the insurance world and in civic, business and educational circles.
Robert Williams Gipson was born at Con- verse, Indiana, on February 25, 1900, the son of Robert William and Pearl (Williams) Gip- son. His father, also a native of Converse, was the operator of a general store. He died in 1930. His widow, who was born at Red Key, Indiana, died in 1943. The younger Robert Williams Gipson received his elemen- tary education at Thorntown, Indiana and his
high school education at Kendallville, Indi- ana. In 1922, he was graduated from DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana, with the de- gree of Bachelor of Arts, and for three years thereafter he was Freshman Coach and Secre- tary of the Alumni Association at DePauw University. From 1924 to 1927 Mr. Gipson was in the insurance business at Miami, Flori- da, and fiom 192 7 to 192 8 he followed the same business at Elkhart, Indiana. In 1928 he established himself in Bloomington. In the first four years there he worked, for other agencies, but in Sept. 1932, he established his own agency. This he operated until his death in September, 19 48.
Mr. Gipson married Naomi Hull, a native of Alvordton, Ohio, on October 20, 1926. She is the daughter of Burton and Lillian (Elder) Hull. Her father, born in Ohio, is in the lumber and real estate business. Her mother is a native of Iowa. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Gipson — Robert Hull Gipson, on September 18, 1927; David Williams Gip- son, on January 9, 1932, and Sarah Gipson, on March 2, 1936. After graduation from Bloomington High School in 1945, Robert Hull Gipson served in the U.S. Navy for one year. He attended DePauw University, Green- castle, Indiana for three years and will be graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Illinois in 1950 with Bachelor of Arts Degree.
In February 1950 the entire community of Bloomington was shocked to learn of the accidental death of David Williams Gipson. At the age of 18 he had become a community minded citizen and had learned to grapple with the problems of mankind to an extent sometime never reached by adults. "Dave" Gipson was a straight "A" student, an athlete, a natural leader, good orator, good musician, and had a charming personality. He gave promise of becoming one of the region's out- standing civic leaders. A memorial idea initi- ated by his fellow students has done much to encourage the kind of all 'round ability he demonstrated so well.
Mrs. Gipson, always an active woman in civic and club affairs and always interested in business, assisted her husband in the opera- tion of the Gipson Insurance Agency. In Jan- uary, 194 6, about three years before his death, she was taken into the business as a partner. In 1949, soon after his death, the business was incorporated, and since then Mrs. Gipson hp.s been president, with Robert H. Gipson as vice president. She is a former president of the McLean Co. Chapter of the
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League of Women Voters. In the World War II period Mrs. Gipson was chairman of volun- teer services for the McLean County Chapter, American Red Cross. Her "game" continues to be golf. She was Indiana State Golf Cham- pion in 192 5 and has been Bloomington cham- pion four times and the Bloomington Country Club champion eight times. She has given considerable leadership to health, welfare and better government programs in McLean County.
Mr. Gipson, who served with the armed forces from 1918 to 1919, was a member of the American Legion. He also served on the boards of trustees of the Illinois Wesleyan University and the Bloomington Young Men's Christian Association and on the board of directors of the Bloomington Country Club. During World War II Mr. Gipson, Sr. served continuously on the Ration Boards of McLean County. From 1945 to 1948 Mr. Gipson was a member of the Bloomington-Normal Sani- tary District; for two years he was that body's treasurer. He also belonged to the Blooming- ton Association of Commerce, the Normal Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Bloomington, the Bloomington Club, the Ma- sonic order and Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. He and Mrs. Gipson maintained a home at 601 North Main Street, Normal, and this con- tinues Mrs. Gipson's home. Mr. Gipson was fond of gardening, fishing and golf. He was considered one of McLean County's great citi- zens and Mrs. Gipson, walking in his foot- steps, is herself achieving similar status.
HENRY PETER OSCAR SCHAFALE
Marion, the seat of Williamson County and a city of nearly 10,000 population, had no banking institution until, in association with other forward-looking business and profes- sional men, Henry Peter Oscar Schafale in 1937 became one of the organizers of the Bank of Marion. Today, Mr. Schafale, form- erly in the farm machinery business, is presi- dent of the bank. He has been a director since 193 7. He is known throughout Illinois for the banking work he has done in a region pre- dominantly agricultural, and he has worked in the cause of civic improvement and educa- tion in his county.
Mr. Schafale was born on a farm in Wil- liamson County on September 11, 1897, the son of Michael and Mary ( Wielmuenster) Schafale. His father, a farmer and black- smith, moved to Marion in 1906. Oscar Scha- fale was graduated from grade school in 1914 and in the same year joined his father in the
farm machinery business in the county seat. He was in this business for thirty years, sell- ing out to assume the presidency of the Bank of Marion in 19*4. He had been elected vice president in 1941. His former business was known as M. Schafale and Son, carrying the International Harvester line from 1902 to 1944. There were eleven employees and the firm served most of Williamson County. Michael Schafale at one time built wagons and truck bodies. The farm implement busi- ness was the outgrowth of his blacksmith's shop.
On July 12, 1921, Oscar Schafale married Marie Mysch, the daughter of the Reverend and Mrs. Theodore Mysch of Marion. There are five children — David, Lloyd, Dorris, Her- bert and Ann Schafale. The family worships in the Evangelical Reformed Church, in which Mr. Schafale has taught in the Sunday School since he was fourteen years old and in which he is now on the official board. Influential in the Il'inois Bankers Association, Mr. Scha- fale was chairman of the agriculture commit- tee for Group 10 in 1946. He is also a mem- ber of the American Bankers Association and the Independent Bankers Association. A mem- ber of the Rotary Club of Marion since 1926, he was its president in 1933-34. From 1930 to 1944 Mr. Schafale served on the Marion High School Board and in the year 1943-44 was its president. He is a charter member and a director, and past treasurer, of the Greater Egyptian Association and is a char- ter member and a director of the Southern Illinois, Inc. He is past president and a mem- ber of the board of directors of the Marion Chamber of Commerce, and he is active in the Williamson County Farm Bureau. Trees and flowers must be included among his hobbies. He is also interested in education, and has himself completed a course in banking at the University of Wisconsin. He is especially in- terested in economics and professional publi- cations. Through his variegated activities Oscar Schafale has stimulated the growth and prosperity of the entire urban-rural area in' which he lives.
WALKER SCHWARTZ
An important figure in the financial world, Walker Schwartz is chairman of the board of directors ol the First National Bank of Car- bondale and secretary of the First Building and Loan Association of that city. A military veteran or World War I who also was active in Illinois Militia programs in World War 11, Mr. Schwartz is prominent in veterans' af-
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WALKER SCHWARTZ
fairs in Jackson County, as well as in fra- ternal, educational and civic work. He is a former president of the Carbondale Board of Education.
Mr. Schwartz was born at Elkville, Jackson County, on August 18, 1895. His father, George Schwartz, also a native of that county. was one ol the founders of Carbondale Loan & Improvement Association of Carbondale. He was the grandson of William A. Schwartz, a native of Pennsylvania who became a promi- nent farmer in Illinois and served in the State Legislature at Springfield. Walker Schwartz's mother was Lora A. Walker, also born in Illinois. He has one sister, Mrs. Irene Patterson, who is his senior in age. Mr. Schwartz is a cousin of Chester Ray Schwartz ol Elkville, lumberman and paint manufac- turer ; nd on., lime postmaster of that city, whose life story is told elsewhere in this Illi- nois edition of the Library of American Lives.
Walker Schwartz received his early edu- cation in the elementary schools of Carbon- dale and University High School, being gradu- ated from the latter in 1913. He then spent iwo years at Southern Illinois University, in Carbondale. In 1917, he entered the United States Army. He went overseas with the American Expeditionary Force and partici- pated in rive major battles with the 130th In- fantry, attaining the rank of Sergeant. Dis- charged in May, 1919, he worked the next twelve months or so in the production depart- ment of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Com- pany of Akron. He returned to Carbondale in 1921 and joined his brother-in-law, Sam Patterson, in the clothing business. Two years later, however, he sold out to Mr. Pat- terson and joined his father in the building and loan association. This had been founded by George Schwartz in 1905. Walker Schwartz became assistant secretary of the building- loan organization and at the same time took over an insurance agency his father had been operating. In 1934, on the death of his father, he became secretary of the building and loan organization, the office he holds today. In 1935, he was elected to the board of the First National Bank of Carbondale and in 1946 was made chairman. He is active in the Illinois Savings and Loan League and the United States Savings and Loan League.
On September 2 5, 1925, Mr. Schwartz mar- ried Mabe! Smith, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Smith of Omaha, Illinois. They have three children — Barbara Jane, who in '1949 was at Northwestern University; Thomas
D., and Sara Marie. The family worships m the Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Schwartz was president of the Carbon- dale school board in 1930. He is also past commander of the Carbondale Post of the American Legion and past exalted ruler of the Carbondale Lodge of the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks. He has also served as commander of the Beauseant Coinmandery, Knights Templar, and is a member of Ainad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Slnine, in East St. Louis. He belongs to the Rotary Club and the Jackson Country Club, anicng other organizations. In World War II he helped organize the local company of Illinois Militia and served as its captain. He has made an outstanding contribution to the welfare of Carbondale and Jackson County.
PALL ROWATT
The largest seller of high-priced perfumes in the world is Dana Perfumes, Inc., 430 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago. This firm does business throughout the United Slates and its possessions and in Canada. Chairman of the Board is Paul Rowatt, one of the out- standing men in this field internationally.
He was born in Carterville, Williamson County, on January 19, 1901, the second of lour children of Walter and Ellender Jane (Lipsy) Rowatt. His father, also born in Carterville, was the son of Waller Stewart Rowatt of Scotland and Mary Ann Jackson of Williamson County. The members of the fam- ily were the oldest settlers of Carterville. Walter Rowatt was a celebrated merchant in Southern Illinois who after retiring in 1930 assumed his present office of president of the Carterville State Savings Bank. The mother, daughter of Michael Snyder and Janie (Hayes) Lipsy, died in May, 1945. Her parents and grandparents were pioneer set- tlers at West Frankfort and most of the land there was once owned by them. The world's largest bituminous coal mine, Orient No. 2, is located on land formerly in the family. The other children of Walter and Ellender Rowatt are Mrs. John Henry Craig of Herrin, Mrs. Charles Hudgens of Carbondale and Howard Edward Rowatt. Howard Rowatt studied at the University of Southern Illinois, where he was active in football and basketball. Later, in World War II, he was a member of the best teams in the armed forces- — at Camp Gruber. An M.P. in the Rainbow Division, he was one of four members of that division who through a "bluff" brought about the sur- render to them of a garrison of 130 German
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soldiers, one of the celebrated incidents of the war.
Paul Rowatt attended grammar school at Carterville. He won the competitive scholar- ship for the University of Illinois, from which he was graduated in 192 2, receiving his Certi- fied Public Accountant Certificate at the age of twenty-one. He taught accounting at the university the following year, and practiced accounting until 1941. In this period he was in charge of the office of Angus Steven for eleven and one-half years and head of the tax department of Alexander Grant Company three and one-half years. In 1941 he became engaged in the cosmetics business with J. Les- lie Younghusband. In June, 1944, their Chen Yu nail polish and lipstick line was sold for $2,000,000, after which their attention was given to developing Dana Perfumes, Inc. The entire stock of this company was acquired by Paul Rowatt in September, 1947. Dana Per- fumes, Inc., operates under a license from Javier Serra and has the distribution rights in the United States, its possessions and Canada. Now the largest seller of high-priced perfumes in the world, it retails its products at $17.50 to $40.00 an ounce, and its volume has grown to several million dollars a year.
Mr. Rowatt, who is unmarried, still makes his home in Carterville. He is a Republican and a Protestant. Flying and golfing are his major interests outside the perfume business. He maintains a Seabee and two land planes and spends as much time as possible flying and golfing. Standing six feet one and weigh- ing 240 pounds, with dark hair and dark eyes, he has made himself a familiar figure in many corners of the world. He is a popular man of business and an outstanding citizen of both Chicago and Carterville.
OSCAR F. MAYER
Oscar Mayer and Co., is, of course, the celebrated meat packing concern with head- quarters in Chicago and branches in many other major cities of the United States. Its founder is the venerable and popular Oscar F. Mayer, now chairman of the company's board of directors, a nonagenarian still alertly in- terested in the business and in the world in general. More actively engaged in guiding the company's interests today is his son, Oscar G. Mayer (q.v.), celebrated Chicagoan who is president of Oscar Mayer and Co.
Oscar F. Mayer born in Bavaria, Germany, on March 29, 1859. His parents were Ferdi- nand Mayer, also a native of that province and a forester, and Wilhelmina Mayer. The future
meat packer was educated in the grammar schools of Germany. In 1873, when he was fourteen, Mr. Mayer emigrated to the United States and in the same year went to work for George Weber in Detroit, Michigan. He remained with him three years. After further varied experience in the meat business Mr. Mayer started the small meat processing con- cern of Oscar F. Mayer & Bro. in Chicago in 1883. Out of this firm arose the present great house, Oscar Mayer and Co., of which Mr. Mayer was president until 1931, when lie became chairman of the board of directors, leaving the presidency to his son. Besides big plants in Chicago, the company now has pack- ing houses in Madison and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin; and in Davenport, Iowa, and a processing plant in Philadelphia.
Mr. Mayer married Louise Greiner, who died in 1931, in Chicago on May 12, 1887. They have five children and sixteen grand- children. Their only son, Oscar G. Mayer, president of the company, is the oldest of the five children. He was born in Chicago on March 10, 18 88. He married Elsa Stieglitz and is the father of four children. His story is told in detail in another section of this Illinois Edition of Library of American Lives. The daughters are, in the order of their birth: Frieda Mayer Collins, wife of Edward J. Col- lins, pianist and composer, and the mother of four children; Louise Mayer Schein, who died in 1927, being survived by her three children; Elsie Mayer Steuer, widow of the late Joseph T. Steuer and the mother of two children; and Eugenie Mayer Bolz, wife of Adolph C. Bolz and mother of three children. Mr. Oscar F. Mayer resides at 572 7 Sheridian Road, Chi- cago. He is a member of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Chicago. Mr. Mayer is a Democrat. Deer hunting is his favorite pas- time. He has made a distinct contribution to the nation's welfare and progress in develop- ing and making meat food products of the highest quality for almost seven decades.
OSCAR G. MAYER
In all parts of the nation the name of May- er has become synonymous with progress in the meat packing industry. Oscar G. Mayer, of Chicago, bearer of this name, is president of the great house of Oscar Mayer and Co. He has held some of the highest posts in his industry and has given considerable leader- ship to educational activities, having at one time been president of the board of trustees of the University of Illinois and serving at
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OSCAR F. MAYER
OSCAR G. MAYER
present on the board of Beloit College in Wis- consin.
Oscar G. Mayer was born in Chicago on March 10, 1888. His father is Oscar F. Mayer, founder of Oscar Mayer and Company, former president of that concern and at present the chairman of its board of directors. (The story of his life and career is fully told on other pages of this volume.) The mother of Oscar G. Mayer is Louise (Greiner) Mayer. Mr. Mayer completed his education at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he took the degree of Bachelor of Arts. His scholarship was of such caliber as to win him election to Phi Beta Kappa. The year he took his degree Mr. Mayer went to work for Oscar Mayer and Company, assuming the duties of assistant superintendent. In 1912, he was elected secretary and member of the board of directors and general manager and since 1931 he has been president.
Mr. Mayer married Elsa Stieglitz in Chi- cago on May 10, 1913. They have four chil- dren and seven grandchildren — Oscar G. May- er., Jr., who married Rosalie Harrison and is the father of Oscar H. Mayer, Donald Mayer and William Mayer; Harold M. Mayer who married Jane Leathers and is the father of Harold Mayer and Richard Mayer; Allan C. Mayer, who married Lois Kurtz and is the father of Allan C. Mayer, Jr.; and Elinor Mayer Russell, the wife of Robert S. Russell and mother of Robert S. Russell, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Oscar G. Mayer, Sr., reside at 1030 Forest Avenue, Evanston, and worship in St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Chicago.
Mr. Mayer is prominent in the civic life of Chicago. A leading personality in the meat packing industry, he was president of the American Meat Institute from 1924 to 1928 and his civic leadership was recognized in Chicago when he was made president of the Chicago Association of Commerce in 1938, an office he held through 1940. He began his service on the board of trustees of the Uni- versity of Illinois in 1934, remaining on that body until 1940; in the years 1938 and 1939 he was its president. He has been on the board of Beloit College since 1944. Active throughout World War II in home-front pro- grams of a highly essential character, he was chairman of the Chicago and Cook County War Savings Committee in 1942 and 1943. In World War I he was a Lieutenant in the Illinois National Guard. Mr. Mayer is a mem- ber of the Chicago, University, Commercial, Senachwme Gun, Glen View Golf and Lake Geneva Country Clubs. He votes Democratic.
Hunting and fishing are his main outdoor recreations; sometimes he plays golf.
EDWIN PHILIP BERGERON
It was onlv in 1934 that Edwin Philip Berge- ron began an automobile dealership — with one car — at Kankakee. That one vehicle was, of course, a used car, but it established Mr. Bergeron in the field, and today he is one of the leading automobile dealers in the North- eastern Illinois region outside Chicago. At one time he bought used cars in a widespread Eastern territory and shipped them by car- loads in various directions, chiefly the West. As the Uptown Sales, Inc., Mr. Bergeron today operates the Chrysler-Plymouth agency in Kankakee. The Bergeron Motor Co., Inc., at Elkhart, Indiana, the Bergeron Acceptance Corporation, which carries the automobile loans for his business, and the Kankakee Leas- ing Company, which leases cars to large fleet owners in all sections of the country are all under his management. He is president of all these companies and is also a director of the Air-Auto Insurance Company of Kankakee, of which he was one of the founders. He has headed fund-raising campaigns of all kinds, including the National War Fund in Kanka- kee County in the World War II period and is a leader in all health, welfare and youth- serving movements. He is one of the leading lay Catholics of Northeastern Illinois.
Mr. Bergeron was born on a farm on Jan- uary 5, 1906, the son of Francis Xavier and Regina (LaRoque) Bergeron. He is one of five children, the others being, in the order of their birth, Herve, Lionel, Lorraine, Clar- ence. His father, who was a bank director as well as prominent farmer, retired in 1930 and died in 1940. The mother, who survives her husband, is a native of Illinois and the daughter of Canadians. Edwin Bergeron was educated in grade schools and in the Brown Business College of Kankakee. He first work- ed on his father's farm. In 1926, Mr. Berge- ron entered the employ of the Pope Machine Shop, where he remained until May, 192 7. On June 1, 1927, he began his career in the auto- mobile business. He became the dealer for Peerless automobiles, operating a business he called Bergeron Auto Sales. This business he discontinued late in 1930, when he went to work for the P. and G. Motor Company of Kankakee. The depression was in full sway then, and Mr. Bergeron's pay was $7.50 a week, plus three percent commission on every car he sold. Nevertheless, he remained with P. and G. until September, 1934.
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At that time he leased a Kankakee build- ing and with one used car resumed business for himself. It was only two years later that he was able to take over the- Chrysler-Ply- mouth dealership which he operates today. He built himself a modern building in 1937, and since then has averaged about six hun- dred cars a year. He has continued his suc- cess, even expanding greatly, despite handi- caps. One of the worst of these was an auto- mobile accident which forced him to undergo nine operations and to spend a year in the hospital. The accident occured in 1940. A year before he had opened a used car store in Joliet, but this he closed out in 1942. In his used car operations, he established a head- quarters in St. Louis, Missouri, and bought cars in various Eastern cities, with outlets in such Western centers as St. Louis, Kansas City and Los Angeles, among others. He ship- ped about two thousand used cars a year, in carloads. In 19 40 Mr. Bergeron formed the Bergeron Acceptance Corporation to finance his sales, and in 1946 he obtained the Chry- sler-Plymouth franchise at Elkhart and launched the Kankakee Leasing Company, Inc., at Kankakee. In this period too he helped organize Air-Auto Insurance Company, the name of which suggests its business, and has since been on its directorate. Altogether, today, he employs 132 persons. He is the owner of considerable real estate.
In 19 30 he married Alice Guimond, who was born in Illinois on February 28, 1909. They have two children — Kenneth F. Berge- ron, born on September 25, 1934, and Joyce Ann Bergeron, born on May 11, 194 5. The entire family worships in the Catholic Church.
Mr. Bergeron serves his community as a Catholic and as a citizen at large. He is presi- dent of the Catholic Charities of the Kanka- kee Diocese and chairman of the board of di- rectors of the Catholic Youth Organization, of which he is former chairman. He is also on the board of the American Cancer Society chapter and is former chairman of fund-rais- ing drives for this organization in the Kan- kakee area. In 194 5, he was general chair- man for the National War Fund for Kankakee County, and he continues active in the Kan- kakee Community Chest, which was part of the National War Fund organization in the war period. Another of the most recent ac- tivities of Mr. Bergeron was the assuming of the responsibility as General Lay Chairman of the Southern Section of the Joliet Diocese and through his leadership $670,000.00 of the two million five hundred thousand was raised.
This campaign was conducted during the month of June, 1950. He is also vice presi- dent of the Kankakee Chamber of Commerce and in 19 50 was elevated from the vice presi- dency to the presidency of the Kiwanis Club of Kankakee. Other organizations to which he belongs are the Loyal Order of Moose, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Columbus, the Holy Name Society, and the Kankakee Valley Country Club and the Kankakee Country Club.
Outstanding among automobile dealers, Mr. Bergeron is a diretcor of the Illinois Automo- tive Trade Association and the organization's chairman in the Kankakee area. Mr. Berge- ron has a formula for successs which he of- fers to all car dealers. When he went into the new car business, he established a policy of giving prolonged free service to customers, regardless of time limits on warranties. For example, he would replace a battery if it be- came exhausted even after a year of purchase. The resultant goodwill helped to pyramid the business rapidly into its present great success. Mr. Bergeron is known for service not only in his business, but in the welfare field and in the community in general, and he is among the very few who are devoting themselves wholeheartedly to building Kankakee and its section of the State.
SOL VAN PRAAG, SR.
A one-time associate of the famed aviation pioneer, Eddie Stinson, and himself a pioneer in that field, Solomon Van Praag, Sr., of De- catur is one of a celebrated family which has been serving the state and country for many years in many fields. A military veteran of World War I, he was active on the homefront in World War II and afterward in the Korean War. He is now president and chairman of the board of the Van Praag Equipment and Manufacturing Company, Inc., of Decatur.
Mr. Van Praag, born on November 5, 1890, at Fergus Falls, Minnesota, is the son of the late Alex Van Praag, Sr., an illustrious De- catur citizen, and Rachel (Davis) Van Praag. Both his parents were born in Holland, his father in Utretcht, his mother in Rotterdam. Alex Van Praag, Sr., who was in the tobacco and milling business in Decatur, served that city for twelve years as Commissioner of Pub- lic Health and Safety. His hobby of playing Santa Claus at Christmas time furthered his local fame; for twenty-one years he gave Christmas parties, at his own expense, for the children of Decatur, and in later years 4,000 youngsters attended. Solomon Van Praag, Sr.,
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was educated at James Millikin University, Decatur, the University of Illinois College of Engineering at Urbana and the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis.
When he left the University of Illinois, Mr. Van Praag joined Eddie Stinson at San An- tonio, Texas, and participated in the design, building and flying of early aircraft. On July 13, 1917, Mr. Van Praag was commissioned a First Lieutenant in the United States Army and was attached to the Transportation Corps of Engineers and the Transportation Corps, with which he was stationed at Brest, France. Honorably discharged on October 31, 1919, he was with the Engineers Reserve until 1931.
Mr. Van Praag had barely been inducted into the military service when, on August 4, 1917, at San Antonio, he married Theodora Farque, the daughter of Joseph and Docia Farque, Three children have been born to this marriage: Alex Van Praag, III, whose biography appears elsewhere in this publica- tion; Sol Van Praag, Jr., and Gloria Ann, now the wife of Arthur C. McConnell. Mr. and Mrs. Van Pragg, Sr., reside at 1401 East Clay Street, Decatur.
When Mr. Van Praag left the active mili- tary service in 1919, he joined the Leader Iron Works in Decatur as engineer. Later he be- came field erection engineer and then, until 1947, he was sales engineer. Concurrently, beginning in 1932, he also represented Erie Meter Systems, Brodie Meter Company and the Heil Company in like capacities. In the World War II period he also supervised pe- troleum bulk storage installations at large Air Bases in a civilian engineering capacity. In January, 1946, upon the return of his two sons from the Army, he formed a partnership with them, known as the Van Praag Equip- ment Company, dealing in petroleum handling equipment. Two buildings were constructed. In 1947 the partnership was succeeded by a corporation, now called Van Praag Equipment and Manufacturing Company, Inc., of which he has since been president and board chairman. In June, 1947, Mr. Van Praag resigned his po- sition with Leader Iron Works to devote more time to the newly-formed corporation.
Mr. Van Praag, active in civic works, is a member of the outlying areas committee of the Decatur Association of Commerce, as well as in such other organizations as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, United Commercial Trav- elers, Travelers Protective Association; Steph- en Decatur Lodge, No. 979, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Springfield Consistory, An-
cient Accepted Scottish Rite, and Ansar Tem- ple of the Shrine. He is one of the great citi- zens of Decatur and Illinois.
ALEX VAN PRAAG, III
Generation after generation the Van Praag family has served . Decatur, Illinois and the nation, and in the process established itself among the leaders in industrial, civic and so- cial life. One of the present generation of the family is Alex Van Praag, III, vice-pres- ident in charge of sales and advertising of the Van Praag Equipment and Manufactur- ing Company of Decatur, World War II vet- eran and active civic worker.
Alex Van Praag, III, was born in San An- tonio, Texas, on June 2, 1918, the son of Solo- mon Van Praag, Sr., one of Decatur's out- standing citizens whose story is told on other pages of this history, and Theodora (Farque) Van Prxag. After attending the public schools in Decatur, Alex Van Praag, III, went to the University of Illinois at Urbana. There he became a member of the university band and orchestra, of the fencing team and the Wal- dron Club, which he served as president. Upon leaving the university Mr. Van Praag joined the United States Army and in March, 1941, went on active duty. From June, 1940, to June, 1942, he was with the Infantry, Illinois National Guard. Until June, 1943, he was at the staff and faculty engineer school, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and until June, 1944, he was with the Engineer School "Flying Cir- cus," in the course of which period he helped establish the Minefield Technique for the Army. From December, 1944, to January, 1945, Mr. Van Praag was Bomb Disposal Offi- cer at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Mary- land and from July, 1945, to the time of his separation from the service in April, 1946, he was Captain in the Engineers and Engineer School. Since his separation from active duty he has remained in reserve work, commanding the 300th Engineer Technical Intelligence Unit, and as Assistant S-2, 334th Engineer Group Headquarters (c).
Immediately upon leaving the active service Mr. Van Praag joined his father and brother, Solomon Van Praag, Jr., in a partnership known as Van Praag Equipment Company. In January, 1947, the corporation succeeded the partnership, with Alex Van Praag, III, as vice-president in charge of sales and advertis- ing. The corporation, which later assumed its present name, deals in petroleum equipment and fabrication of steel products, such as tanks, loading docks and ornamental posts.
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Alex Van Praag, III, married Missie Anne Jones, the daughter of Milton Edward and Mary Olive Jones, in St. Charles, Missouri, on October 5, 1940. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Van Praag — Lynne Carole Van Praag, on September 11, 1942, and Bruce Alexander, on September 19, 1948. The Van Praags reside at 148 Melrose Court, Decatur, and worship in the Central Christian Church of that City. Mr. Van Praag was baptized in the First Baptist Church of San Antonio, his birthplace.
Active in aviation, Mr. Van Praag is Air Inspector of the Illinois Wing, Civil Air pa- trol, and a member of the aviation committee of the Decatur Association of Commerce. He is also on the Oil Industry Information Com- mittee. His other organizations include the American Legion, the Reserve Officers Asso- ciation, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Asso- ciation, the American Society of Military En- gineers, the United Commercial Travelers, the Travelers Protective Association, and such Ma- sonic bodies as the Stephen Decatur Lodge, No. 979, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; the Springfield Consistory, Ancient and Ac- cepted Scottish Rite; Ansar Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the Decatur Shrine Club. His recrea- tional interests include flying, precision demo- lition and explosive weapons. He is consid- ered one of the more valuable of Decatur's younger citizens, a leader in many walks of life there.
RUDOLPH O. AHLENIUS
There was consternation in the home of Adam O. Ahlenius and Anna Gibson Ahlenius the wintry morning of February 7th, 1872, in Galesburg, Illinois, all because an expectant mother slipped and fell on the icy walk the previous day. The tiny pre-maturely born in- fant was bathed in olive oil, swathed in cot- ton and placed in a basket behind the base burner. He soon developed a will to live and thus began the life of an average American boy in an average American home. He was given the name of Rudolph Otto, family names in the paternal line. Adam O. Ahlenius, born in Sweden to a patrician family, early in life developed a wanderlust and immigrated to America, locating in Springfield, Illinois. In response to Lincoln's call for volunteers he enlisted in the Illinois 'thirty-third', serving through the war. He was unofficially the regi- mental butcher. Out of service he tried farm- ing, running a meat market, and cattle buying,
but eventually took up the practice of his profession, that of veterinary surgeon.
The mother, also born in Sweden, was the daughter of a farmer in moderate circum- stances. Intrigued by the tales of the new coun- try she embarked for America only to be shipwrecked and to spend three months on Anticosta Isle. Her destination was Gales- burg, Illinois, where resided a brother who had preceded her. i
Rudolph O. Ahlenius lived the normal life of boys of that time. A better than average student his interests ran to sports, debate and manual arts. In high school his leadership began to unfold to give promise of real ability in that line Measured by the standards of today, life was rugged. The wood-pile, saw and saw-buck was the gymnasium. Caring for the cow, horse and chickens, left little free time for "Shinnie-on-the-ice" or other sport. That type of life developed self-reliance, ini- tiative, and restraint.
During his high school days Mr. Ahlenius worked part time in a local meat market, keep- ing the books, delivering meat and doing other chores. Upon graduation he was offered a po- sition by the leading grocer of the city. He there received a thorough training in the fun- damentals of business. This was supplemented by courses in business management, salesman- ship, and allied subjects and an occasional enrollment in some extension course. This period was uneventful except there was no hour and wage law to shorten the ten to twelve hours at the store. After this internship of six years there came to him an opportunity to purchase a half interest in a small grocery business. The business prospered. After two years of close application he purchased his partner's interest. The business continued to grow and expand to where it was recognized as one of the city's best food stores. In spite of long hours and hard work Mr. Ahlenius entered into the civic life of the community. Both father and mother, especially the mother, being religiously inclined, he was indoctrinated in the tenets of the Christian Religion. This may explain his interest in the Church, Y.M.CA., and kindred organizations. He served his church in official capacities, earlier having been very active in the young peoples work on the regional and state levels as well as in the local society. He is still remembered as having been Superintendent of the Sunday School for a long period terminated by his re- moval from the city.
He was asked to become a candidate for school director because of his personal knowl-
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RUDOLPH O. AHLENIUS
GEORGE NELSON ALBON, JR.
edge of the school system as a former student. He was elected and re-elected for four terms to bring to that board leadership, training and interest, which is a brief statement of a work well and ably done. In spite of these duties he found time for more strictly community service in which he likewise was a leader. As an indication of a popular recognition of his services he was elected President of the Gales- burg Chamber of Commerce in 1914 and re- elected in 1915.
On October 2, 1902, Mr. Ahlenius was united in marriage to Mabel Holliday, the daughter of Dr. W. S. Holliday, in Monmouth, Illinois. To this union was born four children: The eldest, Marion, graduated at Wesleyan Uni- versity and did post-graduate work in New York in dietetics. Two sons, twins, Edward It., and William H., also graduated from Wes- leyan University and did post-graduate work in the Commerce School of Northwestern Uni- versity. The youngest, Ruth E., was the fourth to graduate from Wesleyan University and she did her graduate work at Ann Arbor after securing a B. of Ed. degree from I.S.N. U.
In World War I our government was con- cerned about saving man power and the con- servation of food. To implement this concern the State Food Administrator called upon the grocers to organize so as to better lend their help to the end that more men and more food would be available. Mr. Howard Humphreys, then assistant Food Administrator for Illinois, called the meeting and explained the purpose of such organization and asked compliance with the plan. At this meeting of the grocers of the city Mr. Ahlenius was elected president. In the following months Mr. Humphreys ap- parently was impressed with the ability he saw in Mr. Ahlenius, for even before the armistice he offered him the executive vice-presidency of the J. F. Humphreys Co., of Bloomington, the second largest wholesale grocery in down- state Illinois. It was accepted. Then began ten years of interesting, even if challenging, service, for this v/as the period of wholesale grocers vs. chain store system of merchandis- ing.
In 1927 Mr. Ahlenius was elected president of the Bloomington Association of Commerce and then re-elected in 1928 for a second term- In the meantime he was active in Y.M.C.A. work, scouting, and the church which he served in official capacity. In 1928 he was offered and accepted the position of General Manager of the Williams Oilomatic Heating Corpora- tion to contribute to the development and
growth of this company in marketing an ad- vance step in home comfort, the oil burner in which this company was a pioneer.
This new position offered increased opportu- nity for service with increasing responsibility and wide business acquaintanceship. In 1939, after eleven years service, Mr. Ahlenius re- signed to organize a local savings and Thrift Bank. The Bloomington Federal Savings and Loan Association was chartered by the Federal Home Loan Bank on May 23, 1941. His past experience peculiarly fitted Mr. Ahlenius for a successful administration of this business built around human interest and service. That this Association has succeeded beyond expec- tation is evidenced by its acceptance as a leading institution of the city by investors as well as borrowers. It is said that each insti- tution is the "lengthened shadow of some man". Mr. Ahlenius' shadow has continued to lengthen through each succeeding change.
Through all these years of close application to business, Mr. Ahlenius has maintained an active and vital interest in his church and its several organizations. In 1936 he was chair- man of a committee for the reorganization of the Illinois Baptist State Convention. In 1937 he was elected president, and since that pe- riod of service he has been chairman of several important committees and usually is included in counseling on important matters on the state level.
Mr. Ahlenius was modest when interviewed and even reluctant to concede that what he had done was worthy of comment. His asso- ciates however esteem his achievements worthy of this recognition. It is a simple story of devotion to duty, and intensive work and an abiding faith.
GEORGE NELSON ALBON, JR.
Possessor of a national reputation in the banking industry, George Nelson Albon, Jr., is president of the First National Bank of Carbondale, vice-president of the Bank of De- Soto and a director of the Carbondale Build- ing and Loan Association. He is also active in educational and religious work at Carbon- dale and is an outstanding citizen of Southern Illinois.
Born at DeSoto on May 1, 1891, Mr. Albon is the son of George N. Albon, Sr., a famous figure in Jackson County, and Abbie Mae (Walker) Albon, who died in 1936. The senior Mr. Albon, born in 1858, has been Mayor of DeSoto six times and superintendent of the Lutheran Sunday School there since the early part of this century. He is both merchant
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FRED MITCHELL JONES, M.S., Ph.D.
and banker, and the story is told how he went into the banking business. A partner in a mercantile enterprise at DeSoto for many years, he became sole owner in 1915, chang- ing its name to George Albon and Sons. Dur- ing the early years of his operation of the store, customers had asked him to hold mon- ey for them. After a time Mr. Albon had bank books and checks printed. When Illinois passed a law requiring all banks to be incor- porated, he incorporated as the Bank of De- Soto, with himself as president and son, George, Jr., as vice-president, and this ar- rangement has continued. The bank was in- corporated in 1920, at a $15,000 capitaliza- tion. Today the assets are more than $300,- 000.
George Albon, Jr., was ill in childhood and did not start to school until he was eight. He attended DeSoto's public schools for three years and then Western Military Academy at Alton. He was graduated in 1910, as a First Lieutenant. He then entered his father's mercantile business at DeSoto, work- ing as a clerk for two years. In 1912 he went to Carbondale as an employee of the First National Bank. He was then twenty years old and his salary was $40 a month. E. E. Mitchell was president of the bank at the time and because Mr. Albon was not old enough to be bonded Mr. Mitchell acted as his "surety." Mr. Albon's father is the bank's oldest depositor — both in age and in years of association with the First National. He made a deposit in 1893, when the bank was opened, and his account has been active since that first day. The son became assist- ant cashier of the First National in 1928 and in 1936 was elected cashier. He served under J. E. Mitchell, president, a nephew of E. E. Mitchell. In 1946, when J. E. Mitchell died, Mr. Albon succeeded him in the presidency. He had then been with the bank thirty-four years, and his reputation was almost as wide- spread among bankers and the general public as it is today.
On October 11, 1914, Mr. Albon married Beatrice Elliott, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Elliott of Decatur. Mr. and Mrs. Al- bon became the parents of four children — James, born in 1916 and killed by an auto- mobile when he was three; Dean Elliott, born in 1919, a First Lieutenant in the Army in World War II, serving nineteen months over- seas, now a chemical engineer at DuQuoin and who married Joan Smith of Carbondale and became the father of Jean and Dean Albon ; George Nelson, III, born in 1921, who died
at the age of eighteen months; and Alice Mae, born in 1923, now Mrs. A. N. Griffith and the mother of Ann and Jack Griffith.
Mr. Albon is vice-chairman of Group 10, American Bankers Association, and is also ac- tive in the Illinois Bankers Association. He has been a director of Carbondale Building and Loan Association since 1903. He has served as secretary of both the high school and grade school boards and served six years as trustee of the First Presbyterian Church. He is also active in Rotary, Masonry, the Modern Woodmen and the Elks. He has made a noteworthy contribution to his native South- ern Illinois.
FRED MITCHELL JONES, M.S., Ph.D.
Dr. Fred Mitchell Jones is the well known author of various books on marketing, retail- ing and general economics and is an associate professor at the University of Illinois.
Dr. Jones, born in Pearl, Illinois, on Sep- tember 24, 1905, is the son of Joel Nicholas and Sarah Jane (Schmoll) Jones. His father, born near Sturgeon, Missouri, is a building contractor. Fred Jones was graduated from Illinois College in 1925 and then studied at the Univeisity of Illinois where he took the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1927. In 1930 the University awarded him the degree of Master of Science and in 19 35 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Economics. He was employed as a cost ac- countant by the Federal Electric Company, Chicago, Irom 1927 to 1929. In 1930 he be- gan his professional career as a graduate as- sistant in the College of Commerce and Busi- ness Administration, University of Illinois, and by 194 7 had advanced to the rank of associate professor. He has taught market- ing, retailing, industrial management, sales- manship, economic geography, principles of economics, accounting and airline manage- ment. His specialities are marketing and re- tailing.
Dr. Jones' books are "Economic Develop- ment of the United States" with C. M. Thomp- son, 1939; "Introduction to Marketing" with P. D. Converse, 1948; "Principles of Retail- ing", 1949, and "Middlemen in the Domestic Trade of the United States, 1800-1860", 1937.
On June 16, 1932, Ruth Berneice Smith and Fred Mitchell Jones were married in Ur- bana, and on October 6, 1941, a daughter, Ruth Ellen Jones, was born to them. Their home is at 202 East Washington Street, Urbana.
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Dr. Jones is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Champaign-Urbana, Kappa Delta and Alpha Kaopa Psi, and is a Republican. Fish- ing and hunting are his favorite sports while gardening is his hobby.
RUTH BERNEICE SMITH JONES
Prominent among the citizens of Cham- paign and Urbana, Mrs. Ruth Berneice Smith Jones may point with pride to an extraordi- nary record. She began her career as a win- dow decorator for a department store, switched to a job — after taking special courses — as a bookkeeper for a savings and loan organization and today she is the manag- ing executive of that organization, the Citi- zens Building Association of Urbana, with the title of executive secretary. She also serves on the asociation's board of directors.
Mrs. Jones began life as Ruth Berneice Smith. She was born at Urbana on January 22, 1910, the daughter of Rodney R. Smith, a farmer born near Lexington, Kentucky, on June 1, 1884, and Cora Belle (Johnson) Smith, whose parents were John Wesley and Anna Pearl (Garrison) Johnson.
Mrs. Jones was graduated from the Urbana High School. She attended the University of Illinois for one semester and since then has completed five courses on savings and loan. She was a member of the Bethany Circle, a church-sponsored sorority on the campus, and after she left school she became president of the organization's corporation board.
Mrs. Jones' first job after leaving school was show card drawing and window decorat- ing for an Urbana store. In 192 9 she became bookkeeper for the Citizens Building Associa- tion of Urbana and in 193 7 she was elected secretary and member of the board of direc- tors. She also owns and operates a general insurance agency in Urbana. Her business address in that city is 107 South Race Street.
On June 16, 1932 Ruth Berneice Smith and Fred Mitchell Jones were married in Urbana, and on October 6, 1941, a daughter, Ruth Ellen Jones, was born to them. Their home is at 202 East Washington Street, Urbana.
Mrs. Jones, prominent in her field, has served on various committees of the Illinois Savings and Loan League and at present is a member of its education committee. She has also served on the housing and youth commit- tees of the Urbana Chamber of Commerce. She has held the office of president and other chairs, including committee chairmanships, in the Business and Professional Women's Club of Champaign-Urbana and has been on
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the board of directors of the State organiza- tion since 1937 as editor of the State publica- tion. In 1949 she was elected president of the Illinois Federation of Business Women's Clubs. Mrs. Jones is a member of the Uni-B versity Place Christian Church in Champaign. It was she who organized the Junior Chris-M tian Endeavor of the church. She taught in the primary classes of the Sunday School for seven years and at present herself attends the adult classes. For more than seven years she was president of the Missionary Guildfl for working girls. She is a Republican and crocheting is her hobby.
She is certainly one of Illinois' outstanding women and with her husband makes one of the truly notable couples in the nation.
ANDY HALL, M.D.
Andy Hall, the son of Colonel Hiron W. and Mrs. Julia McLean Hall, was born on a farm in Hamilton County, Illinois, January 8, 1865M His father served in the Mexican War, and commanded an Illinois Regiment during the Civil War. His mother's family gave to Illi- nois a United States Senator after whom Mc- Lean county was named. He was the eighth child in a family of nine. His early education was obtained in a one room, log school house, later in the McLeansboro public schools andB the Northern Illinois Normal and Dixon Busi-B ness College from which he entered the medi-B cal department of Northwestern University, I graduating from that institution in 18 90.
Following graduation, he located in Mt Vernon, Illinois where he has been a resident ever since. Mt. Vernon, at that time, had a population of less than 4,000 people, which now has 20,000; neither the city streets or the country roads were graveled or hard sur- faced, hence, during the winter time they were almost impassable by horse and buggy. By close application to business, rendering efficient service to patients, regardless of . their financial ability to pay, and regardless of weather and road conditions when called, he soon built up a very extensive practice fn both the city and surrounding country. Dur- ing the winter season when the roads were* almost impassable, he often made country calls ten or fifteen miles distance horseback. Occasionally when the roads were almost im- passable for a horse and buggy, lie went on foot. On one occasion he walked more than thirty miles in one day making country ami city calls.
January 1. 1892, Dr. Hall was united in marriage to Miss Anna Laura Glazebrook,
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RUTH BERNEICE SMITH JONES
who was then a teacher in the Mt. Vernon public schools, From this union three sons were born.
In 18 9 7, he was elected Mayor of the city of Mt. Vernon, but when the Spanish Ameri- can War was declared in 18 98, he resigned as Mayor and entered the Medical Corp of the United States Army serving as major and surgeon in the 9th Illinois, accompanying that Regiment to Cuba. Following muster out, he again opened his office in Mt. Vernon, but at the end of five weeks received a tele- gram from the Surgeon General of the United States Army requesting him to accompany the volunteer army to the Philippine Islands dur- ing the insurrection. He immediately closed his office, kissed his wife and two little boys, one three years and one eleven monts old, goodbye and started for Manila. Arriving there in October 18 99, he was assigned to a field hosnital at San Isidro, and later as sur- geon of an expedition under General Funsten. He accompanied Infantry troops afoot chas- ing the insurrectoes throughout the jungles of Luzon for more than one year.
Returning to Mt. Vernon, he opened an of- fice in 1901, and soon built up a very ex- tensive practice. Two years later his nephew, Dr. Charles W. Hall, formed a partnership with him which continued for thirty-six years. Dr. Hall v as one of the early physicians in Southern Illinois to attempt major surgery. Before any hospital was ever made available, he did laparotomies, mastoid operations, and other major surgery in the country homes on the dining-room and kitchen tables. His skill and success brought patients from all sur- rounding counties.
Notwithstanding, he and his nephew had a large lucrative practice, when the first World War was declared, they both volunteered and closed their office and entered the Medical Corp of the United States Volunteer Army. Dr. Hall was assigned to duty on the surgical staff at the Base Hospial at Camp Upton where he remained until the armistice was signed. '
Returning to Mt. Vernon, he again opened his office, and was soon busily engaged in taking care of his old clientele until his nephew, Major Charles W. Hall, returned from Europe one year later. They soon had more business than they could well care for, and later, the doctor's son, Marshall W. Hall, joined in the firm. The firm, Drs. Hall, Hall, and Hall built up a splendid lucrative busi- ness, general practice, obstetrical and surgi- cal.
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In recognition of his ability as a progres- sive outstanding physician, he was appointed Director of Public Health for the State of Illi- nois in 1929, being the first down-state physi- cian who had ever held that position. To the office of State Director of Public Health, Dr. Hall brought the same restless vigor and en- thusiasm, which had characterized his entire life. During the four years that Dr. Hall be- came the head of the Department of Health, it enjoyed the most favorable health condi- tions ever recorded up to that time. Within that period, the general death rate of the state fell to an all time low point, while the mortality from such specific and controllable diseases as typhoid fever, tuberculosis, dip- theria, and diarrhea reached levels substanti- ally below any previous experience.
Under Dr. Hall's administration the State Sanitary Water Board, the functions of which are to abate and prevent the pollution of streams and other waters, came into existence through legislative action and operated under his chairmanship. Another law gave the State Department of Public Health "Supervisory" instead of "advisory" powers over public water supply and sewerage disposal systems, a statue which is already resulting in far reaching beneficial effects. Other laws clari- fied the duties of coroners in respect to sign- ing death certificates and raised the standard of public health nurses.
Two new projects of important significance which were initated by Dr. Hall were those related to trachoma and undulant fever. In respect to trachoma, a disease confined to southern Illinois, a searching survey brought to light more than 4 00 active cases, over 2 00 of which were hospitalized in an effort to save their vision and restore their health. To com- bat the threatening rise of undulant fever, a state committee, representing all the cattle, milk producing, packing, veterinarian, medi- cal, public health, and other interests in- volved, was organized and put to work on a program based upon a detailed epidemiologi- cal study of the disease in Illinois.
In addition to his other duties, Dr. Hail found time to deliver between four and five hundred public addresses during his term as Director of Public Health. His audiences ranged from school children and parent-teach- er associations to graduating classes of nurses and universities and from county medical societies to the Conference of State and Provincial Health Authorities.
In 1933, Dr. Hall resigned his position as Director of Public Health and returned to Mt.
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Vernon and joined the firm of Drs. Hall, Hall and Hall, which included his nephew and his son. In 1937, Dr. Charles W. Hall's health became impaired, and he withdrew from the firm. When the second World War came, Dr. Marshall Hall, the doctor's son, volunteered and entered the Medical Corps of the United States Navy, and seived 3% years in the Mediterranean, African Campaign, and in the Pacific; being discharged at the end of the war with the rank of Commander.
Practically all the young active physicians in Mt. Vernon were engaged with the Armed Services, leaving a few older ones to look after the sick and infirm. Dr. Hall, by work- ing early and late, not only carried his own burdens, but those of many other physicians who were away with the armed forces. In addition io this, he was chairman of the Medical Board of Appeals for the 29th Dis- trict, comprised of some eight or ten sur- rounding counties. In 1946, Dr. Andy Hall was given the Mt. Vernon Civic Award for "Outstanding and Distinguished Community Service." Dr. Hall received the Alumni Medal in 1950, the highest distinction that is grant- ed or which may be granted by the Alumni Association of Northwestern University.
Dr. Hall, has always taken an active in- terest in medical organizations, and has mis- sed only two district and state medical meet- ings in the past forty years. These absences were due to his serving in the armed forces outside of the state. He served as Secretary of his local county society for more than fif- teen years. He has also been President of his local and southern Illinois Medical Socie- ties. He served for a number of years on the Medical Legal Committee of his State Society and was Councillor from the 9th Illinois Dis- trict in the state's society for nineteen years. He was chairman of the committee that orga- nized the Fifty-Year Club, and each year Dr. Hall, sends an invitation to each and every one inviting them to attend a noon day lunch- eon during the Illinois State Medical meet- ings. Usually, ninety or more of the "Old Docs" attend the banquet, at which time, Dr. Hall has always presided.
Dr. Hail served as President of the Mt. Vernon Township High School Board for eignt years and was Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Committee for ten years. He is a member of the American Medical As- sociation, charter member of the American Legion, Veteran of Foreign Wars, and is now the Illinois Department Surgeon of the United
American Wars Veterans. Dr. Andy is a Bap- tist and a Knight Templar.
Dr. Hall gave his three sons a medical edu- cation, all of whom are now eminent physi- cians: Dr. Marshall Hall, the eldest, after his discharge from the Navy after three and one- half years service, is associated with his father. Dr. Andy, Jr., is an Urologist in St. Louis, Missouri; and Dr. Wilfred F., is a Colonel in the regular army, and is a Flight Surgeon in the United States Air Corps.
Dr. Hall received the Illinois State award for the outstanding practitioner of the year in Illinois, in 1949, and in December was given the American Medical Association gold medal award as "outstanding practitioner of the United States for the year 1950".
At an age at which most business and pro- fessional men have long ago retired, Dr. Hall now more than eighty-five years of age, is actively engaged in his profession doing a large general practice and industrial surgery. He drives his own car, often making night and day calls, twenty or thirty miles distant.
He never takes a vacation except when at- tending medical meetings or going quail hunt-
OTTO A. KIELSMEIER
In 1920 Otto A. Kielsmeier of Watseka won a national award for his work in the cheese industry and was compared favorably with the work of Dr. S. M. Babcock, Madison, Wis., Prof. E. H. Farrington, Madison, Wis., and Prof. G. H. Benkendorf, Modesto, Calif., who all received national recognition. Since then this noted Illinois citizen, who has been in the dairy products business since he was a boy back in the last century, has continued making cheese and other dairy products of the highest quality and greatest prestige. He has four plants — the Watseka Dairy Products Company, in the Iroquois County seat; Crystal Dairy Products, Crystal Falls, Michigan; Crys- tal Dairy Products, Remington, Indiana, arid Thorntown Dairy Products, Thomtown, In- diana. He is known throughout the nation's cheese industry.
Mr. Kielsmeier was born at Centerville, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, on April 3, 1880, the son of Fred A. and Meta (Bahr) Kielsmeier. His father, born in Germany, was brought to the United States when he was a year old. He was in the milk and dairy prod- ucts business, operated a grocery store and a lumber yard. The mother was a native of Wisconsin. Mr. Kielsmeier's schooling includ- ed attendance at Oshkosh Normal College, the
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University of Wisconsin and a Minnesota dairy school. For four years in between he taught school. Then he went into the dairy products business with his father, teaching- school in the winter time and making cheese in his father's plant in the summer time. He taught in the dairy department of Ohio State Univer- sity for one year. Then, in 1904, he bought his own cheese factory at Newton, Wisconsin, and this he operated until 1918. At that time he went into the creamery and milk business at Manitowoc, seat of his native county, where he also made cheese. In 1935 Mr. Kielsmeier moved to Watseka, where he estab- lished another cheese factory and where he has expanded steadily including house to house distribution of milk and butter. His dairy products include condensed milk, cheese and milk powder. In his Watseka, Reming- ton, Thorntown and Crystal Falls plants he now does an annual business of about three million dollars. In addition, he operates a 400-acre farm.
Mr. Kielsmeier married Clara Toepel on February 22. 1904. She was born on Septem- ber 25, 1881, in Centerville, the place of his birth. They have two children — Meta, born on October 17, 1906, and Karl, born on Au- gust 30, 1908. To his wife and children Mr. Kielsmeier gives much credit for the develop- ment of his business, for all three have long been active in it. Meta Kielsmeier is now in charge of all the offices, while Karl Kiels- meier is general manager in charge of all the plants. He married Evelyn Johnson of Cum- berland, Wisconsin, and is the father of Karl Frederick Kielsmeier, born on March 16, 1946. Both Meta Kielsmeier and Karl Kielsmeier are officers in each business. They also take an active part in all community affairs.
Otto Kielsmeier is active in the Illinois Dairy Association, the Kiwanis Club of Wat- seka and the Watseka Chamber of Commerce. He worships in the Lutheran Church. One of the builders of the nation's great milk, cheese and butter industry, he is also one of those contributing to the development of Illinois.
CARL HENRY HORSTMAN, D.V.M.
When Carl Hortsman was in high school, the love of animals which had been with him from his earliest days persuaded him to adopt ihe profession of a second cousin — that of veterinarian. Today Dr. Horstman, whose headquarters are Collinsville, is one of the best known figures in this professional field not only in Southwest Illinois but in the entiic Greater St. Louis region — a man who is
making his reputation not only through his therapeutic and surgical skill but also through his battles to strengthen enforcement of the State iairy laws, to control Bangs' Disease and otherwise to elevate the profession.
Dr. Horstman was born at Round Lake, Minnesota, on October 28, 1906, the son of Philip Charles and Louise (Antritter) Horst- man. His father anu his grandfather, Henry Horstman, were farmers. After attending a country school at Shadyrock, Minnesota, the future veterinarian went to high school at Hound Lake, graduating in 1914. He spent the school year 192 4-25 at the State Univers- ity of Iowa, Iowa City, and then worked on the family farm for two years. In 192 7 he resumed his education at the University of Illinois, which in 1930 awarded him the de- gree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. In his college days Dr. Horstman earned his way by waiting on tables and working in a private dairy.
Following his graduation, Dr. Horstman went to Iowa, where he practiced for eighteen months. On February 12, 1932, he reported for duty in St. Louis as an inspector for the Board of Health, for which he worked seven years. In his first five years he was a meat inspector, in the last two milk inspector. In those two final years, 1937 to 1939, he was a resident of Collinsville. In July, 1939, Dr. Horstman discovered he was ill of tubercu- losis— so ill that he was not expected to live. But by 1941 treatment, including the removal of 6 ribs, made it possible for him to return to work, and for the next three years and two months he was associated with Dr. C. S. Watt of Collinsville. In August, 1945, Dr. Horstman went into practice independently, and since that time has cared for both large and small animals. He serves in a radius of thirty miles of Collinsville, and has never been known to refuse or delay a call regard- less of time of night or weather. He enjoys especially his work with harness horses and has a big practice at the Fairmont Track out- side of Collinsville. He finds surgery the most interesting phase of his profession, and also he is constantly studying the use of new drugs and new techniques, as well as working in i he general interest. He is a member of the Greater St. Louis Veterinary Medicine Associ- ation and the Illinois State Veterinary Medi- cine Association. He is nationally accredited, having taken a Federal examination.
Dr. Horstman, a leader in his field, helped organize the Southern Illinois Veterinary Medicine Association and was its first presi-
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dent. In 1949 he served his second con- secutive term in that office. He is also a member of the American Veterinary Associa- tion, the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club of Collinsville, in which he has served as vice president, and is a sponsor of 4-H Club work, in which he was active in his younger days. He worships in the Presby- terian Church.
Dr. Horstman married Eugenia Salel, daughter of Charles and Mary Salel of Collins- ville, on June 6, 1936. Mrs. Horstman, a graduate of the University of Illinois, taught school for ten years. She is president of the Women's Auxiliary of the Illinois State Vet- erinary Medicine Association. Thus she shares in her husband's great contribution to his profession.
VICTOR CULLIN
Victor Cullin is not only a leading figure in the banking world but he is one of those who is making that world a better place for those engaged in the business and for those who are their customers — which means every- body. He is vice-president of the Chicago Ti- tle and Trust Company, a specialist in public relations and a leader in numerous commer- cial, educational, religious and welfare pro- grams.
He was born oh May 14, 1896, at Taylor- ville, the son of William Thomas and Leonora Bess Cullin, the former a native of Wheeling, West Virginia, the latter of Rosemond, Illi- nois. Victor Cullin, after attending the Tay- lorville Township High School, went to and in 1920 was graduated from the University of Illinois School of Commerce. Prominent at the University, which awarded him the Bachelor of Science degree, he was business manager of the Illinois Union, 1918-19; chairman, Sen- ior Memorial Committee; and member of Chi Phi and Alpha Kappa Psi. In 1918, as the first World War neared its end, he was com- missioned a Second Lieutenant, Field Artil- lery, at the Officers' Training School, Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky. From 1921 to 1923 Mr. Cullin was with the Federal Reserve Bank at St. Louis. From 1923 to 1928 he was with Halsey-Stuart and Company, Chicago, and from 1928 to 1943 with the Mississippi Valley Trust Company, St. Louis. Since 1943 he has been vice-president of the Chicago Title and Trust Company.
On April 19, 1924, in Centralia, Mr. Cullin married Rowena Agnes Kohl, daughter of Fer- dinand and Cora (Row) Kohl of that city. Also the holder of a Bachelor's degree from
the university, Mrs. Cullin is a member of the Women's Club of Winnetka, where she and Mr. Cullin and their family make their home; the Winnetka Women's Guild of Christ Church; Kappa Gamma, Mortar Board, and is a former president of Hill Road Circle. Mr. and Mrs. Cullin have a daughter, Jean Kathryn, born October 6, 1929, and educated at North Shore Country Day School, Winnet- ka, Frances Shimer College, Mt. Carroll, and Holton Arms Junior College, Washington, D. C. She married Charles Mertz III, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, class of 1948, who now holds the rank of ensign in the Navy. The Cullin family worships in Christ Church (Episcopal), Winnetka.
Mr. Cullin, prominent as a speaker and writer in the banking industry, is affiliated with many organizations, holding high office in nearly a dozen. He is a director and pres- ently president of the Chicago Life Insurance and Trust Council; member, Illinois Commit- tee, Public Affairs Reception Committee and Committee on Committee Personnel, Chicago Association of Commerce and Industry; sen- ior advisory counsel, Financial Public Rela- tions Association. He is past president of the last named and also of the General Alumni Association of the University of Illinois. He is a member and former director of the University of Illinois Foundation and former director of the Metropolitan Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation of St. Louis; past genei"al chairman of both the Y.M.C.A. and U.S.O. fund-raising cam- paigns in St. Louis; past member of the board of governors of the Missouri Athletic Club of St. Louis; and former member of the Univer- sity Club of St. Louis. Also, he is affiliated with the Illinois Bankers Association, the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, and the United States Chamber of Commerce. Among his other organizations are Mound Lodge, No. 122, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Tay- lorville; Chicago Consistory, Ancient and Ac- cepted Scottish Rite; Medinah Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; Winnetka Post, No. 10, American Legion; Chi- cago Athletic Club and Executives Club. The leadership he is giving to many movements inside and outside banking has made him a national figure.
JOHN H. SCHMALE
Known throughout Illinois for his leader- ship in the savings and loan field, and in the related insurance and real estate and gen- eral banking businesses, John H. Schmale of Belleville has won a position of eminence
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among his fellow citizens in Saint Clair Coun- ty. Mr. Schmale is the organizer and presi- dent of the Greater Belleville Savings and Loan Association and is former vice-president of the Belleville National Bank. He is an im- portant figure in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago and in Savings and Loan League activities. Another sphere in which he gives leadership is the Lutheran Church.
Mr. Schmale was born in Belleville in 1896, the son of John H. and Mary Louise (Glueck) Schmale. His father, also a native of Belle- ville, was a grocer there for thirty years. He and the mother were married in 1894. She was the daughter of William Glueck, a Ger- man steelworker. The present John H. Schmale went through grammar school and a Belleville commercial college and studied law at home. In 1911 he entered the employ of the Wolleson Wolf Abstract Company, and became a title examiner. It was Mr. Wolleson who encouraged him to start the Greater Belleville Savings and Loan Association, and this he did in 1919. In the first twenty-three years Mr. Schmale was secretary-manager of the organization. His first annual salary was $200. In 1942 he became president, retaining the title of manager. Through the years he has been active in banking, real estate, in- surance and civic affairs.
In 1917 Mr. Schmale married Marie Lorenz, also a native of Saint Clair County. They have one son, John W. H. Schmale, who is manager of the Schmale Realty Company and the Schmale Insurance Company. The son, who was educated at the University of Illi- nois, was also president of the Belleville Real Estate Board and active in the Belleville Chamber of Commerce. In 1917, too, Mr. Schmale, Sr., went off to war. He served in United States Army Intelligence, mapping enemy machine gun positions.
Mr. Schmale's family worships in the Luth- eran Church of Belleville, in which he is an outstanding communicant. He is chairman of the building committee, which in 1950 was completing plans for a group of buildings to include the church edifice, a parish hall and a parochial school. Mr. Schmale is president of the Belleville Savings Loan League. He formerly served on the executive board of the Illinois Savings and Loan League and is ac- tive also in the United States Savings and Loan League and the National Savings Loan League. His association became a member of the Federal Savings and Loan Corporation in 1935 and he is a charter member and former director of the Home Loan Bank of Chicago.
He was chairman of the bank's review com- mittee, and he was the first G.I. appraiser in Belleville. He is the only living charter mem- ber of the Belleville Real Estate Board, which he served years ago as president, the posi- tion recently occupied by his son. He is also past president of the Belleville Credit Bureau and served for years as vice-president of the Belleville National Bank. He was active in the Optimist Club, of which he is former pres- ident, and in the Belleville Chamber of Com- merce. He is also a member of the Belle- ville Insurance Agents Association.
Mr. Schmale attributes the fact that the Greater Belleville Savings and Loan Associa- tion is the largest insured organization of its type in Saint Clair County to the aggressive advertising he developed. During the "bank holiday" of 1933, the firm remained open, obtaining funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago. In the depression period Mr. Schmale aided his clients by obtaining funds for them so that they would not lose their homes. He has reaped the rewards of this activity, in popularity and in financial success.
GEORGE WILLIAM PEERS
Born on a farm near Baraboo, Wisconsin, on November 29, 18 79, the late George Wil- liam Peers gave the final thirty years of his life to the undertaking profession and to the development of Central Illinois. His estab- lishment, located in Mattoon, was known in his lifetime as Peers Funeral Chapel, but since 194 2, the year of his death, it has been called Peers Memorial Chapel — and it is a memorial in every sense of the word to a man who left the impress of his leadership and personality on every phase of life in that region.
Mr. Peers' parents were Reuben H. and Ada (Wilcox) Peers. His father, a farmer born October 15, 1850, in Hudson Township, Walworth County, Wisconsin, was the son of William Peers, a native of Surrey, England. Reuben Peers farmed in the Dakotas, Wis- consin and Tennessee before settling in Mat- toon, where he entered the Livery business. He retired in March, 1917, and died in May, 192 4. George Peers' mother, born in St. Louis County, New York, on January 7, 1857, died in Mattoon on November 1, 192 3.
George Peers was given his academic edu- cation in the Baraboo schools. He was grad- uated from the Barnes School just as it was be- ing consolidated with the Worsham School of Mortuary Science and Funeral Directing of
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Chicago in March, 1912. He helped on his father's farms and in the livery business until he went into the undertaking profession. He served apprenticeships with the late E. P. Thomas in Mattoon and with the M. J. Walz Funeral Home in Danville. On September 1, 1912, he opened Peers Funeral Chapel, now the Peers Memorial Chapel, and in a short time was a leading figure in the region.
On July 17, 1912, at Baraboo, Mr. Peers married Leora Adrian, daughter of Mordicai Melville and Mary (Hughart) Adrian. Mrs. Peers, a graduate of the Worsham School of Mortuary Science and the Burnham School of Hair Dressing, the only licensed woman em- balmer and funeral director in Coles County, was actively engaged with him in the funeral profession. She carries on the business today, with the assistance of Ray H. Shadwick, Mr. Peers' nephew, also a graduate of the Wor- sham School and a licensed embalmer and funeral director. Mrs. Peers is famed for the artistry of her floral arrangements at funer- als. Mr. and Mrs. Peers had one son, George Adrian Peers, who was born March 29, 1917, and died March 31, 1917. They reared the nephew, Kay Shadwick, and a niece, the for- mer Eileen May Shadwick, now Mrs. Michael Middlesworth of Wichita Falls, Texas, and the mother of Michael Peers and Patrick Lamson Middlesworth. Ray Shadwick married Fern Giberson and they have one son, Larry Mac Peers Shadwick.
George Peers became so influential in Mat- toon that he was elected to 'numerous civic organization offices as well as to offices in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He sang in the choir at various times and was a deacon at the time of his death. He was a member of the Mattoon Country Club.
In th3 Masonic bodies he advanced from the Blue Lodge through the thirty-second de- gree to membership in Ansar Temple, Ancient Arabic Order nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and he was also a member of the Eastern Star and the D.O.K.K He had been the pre- siding officer in most of these Masonic bodies. He also held membership in the Elks, Moose, Odd Fellows, and Knights of Pythias lodges.
His philanthropy and kindness are part of the history of Mattoon, and the stories of the instances of his kindness are legion. After World "War I, he refused to charge for under- taking services to families whose sons or husbands were returned from overseas for internment. This was out of respect to his brother-in-law, Sergeant-Major John Willard
Adrian, who passed away at Camp Pike, Arkansas, on December 17, 1918.
Mr. Peers himself passed away on October 4, 1942, in the Methodist Memorial Hospital. On October 6, he was interred in Dodge Grove Cemetery. Mattoon remembers him as one of its great citizens — and his family continues his traditions.
JOHN WILLIAM CORRINGTON
One of the well known members of the in- vestment banking and stock and bond brok- erage business is John William Corrington, a general partner in the firm of Paine, Web- ber, Jackson and Curtis, with offices at 209 South LaSalle Street, Chicago. Mr. Corring- ton is known to investors and brokers in many other parts of the nation and is an ac- tive citizen of both Chicago and Evanston, where he makes his home.
Born at Alexander, Illinois, on September 3, 1898, Mr. Corrington is the son of Clifton and Pauline B. (Kaiser) Corrington. His fa- ther, also a native of Alexander and a farmer, was the son of John William Corrington, an early settler in Illinois who moved in from Kentucky with others from that state. The mother, a native of Alexander, was the daugh- ter of Joseph and Mary Kaiser. The invest- ment banker and broker was graduated from the Jacksonville High School in Morgan County and then went on to the University of Illinois, where he was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Science. He completed his edu- cation with postgraduate work at the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, where he took the degree of Master of Busi- ness Administration. He was elected to Sigma Phi Epsilon and Delta Sigma Pi Fraternities.
In 1924 Mr. Corrington entered the invest- ment banking business with Lee Higginson and Company, in Chicago. From 1930 to 1932 he was a broker associated with David A. Noyes and Company, also in Chicago, and in 1932 he entered the firm of Jackson and Cur- tis as a salesman. This firm later became Paine, Webber, Jackson and Curtis, the of- ficial date being 1942. In April, 1944, Mr. Corrington was admitted as a general partner of the firm, and he has continued as such since that time, constantly enlarging his ac- quaintanceship among investors and col- leagues and extending his reputation as in- vestment banker and broker.
Mr. Corrington returned to Morgan County to marry, on February 7, 192 3, Aileen B. Fitch, daughter of Maurice K. and Clara B. Fitch. The ceremony was performed at Jack-
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This Space Reserved for the Portrait of Gene Tumbleson
sonville. Mr. and Mrs. Corrington have be- come the parents of tvo sons — John William Corrington, Jr., and Richard F. Corrington. They make their home at 425 Grove Street, Evanston, and worship in the First Methodist Church of Evanston. Mr. Corrington is a member of the church's official, board and is chief usher. Mrs. Corrington is also active in the church and, in addition, in philanthropic projects in Evanston. The family is socially prominent in that community.
Mr. Corrington is a member of the Union League Club of Chicago, The Attic Club and the Knollwood Club. In politics he is a Re- publican. A World War I veteran, Mr. Cor- rington enlisted in the aviation section of the United States Signal Corps on October 17, 1917, and served in France from March, 1918, to March, 1919. He was honorably discharg- ed on March 19, 1919. Golf is his favorite amusement. His work in stimulating private investment and hence private enterprise is in the best American tradition, and hence has had much to do with his repuatation among the investing public.
GENE TUMBLESON
A flyer who served the United States in World War II as a civilian flight instructor for Army cadets and who later was a pilot for Transcontinental-Western Airlines, Gene Tumbleson is today one of the outstanding operators in the field of aviation in the State of Illinois. With a partner, M. D. Walston, Mr. Tumbleson operates four fixed base opera- tions in the mid-west. One in Springfield, 111., Alton, 111., East St. Louis, 111., and Kansas City, Mo. The Walston Aviation enterprises handle Cessna aircraft, new and used, and also service planes and provide flying in- struction. Mr. Tumbleson is known to avi- ators and airline developers across the nation.
He was born at Worden, Madison County, on May 9, 1914, and, after attending the grammar school there, went to high school at Wood River in the same county. For nine years after leaving high school Mr. Tumble- son was in the grocery business with his step- father. They operated three retail stores. Aviation has always interested Mr. Tumble- son. In 1937 he took flying lessons, and in the same year soloed. By 1940 he was able to become a flying instructor and charter pilot. It was then he became associated with Mr. Walston. Together, they operated an air- port at Granite City, Madison County. From 1941 to 1944 Mr. Tumbleson served as a
civilian flight instructor for the United States Army Air Forces at Cuero, Texas, and then for a year and one-half he was a pilot for Transcontinental-Western Airlines (T.W.A.). In 19 4 5 Mr. Tumbleson and Mr. Walston opened their airport at Alton. There and at Kansas City they are distributors for the entire Cessna aircraft line. In the years 1948- 1950, they were among the top four in sales of this make of aircraft, and had every pros- pect of continuing to do so. In 1947 the part- ners leased all the facilities at the new Capi- tal Airport in Springfield, where they are dealers for Cessna aircraft and have all the rights for the sorvicing of all aircraft at the field. They also carry on full-scale flight in- struction, arrange charter flights and engage in all other types of flying activities. Mean- time they continue to build their business at the Alton airport. Mr. Tumbleson himself has 11,000 flying hours to his credit, as of April, 1950.
On March 11, 1933, Mr. Tumbleson mar- ried Eileen Crouch, who was born in 1917. They have one son, Billy Jean Tumbleson, who was born in 1935. Mr. Tumbleson belongs to the Quiet Birdmen, the Airport Operators Association, the United States and the Spring- field Chamber of Commerce. Aviation men attribute to him a large share of the recent development of flying in the United States, especially among enthusiasts who are in avia- tion for personal pleasure and small business ventures.
ORLA VIVIAN LASHBROOK
Noted for the fine canvas goods in his products, Orla Vivian Lashbrook of Mount Vernon sells tents throughout the United States and awnings in all sections of Southern Illinois. His company, the Mount Vernon Tent and Awning Company, is one of the best known in its field in the nation. Mr. Lash- brook is also known for the high quality of the cattle he breeds as a hobby.
He was born on a farm near Charleston, Coles County, on August 2 6, 1884, the son of Jarrett and Lucy (Case) Lashbrook. His fa- ther, a native of Bowling Green, Kentucy, was a teamster and railroadman. The mother, born at Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was well educated and for some years taught at the Fowler School in Coles County, outside Charleston. Her father, the Reverend Pascal Case, also a native of North Carolina, was a Baptist minister who served" with the Con- federate forces in the War Between the States. He was taken prisoner and held at the Ander-
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sonville Prison. He was finally pardoned by President Abraham Lincoln, whom he knew personally. After the war the Reverend Mr. Case settled in Coles County, where he was pastor of a Baptist Church three miles east of Charleston.
Orla Vivian Lashbrook was educated in Charleston's public schools. While still at school he worked part time in Mike Miller's Furniture and Undertaking Store in the county seat. He continued, full time, when he left school. After ten years with Mr. Miller, he re- signed in 1911, when he went to Indianapolis and entered his present field as an employee of the Indianapolis Tent and Awning Company. After one year in Indiana, Mr. Lashbrook be- came an employee of the Danville Tent and Awning Company at Danville, Illinois. There he remained until in 1918 he established him- self in Mount Vernon, founding the Mount Vernon Tent and Awning Company. With the motto, "If its made of canvas, we make it," Mr. Lashbrook has built a nationwide busi- ness. He is a large rentor of tents, chairs, bleacher seats, and portable grandstands, serving county and state fairs throughout fourteen states. He serves the Indianapolis Speedway with 20,000 chairs for the annual race and the Chicago Air Fair 15,000 chairs as well as some of the largest horse and cat- tle shows in the United States. In his far- flung operations he uses a fleet of eight trail- ers and five small, trucks. General Motors Company thought enough of his fine equip- ment to have pictures taken of his fleet of trucks to be used in their national advertis- ing. He is currently producting some of the largest tents ever made in the United States. There is hardly a circus that does not use Lashbrook tents. To mention a few, they in- clude the John Robinson Shows, Hagenback- Wallace Shows and numerous carnivals and fairs. And wherever Mr. Lashbrook's tents or awnings are sold, Mr. Lashbrook's is a famil- iar name.
On October 2 6, 1922, in Mount Vernon, Mr. Lashbrook married Sybil Boston, who was born in Ironton, Missouri, on January 8, 1908, and is the daughter of Wood and Mattie (Flanigan) Boston. Mrs. Lashbrook's father, a native of Bowling Green, Kentucky, was a stove repair man. Mrs. Boston was also a native of that Kentucky community. Mrs. Lashbrook's parents took her to Mount Vernon in 1910. After attending that city's public schools, she worked for a time in the shoe factory there. She is a member of the Missouri Showwoman's Club of St. Louis. On
April. 13, 1924, at Ina, Illinois, a son, Wallace Ray Lashbrook, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Lashbrook. He attended Mount Vernon's schools, then the Missouri Military Academy at Mexico, Missouri. From 1943 to 1946 he was with the United States Army Air Forces. Since his return home, Wallace Lashbrook has been associated with his fa- ther in business and is now general manager of the company. He is a Shriner and a mem- ber of the Methodist Church. He married Evangeline Tamez of San Antonio in June,
1945, and is the father of Orla Ray, born in
1946, and Stella Christine, born in 1947. Orla V. Lashbrook, friend of such men as
William Jennings Bryan and Billy Sunday, worships in the Presbyterian Church. He is a member of the Elks, Moose, Odd Fellows and the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce — a popular and valuable citizen.
PETE GAERDNER, JR.
There have been two Pete Gaerdners, both prominent citizens of Saint Clair County. The present Pete Gaerdner, son of the first, is, like his late father, an outstanding mortician of Western Illinois. He operates the Pete Gaerdner Funeral Home in Belleville, sup- ports movements for welfare and education and the development of the city and county and encourages young men seeking to make their way in the world.
The present Pete Gaerdner was born in Belleville in 1910. His father, who was the founder of the Pete Gaerdner Funeral. Home, was born in the same city — seat of Saint Clair County — on December 16, 18 75, and died there on March 15, 1934. He was edu- cated in the public and parochial schools of the county seat and remained interested in education all his life. He was active in many civic groups and served on the St. Clair County Board of Supervisors for twenty-seven years; part of that period he was board chair- man. He was one of the county's staunche'st and outstanding Republicans. He married Jennie Stewart in Belleville in 1900. The daughter of a prospector, Mrs. Gaerdner was born in Cripple Creek, Colorado, in 18 8 0. She died in 1929, neariy five years before her husband.
Pete Gaerdner, their son, also was edu- cated in Belleville, completing his academic schooling at the Cathedral High School there. This he supplemented with a course in under- lain ing and embalming. Already well trained in mortuary work by the time his father died in 1934, Mr. Gaerdner was prepared for the
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VERNER WALLACE KURTH
responsibility of taking charge of the Fete Gaerdner Funeral Home, and he has demon- strated his ability to the entire community, for the institution has grown in prestige and in volume of business through the services he offers. R. P. Ackerman, the husband of one of Mr. Gaerdner's sisters, is associated with him in the operation of the home. Mr. Gaerd- ner is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the B. P. O. Elks. He is active in the Kiwanis Club of Belleville and the Illinois Funeral Directors Association. He is a communicant of St. Luke's (RC) Church.
Mr. Gaerdner married Leona Dittle, also a native of Belleville and well known in the community through her activities in many civic organizations.
Mr. Gaerdner stresses higher education as a means for achieving success and making one's greatest contribution, and believes that business has many rewards for those willing to put forth the required effort. He is prov- ing this every day, and has come to hold a position of great public confidence.
VERNER WALLACE KURTH
At 1104 North Main Street, Bloomington, stands an institution which through the ex- traordinary service it has rendered the com- munity has developed tremendous prestige and won great public confidence — the Flin- spach and Kurth Memorial Home. In this en- terprise Verner Wallace Kurth is a partner. Mr. Kurth, aside from the reputation he has built in the region as a funeral director, a reputation which has extended into other cor- ners of the state, is prominent in civic affairs.
Born at Bloomington on November 5, 1905, Mr. Kurth is the son of August R. and Anna (Reichardt) Kurth, both of whom were born in Germany. His father, a shoemaker, was for many years engaged in business in Bloom- ington, where he died in 1938, seven years after the mother. The funeral director ob- tained his academic education in Blooming- ton's elementary and high schools and his professional training at the Worsham College of Embalming in Chicago, from which he was graduated in 1930. For three years he worked in the advertising department of the Eureka-Williams Corporation of Blooming- ton. Since 1930 he has been associated with his father-in-law in the Flinspach and Kurth Memorial Home, and in January, 1946, he be- came a partner. This institution employs three persons in addition to the owners.
Mr. Kurth married Caroline Flinspach, a native of Bloomington, on May 12, 1925. Mrs.
Kurth's lather is Ferdinand H. Flinspach, also born in Bloomington. He organized what was originally the Flinspach Funeral Home in Bloomington. Mrs. Kurth's mother is the for- mer Marie Froelich, also a native of Bloom- ington. Mr. and Mrs. Kurth are the parents of two children — Verner Warren Kurth, who was born on April 5. 1933, and Christine Marie Kurth, who was born on January 30, 1938. The Kurth's home is at 20 Norbloom Avenue, Bloomington. Mr. Kurth worships in the First Baptist Church of Bloomington. His wife is a Lutheran.
Mr. Kurth has achieved such leadership in his professional activities as to have been elected vice president of the Illinois State Fu- neral Directors Association. He continues an influential figure in that association and is also active in the National Funeral Directors Association. He is a former president of the Bloomington Junior Chamber of Commerce and is at present active in the senior chamber. Also, he belongs to the Exchange Club of Bloomington, the Young Men's Club, the Lake Side Club and the Masonic fraternity. Wood- working is his hobby. The community accepts him as one of its leading figures.
HONORABLE PARK LIVINGSTON
For the work he has done in the develop- ment of -he University of Illinois and for the veterans who have been students there since the end of World War II, Park Livingston has won the highest praise from citizens, news- papers and other sources. A lawyer and busi- ness man with a "weakness" for helping oth- ers, Mr. Livingston holds many volunteer positions, among them the presidency of the university's board of trustees. In the business world, he is vice-president and general coun- sel of the Dean Milk Company of Chicago, and president of the board of trustees of Ameri- can Television, Inc.
Born in Phillip, South Dakota (in a "rude, sod-banked cabin on a treeless prairie," as one newspaper described it), on December 9, 1906, Mr. Livingston is the son of George H. and Grace Genevra (Sheehan) Livingston. His father, born at Midway, Wisconsin, June 11, 1872, died September 11, 1940. The moth- er, born at Black River Falls, Wisconsin, Oc- tober 14, 1878, died February 2, 1921. His mother had died when he was in the seventh grade, and when he went back to High School he had to make his own way. This he did by working as the school's janitor, each night sweeping rooms at ten cents a room, and pick- ing up odd jobs such as grocery clerk, auto
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washer, and pan scraper in a bakery. Park Liv- ingston took the Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Illinois in 1930. In 1938, he was awarded the degree of Juris Doctor at John Marshall Law School and in 1943 that of Master of Laws at John Marshall. He was elected to Theta Chi, Ma Wan Da and Sachem, and at the University was president of the senior class. By the time he took his bachelor's degree Mr. Livingston had made so impres- sive a record that he was one of twenty young men selected in 1930 by the National City Bank of New York for its training pro- gram. From 1930 to 1932 Mr. Livingston was assistant dean of men of the University of Illinois under the late Thomas Arkle Clark, and then under Dean Fred H. Turner. Since 1933 he has been vice-president and general counsel of the Dean Milk Company. Other positions he has held with this con- cern include those of sales and advertising manager.
On December 19, 1936, at LaGrange, Mr. Livingston married Elizabeth Murdock, daugh- ter of L. O. and Ruby V. Murdock. Mr. and Mrs. Livingston are the parents of four chil- dren— Barry, born in 1938; David Otis, born in 1941; Park Thomas, born in 1945, and Linda Elizabeth, born in 1947. The family re- sides at 202 South Kensington Avenue, La Grange, while Mr. Livingston's office is at 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago. The family worships in the Episcopal Church.
Mr. Livingston, whose fame has taken his name into "Who's Who in America" and "World Biography," has interested himself in education since his own school days, and he is today one of the big proponents of advanced education and educational opportunities. He is president of the board of trustees of John Marshall Law School and in 1940 was first elected to the board of the University of Il- linois. When he was re-elected in 1946, with tremendous support, it was on the Republican ticket. He was the only Republican to carry the City of Chicago on the State Ticket since 1928. In supporting him for re-election, the Chicago Herald-American summed it up, "Mr. Livingston already has a degree, his B.A., which he obtained from the school years back. Perhaps the state should give him another, an M.A. — Master of Achievement." He is a member of the Economic, Legal and Electric Clubs of Chicago. For his contribution to ed- ucation and to the welfare of veterans and others, Park Livingston will take his place among the immortal figures in Illinois his- tory.
TRUMAN JAMES POCKLINGTON
Pocklington is a name renowned in Macou- pin County and in Western Illinois, and has been associated for decades with the growth of agriculture in the county. Truman James Pocklington, in association with his father-in- law, Alfred G. Schoeneman, operates a dairy business which has become one of the largest in the region, and is a leading figure in rural life.
Born on the Pocklington family farm in Macoupin County, east of Carlinville, the county seat, Truman J. Pocklington is the son of the late Frank W. and Emma Pocklington. His birth occurred on October 28, 1911, and he obtained his education in the public schools cf his native county. He was first as- sociated with his father and six brothers in the hybrid seed corn business in the Town of Nilwood, Macoupin County. But in 1940 he entered the dairy business with Mr. Schoene- man. In 1950, he and his father-in-law had 240 acres of land, with 30 cows and 10 young calves, and were producing 120 gallons of milk daily.
On June 22, 1940, Truman J. Pocklington married Allene Schoeneman, who was born in Macoupin County on October 26, 1911. Her parents, Alfred G. and Hallie (Baxter) Schoeneman, are leading figures in the coun- ty. Mr. and Mrs. Pocklington have three adopted children: Roy, born in 1938; Ruth, born in 1940; and Wilma, born in 1942. Mr. Pocklington, active in all important rural pro- jects, is popular among the farmers of his native county.
FRANCIS MARION HEWITT, JR.
The Hewitt Drug Store in Carbondale is one of the institutions of that university town which dates back to the last century and is a center of activity for students and those far beyond school age. Founded by the father of Francis Marion Hewitt, Jr., who is well known among pharmacists throughout the State of Illinois, the drug store is now wholly owned by the son.
Francis Marion Hewitt, Jr., was born in Carbondale on July 28, 1908. Both his father and his mother, Winifred (Harker) Hewitt, were also natives of Illinois. The father, a registered pharmacist who established a drug store in Carbondale in 1898, became one of Il- linois' outstanding figures. He was a graduate of the old Northwestern School of Pharmacy which was taken over by the University of Illinois. In the term 1916-1918 he was a State
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FRANCIS MARION HEWITT, JR.
Senator and also served on the governing- board for the five Illinois normal colleges. He was a City Commissioner of Carbondale and City Treasurer and was vice-president and a director of the Carbondale National Bank and a director of the Carbondale Build- ing and Loan Association. He served as presi- dent of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce and was active in the Lions Club, the Elks and Masonic lodges.
The younger Mr. Hewitt was graduated from the Carbondale High School in 1926 and then spent one year at Southern Illinois Uni- versity in Carbondale and three years at the University of Illinois, where he took his pre- professional degree. In 1933 he won his de- gree in pharmacy at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. He was co-editor of the college's yearbook, Mortar and Pestle. Upon his grad- uation, he returned to Carbondale as mana- ger of his father's drug store and the two operated it, with the aid of two employees, until the elder Mr. Hewitt's death on May 1, 1947. In 1936 father and son had remodeled the store, but in October, 1947, it was com- pletely redone, so that today it is modern in every respect. Ten persons are now em- ployed in it, and it serves the people living within a radius of twelve miles of Cai'bondale. Mr. Hewitt has been the sole owner of the business since his father's death.
On August 9, 1933, Mr. Hewitt married Frances Hill, the daughter of Samuel G. and Ethel Hill of Carbondale. Mrs. Hewitt is a graduate of the University of Illinois and is active in Pi Beta Phi Sorority, church work and is secretary-treasurer of the Teen Town Youth Club, an organization for young peo- ple. Mr. and Mrs. Hewitt have two children — Anne, born May 18, 1934, and Francis Ma- rion, III, born September 28, 1937.
Mr. Hewitt, a registered pharmacist in Illi- nois, is on the legislative committee of the Illinois Pharmacy Association and serves as district representative of the organization in the 25th Illinois District. He is a second vice- president of the Illinois Rexall Association and also belongs to the International Associa- tion of Rexall Clubs, as well as to the Carbon- dale Chamber of Commerce, of which he is past president; the Elks Lodge, in which he has been through all the chairs; the Lions Club and the First Methodist Church of Car- bondale, in which he is a steward. He is a director of the Carbondale National Bank and is Commander of Donald Forsythe Post, No. 514, American Legion, and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is chairman
of the Executive Committee, Official Board of Holden Hospital, serving in this capacity since 1948. In World War II Mr. Hewitt served in the Navy from March 10, 1943, to December 10, 1945. He was a gunnery offi- cer who saw action in the Atlantic and Pa- cific. He went in a Lieutenant Junior Grade and came out a Lieutenant Senior Grade. Like his father he is giving extraordinary service to the people of his community.
FREDERICK MUELLER
The Mueller name has been known in the wholesale liquor business in Illinois since 1870, and three members of the family are still active in that field, as well as in the wholesale candy business — Frederick Mueller, known to friends, family, customers and ac- quaintances as merely "Fred" Mueller, his sister, Eda Mueller, and his son, Grant F. Mueller. All the Muellers are not only prom- inent in the liquor and candy worlds, but in civic activities. Frederick Mueller has won a reputation not only in Springfield, the head- quarters of his businesses and his home, but also in Decatur, Bloomington and Mattoon, where the Mueller enterprises maintain branch firms.
Fred Mueller was born in Springfield in 1890, the son of Gerhardt A. and Regina (Huber) Mueller. His father, born in Ger- many in 1849, came to the United States in 1867. The mother was born in Osage, Missou- ri. Gerhardt Mueller worked as a bookkeeper until he and his brother founded the Mueller business in 1870. The business was called H. E. Mueller and Brother, Gerhardt Mueller being the "Brother" in the firm name. The establishment burned down a few years after it was opened, and the brothers' partnership was dissolved. In 1879, Gerhardt Mueller re- turned to the wholesale liquor business on his own. He operated his firm until National Pro- hibition was adopted in 1919, and then he retired. His oldest son, George, and his daughter, Eda, took over the business and changed the firm name to George A. Mueller and Company. They engaged exclusively in the wholesale candy business until in 1933, with repeal of Prohibition, they added a wholesale liquor department. At that time Fred Mueller entered the business, taking charge of the liquor end of the operations. In 1936 George Mueller died, and Fred and Eda Mueller bought the entire business. They have since added the three branches. The Springfield establishment and home office is at 511 E. Jefferson Street. The branches
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are in Decatur, opened in 1936 and known as George A. Mueller Co., Inc. ; in Bloomington, opened in 1939 and known as Mueller Dis- tributing Company; and in Mattoon, opened in 1946 and known as Mueller Disti'ibuting Company. All four units of the business cover about one-third of the State of Illinois, or thirty-two counties. Fifteen trucks are op- erated and seventy-eight persons employed.
Eda Mueller, who has done so much to build the enterprises into their present great size and prosperous condition, was born in Springfield in 1886 and was graduated from the Springfield High School. She joined her father in business in 1918. She is a former Secretary of the Illinois Wholesale Confec- tioners Association and is one of the out- standing women citizens of Springfield and Sangamon County and, is known throughout downstate Illinois.
Fred Mueller married Margery Scales, a native of Iowa and a graduate of Cornell University at Ithaca, New York, in 1919. The son who is now associated with his father in business, Grant F. Mueller, is also a graduate of Cornell University. He served four years in the U. S. Naval Air Forces, two and one half years of which was in the Pacific Theatre of War. Among other medals and decorations he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He married Nell Hawkins of Hamilton, Illinois. Grant Mueller, the older of two chil- dren, is well known in Springfield civic life. Fred Mueller's other child is Regina Mueller, another Cornell graduate who in 1950 was working toward a Master's degree in Social Science.
Fred Mueller spent thirteen months in the armed forces in World War I. He has been active in every worthwhile program offered for the public good in Springfield. He likes golf and people, and is known for his interest in participating in all efforts to develop the city, county and state.
LYLE VINSON DEWITT, A.I.A.
The name of Lyle Vinson DeWitt, Archi- tect, has come to be associated with every type of construction — educational, religious, commercial, industrial and residential — in Downstate Illinois. Mr. DeWitt is well known among fellow architects in the central part of the state and in civic and welfare activi- ties.
Born in Green City, Missouri, on June 28, 1915, Mr. DeWitt is the son of Shirley P. and Mary Elizabeth (Caldwell) DeWitt, both also natives of Missouri. His father, born at Milan,
is a farmer. The mother is the daughter of John and Catherine Ann Caldwell. Lyle De- Witt spent three yearsi at the Community High School, Green City, being graduated in 1931. In June, 1936, he was graduated from the University of Illinois, where he had studied five years, with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Architecture. The following year he was granted the degree of Master of Sci- ence in Architecture.
From August, 1934, to August, 1937, Mr. DeWitt served successively as draftsman, en- gineer and field superintendent (part time only in the schooling period) for Berger and Kelley of Champaign. From June, 1937, to February, 1938, he was engineer draftsman with Swift and Company in Chicago. Then he returned lo Berger and Kelley in Champaign, working as architectural engineer from Feb- ruary, 1938, to August, 1938. From the lat- ter time to March, 1943, he was with Allen and Kelley-V. Jobst and Sons, Decatur, and during part of this period he was assistant chief engineer at the Victory Ordnance Plant in that city. From March, 1943, to November, 1945, Mr. DeWitt served as project engineer for the A. E. Staley Manufacturing Com- pany, also in Decatur. Then, in November, 1945, he established his own practice as ar- chitect. At first he occupied a small office and employed only one engineer and a secre- tary. Since then he has built his own office building at 263 South Park Street, Decatur. He moved into this structure in December, 1949, and now employs there ten men (archi- tects, engineers and draftsmen) and a secre- tary and receptionist. His work consists of designing schools, churches, residences, in- dustrial and commercial buildings and all other types of structures.
Mr. DeWitt married Kathryn E. Johnson, the daughter of Frank and Norma Johnson, in Trenton, Missouri, on May 4. 1940. Mrs. DeWitt, who is active in Decatur's civic and social life, is former secretary of the Girls' Welfare Home board of directors. The DeWitts reside at 1420 West Riverside Avenue, De- catur.
Mr. DeWitt, a Methodist, is active aiso in the community affairs of Decatur. He is a director of the Association of Commerce and a member of the advisory board of the Sal- vation Army. Influential in the Central Illi- nois Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, he serves that body as a director also. In addition, he is a director of the Trail Riders Association of Decatur and secretary- treasurer and a director of the Decatur Rid-
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
EDA MUELLER
CHARLES THOMAS HOUGHTEN
ing Club. He is independent in politics. The riding and training of horses is his favorite avocational activity. Mr. DeWitt's associates and friends describe him as a man of "won- derful personality, pleasant, even tempered, very likeable and very capable," and his repu- tation in the world at large more than bears out this estimate.
CHARLES THOMAS HOUGHTEN
If the Southern Illinois cities of Carbon- dale and Metropolis were known for nothing else, they would be known for the manufac- ture of gloves — and Charles Thomas Hough- ten would be the man who made them thus famed. For Mr. Houghten, who makes cot- ton work gloves at Carbondale and leather- reinforced work gloves at Metropolis, employs nearly seven hundred persons in the two com- munities and has a national sale of his prod- ucts bearing the Carbondale and Metropolis mark upon them. He is president and treas- urer of the Good Luck Glove Company and makes his headquarters in Carbondale. He is also known for his civic work and his ac- tivities on behalf of health and welfare, and religion.
Born at Redford, Michigan, on November 3, 1874, Mr. Houghten is the son of Thomas Charles Houghten, also a native of the Wol- verine State who was mainly a farmer but in later life organized and operated a small town bank, and Eliza (Besancon) Houghten, a native of France. The glove manufacturer learned his three "R's" in a rural school in Michigan and worked on the farm with his father until he was twenty-six years old. Farm work was not to his liking, but he remained on the farm because his father needed his help. When he left home, finally, Mr. Hough- ten had sixty-five dollars, his total savings. He went to Detroit, and there found a job with a creamery paying eight dollars a week. Later he worked in a wholesale hardware house and other concerns. When he quit working for others at the age of thirty-four he was making seventy-five dollars a month. Convinced he wasn't "cut out" for a career in retail store work, and owning $1,800 he had saved, he decided to look around for a business he could enjoy. This was decided for him when he saw an advertisement read- ing "Get Rich Quick in the Glove Business." Interested, he rode over to nearby Toledo, Ohio, and there went through a glove factory — unauthorized — to see what kind of machin- ery was needed. Mechanically inclined to be- gin with, and full of knowledge, gained in the
wholesale hardware business, of machinery sources and merchandising methods, he was able to get the equipment he needed at low prices.
With four machines he purchased at the time, Mr. Houghten began his glove-making career in Detroit in 1909. Only five girls worked for him. They cut their own gloves by hand — out of canvas. Then Mr. Houghten himself peddled them to retail stores, making deliveries by street car. When he left Detroit in 1916, Mr. Houghten was employing thirty persons. He then opened up a plant at Me- tropolis, where at first he employed one hun- dred persons and now employs 450, making leather-reinforced work gloves. In 1929 he established his Carbondale plant, where 225 men and women produce cotton work gloves for him. In 1931 Mr. Houghten consolidated his business with the Good Luck Glove Com- pany, Marissa, Illinois, of which he is now president and treasurer. His products are sold by commission men to distributors throughout the United States. He is one of the best known individuals in his field.
Mr. Houghten is a member of the Illinois Manufacturers Association, the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, the Associated Em- ployers of Illinois, the Conference of Small Business Organizations and the Carbondale Business Men's Association. In his voluntary activities, he is on the board of the Holden Hospital of Caibondale, as well as on the official board of the First Methodist Church of Carbondale. He is a Mason and Shriner, and an Elk. His contribution to business prog- ress and to the general welfare has been of extraordinary character.
HAROLD WILLIAM GROB
Much of the industrial and other develop- ment at Murphysboro is attributed by his fellow citizens to Harold William Grob. A civic leader for years, Mr. Grob is a dealer in Chevrolet and Buick automobiles, in J. I. Case farm machinery and is an insurance man. Among the companies in which he is interested are the Harold W. Grob Motor Sales, Inc., the Reliance Sales, Inc., and Grob Agency, Inc., a corporation for insuring and financing of cars and trucks. This corporation also is a Hertz Licensee handling the renting and leasing of cars and trucks. He has held numerous important offices in civic, educa- tional, religious and other organizations, anil is especially well known among Baptists of Illinois.
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EDITION
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Born in Evansville on September 12, 1908, Mr. Grob is the son of Henry and Charlotte (Schmellmyer) Grob. Both his father, who was in the transfer business, and his mother were also born in Illinois. Harold Grob was educated in the elementary and high schools of Murphysboro. At the age of fourteen he went to work in a Murphysboro grocery store. Later, he was employed in highway construction in Missouri. But finally he re- turned to Murphysboro and joined his father in the operation of Nehi bottling plant. The elder Mr. Grob sold the business, but the son continued to work under the new owner. Subsequently, however, he resigned and en- tered the employ of the Dr. Pepper bottling works, doing sales and service work.
In 1933 Mr. Grob obtained the Chevrolet franchise and became president of the Wright Motor Sales, Inc., the name of which he changed to Reliance Chevrolet Sales, Inc., of which he was also president. This latter corporation was dissolved in 19 40, but Mr. Grob continued as sole owner of the business until 1947. He then reincorporated as the Harold W. Grob Motor Sales, Inc., and has since been president and general manager. In 1934 he had added the Buick franchise, and today he handles both this and the Chevrolet automobile. In 19 33, when he began, Mr. Grob employed eight persons. Today he em- ploys thirty-seven. He has a completely mod- ern show room, offices and full shop facilities. In 194 7, a peak year, he had a payroll of $88,000. He is also president of Reliance Sales, Inc., the dealership for J. I. Case farm machinery. His insurance agency is a separ- ate business.
On September 16, 1928, in Murphysboro, Mr. Grob married Vivian L. Tuthill, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tuthill of that city. They are the parents of three sons —Harold Eugene, born May 11, 19 30; Henry Charles, born March 2 0, 1932, and Robert Allen, born December 2 7, 19 43. The family worships in the First Baptist Church of Murphysboro. Mr. Grob is president of the church's Agoga Class and former superin- tendent of its Sunday School, for the years 1943-44-45. He is also a member of the Illi- nois Baptist State Convention. He serves on the executive committee of the board of direc- tors of Shurtleff College at Alton. Is a former president, now serving on the board, of the Murphysboro Chamber of Commerce. As president of the chamber he traveled 30,000 miles, with the result that he brought three new industries to the community and also
promoted its products throughout the nation. In World War II Mr. Grob was chairman of the OPA price panel and director of the Of- fice of Defense Transportation for Murphys- boro. He has also been active in the Red Cross and Community Chest campaigns and in 1947, as Chest chairman, made 110 percent of quota. He is also active in Masonic bodies, including the Shrine; in the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Elks Club and White Shrine of Jerusalem, and the Jackson Country Club. Member of the Board of Directors and Secre- tary-Treasurer of Lake Benton Northern Bap- tist Camp, a summer camp for Baptist Youth. Active in the promotion of the camp and donor of the 41 acres and a building for the camp site. Also, he is working for the further develop- ment of the entire region through his active membership in Southern Illinois, Inc. Growth has been greatly accelerated in the area through Mr. Grob's leadership.
GEORGE WALLACE CARR, A.I.A.
Architecture, a field in which he has spent nearly six decades, has been the channel through which George Wallace Carr has made a valuable contribution to progress and the general welfare. He has served the public by artistic design and practical supervision in public and private housing and in all other fields of construction. He was a member of the architectural firm of Nimmons, Carr and Wright, 333 North Michigan Avenue, and now senior partner in present firm, Carr & Wright, in Chicago.
Mr. Carr was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on March 19, 1879, the son of Henry Moore and Sarah (Burke) Carr. For his early education he was sent to both public and private schools in his native city. In 1899-1900 he was a special student in architecture at the Art Institute of Chicago and in 1903-1904 he studied architecture abroad. In 1893 Mr. Carr went to work as a draftsman in the office of Crane and Barkhausen, Architects, in Mil-' waukee, where he remained until 189 9. From 1901 to 1913 he was in the office of Pond and Pond CIrcago architectural firm, and in 1913 he became associated with what is his present firm. His first position in this orga- nization was a chief of staff in the office of George C. Nimmons. After four years he be- came a member of the firm of George C. Nimmons and Company. In 1927, the firm be- came Nimmons, Carr and Wright, later Carr & Wright. Mr. Carr has been in the public service in both Chicago and Highland Park (he makes bis home at 614 Woodpath Avenue
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HAROLD WILLIAM GROB
HON. VIRGIL TRAMMELI. BAILEY
in the latter community). In Chicago, he has served as chairman of the planning commit- tee for South Park Gardens, a Federal hous- ing project. In Highland Park, he served on the Building Code Committee and Zoning Board and as chairman of Buildings and Grounds, School District 108.
Mr. Carr married Helen Demarest Taylor on May 3, 1905. She died on November 26, 1940. To this marriage two children were born — Janet Carr and Wallace T. Carr. Mr. Carr married (second) Caryl Cody Pfanstiehl on March 18, 1943.
Mr. Carr is a member of the American Institute of \rchitects, the Cliff Dwellers and the Sunset Valley Golf Club. In his long career he has done much to forward accept- ance of utilitarian designs which have also adhered to the highest artistic standards.
HON. VIRGIL TRAMMELL BAILEY
Born in Hamilton County and a resident of Mount Vernon, seat of Jefferson County, since childhood, Virgil Trammell Bailey has render- ed signal service to Southern Illinois and the entire "Egyptian" region through activities in public affairs, the automobile, electrical appliance and real estate business and radio and television broadcasting. He was one of the founders of Radio Station WMIX, the first FM broadcasting station in Illinois. He has given leadership to religious and health and welfare programs, to the Republican Party and other organizations in the county.
Mr. Bailey was born in Dahlgren on May 29, 1906, the son of Edward S. and Flora (Crisel) Bailey. His father, a native of Ohio, was for many years in the real estate busi- ness in Mount Vernon. He died in 1947. The mother was born in Hamilton County, the daughter of Edward and Alice (Hullit) Crisel. The Baileys came to America from England. For years Edward Bailey lived in Hamilton County. When his son Virgil, was a child he moved the family to Mount Vernon (about 1910) and it was there that the future lead- ing citizen was educated. In high school he played basketball and was in the debating club and in the Glee Club. For a time he at- tended Mount Vernon Business College and then completed an engineering course with the International Correspondence Schools. His first employment was with the Illinois Central Railroad at East Saint Louis. In his two years there, Mr. Bailey helped construct the railroad yards with their automatic scales, automatic retarders and floodlight towers, all initiated by the IC. When this engineering
project was completed, Mr. Bailey returned to Mount Vernon, and since 192 5 has been in the real estate business. Later, he organized an electrical appliance center, in which he has since done both a wholesale and retail busi- ness. Still later, he acquired the Packard and Hudson automobile franchises. He is presi- dent of the Virgil T. Bailey Motors, Inc., Virgil T. Bailey Electrical Appliances, Inc., and Virgil. T. Bailey, Inc., Real Estate. Also, in the broadcasting field, he is secretary-treas- urer of the Mount Vernon Radio- and Tele- vision Company, and Loan Correspondent of the Prudential Insurance Co.
Mr. Bailey married Thelma Arline Black- ledge in the Presbyterian Church Manse, Mount Vernon, on December 31, 1935. Mrs. Bailey, born in Jefferson County and educated in Mount Vernon, Decatur and St. Louis, is the daughter of William O. Blackledge, an iron molder of Hamilton County, and Ollie G. (Bumpes) Blackledge of Jefferson County. Her grandfather was Theodore Blackledge, a hosteler and Justice of the Peace in Hamil- ton County who fought in the Civil War. Mr. and Mrs Bailey had one son, John David, who died in infancy. They adopted four chil- dren— Beverly Jean, born in 1936; Judith Ann, born in 1940, Jarvis Paul, born in 1942, and Daniel Golf Bailey, born in 1943. Mrs. Bailey is a fervent church worker.
With the motto, "One percent of success is intelligence, ninety-nine percent is work," Virgil T. Bailey has made a renowned figure of himself. He was president of the New Jef- ferson Memorial Hospital at the time it opened and, as a member of the board of trus- tees of the Presbyterian Church, was largely responsible for the magnificent new $300- 000.00 church edifice by purchasing the old church property, making a substantial per- sonal contribution to the new building fund and purchasing 75% of their bonded indebted- ness. He was on the advisory board of the Good Samaritan Hospital and has served as a Republican committeeman and as Alderman from the Third Ward of Mount Vernon. He has been a member of the Mt. Vernon Lions Club for 13 years, also member of the Mt. Vernon Chamber of Commerce. He has given extra- ordinary service in Southern Illinois and in consequence is a popular citizen.
REV. JAMES MARION LIVELY, M.A., B.D., D.D.
When in 1943, as a Mother's Day Memorial, the Reverend James Marion Lively, M.A., B.D. (Chicago), published a little pamphlet
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entitled "Meet My Mother" — the story of his mother and his own life — the writing was immediately acclaimed for its tender and rev- erend quality and for its understanding of the great debt mankind owes to its womankind, who, as Dr. Lively might himself say, "leads us all to the throne of God in prayer." Pastor of the Mattoon Baptist Church in Mattoon, Coles County, Dr. Lively led in the develop- ment of that great institution and the erec- tion of a new church edifice, with full time pastorate, and has for years been an outstand- ing figure in the Illinois Baptist Pastors' Union and the Illinois Baptist State Conven- tion. He is also outstanding in the lay com- munity and its organizations and in World Wars I and II was active in Red Cross work.
The Reverend Dr. Lively was born near Louisville, Clay County, on October 31, 1882, the son of Elder William Benton Lively and Mary Ann (Faverty) Lively. His father, born in Jasper County, Missouri, en July 9, 1840, became a "boy preacher" in Eastern Ohio, and in his later life was both preacher and farmer. He was the father of sixteen chil- dren, among whom the Mattoon minister was born ninth. He recruited Company D, 117th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was wounded at Kenesaw Mountain. After the war, he moved to Southern Illinois. Space does not permit, a full account of Dr. Lively's writings of his mother, but he does say of her, "Family tra- dition has it that Mother's grandfather came from France to America with General. La- fayette. After the Revolution, he settled in Pennsylvania and reared a family. Mother's father came to Southeastern Ohio, Sciota County, where his children were born and reared — Mother being the youngest." She was born on January 13, 1847, married Wil- liam Benton Lively when she was fifteen, be- came the mother of ten children and died on November 6, 188 6, at the age of forty. She was the first convert of Elder Lively's minis- try. Without repeating every one of Dr. Lively's words in "Meet My Mother", it is im- possible to project the great spiritual quality :-nd other traits of this wonderful woman, for the minister has imbued his words with the passion of his conviction and tied them togeth- er in the bond of God.
The future Baptist leader received some of his education at Blue Mound and Illinois State Normal. College at Normal. Then he taught in a rural school for two years. A year at Shurtleff College Academy followd and then a year at James Millikin University Academy. After four years at the university
itself, he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Then he spent three years at the Uni- versity of Chicago, where he was awarded the degrees of Master of Arts and Bachelor of Divinity. Later, the James Millikin University conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. At Millikin, he was one of the twelve founders of Beta Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. Also, he won a number of gold medals for debating and oratory. Besides teaching school, Dr. Lively worked as a farm hand and sold Bibles. He began his clerical career as a student pastor near Monticello. He was the first pastor of the new Riverside Baptist Church in Decatur and after three years there did evangelistic work for one year. During his tii^e at the University of Chicago, he was student pastor of the Baptist Church at Dundee. In 1914, he was called to the Tuscola and Bourbon Baptist Churches. He led in the remodeling of the Bourbon Church building. In May, 1916, he took over the pul- pit of the Mattoon Baptist Church. At the time, this church had 22 9 members; its prop- erty was valued at $5,000; its expenditures totaled $981.74 and it spent $198 on missions. After Dr. Lively had given thirty-one years of service, by 1947, there were 581 members; the property was valued at $100,000, and was debt-free; the operating expenses totaled $7,8 33 and $1,2 6 6 was spent on missionary work. Dr. Lively led in the organization and erection of a new church building on the east side of Mattoon, known as the East Side Bap- tist Church, with a full-time pastorate, and he himself had become one of the noteworthy clerical leaders in the Illinois Baptist world.
On June 23, 1908, Dr. Lively married Edna O. Furstenberg of Blue Mound, the daughter of Christolph H. and Mary (Ellrich) Furstenberg. Mrs. Lively has participated in the work of organizing the church. She is a pianist and she has, of course, devoted her- self to her home and her children and five grandchildren. The children are: 1. Edna Doris, who holds the degree of Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois and is also a graduate of the West Surburban Hos- pital School of Nursing, Oak Park. She served with the rank of First Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps in World War II. On June 14, 1938, she was married to Dr. Kenneth Hughes, who three months later was killed in an auto- mobile accident. On December 22, 1945, she married Professor Harold Christensen. She has one daughter, Carol Ann. 2. James K. Lively, A.B., A.M., University of Chicago. He is making a career in the United States Army,
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
REV. JAMES MARION LIVELY, M.A., B.D., D.D.
EDWARD HENRY JOSHUA MEEK, JR.
in which lie holds the rank of Captain. He is unmarried. 3. Gerald M. Lively, A.B., Washington and Lee University; J.D., Uni- versity 01 Michigan. He was a Lieutenant Senior Grade in the Navy in World War II. He married Selma Hensler and is the father of Karen Sue and Kristen Gay. 4. Mary Margaret Lively, junior degree from Stephens College and A.B., Millikin University. She was married on January 14, 1946, to Lieu- tenant Frank Winninger, nephew of famed actor Charles Winninger, and is the mother of Nancy Allyn and Judith Jane Winninger.
Dr. Lively is now pastor of the Tuscola Baptist Church, is the director of church pages in three newspapers, a political leader rind a writer of religious songs. In 1941, his address to the Illinois Baptist State Conven- tion received wide publicity and was read be- fore the United States Senate by Senator Scott Lucas of Illinois. Prominent in the Derao- cractic Party, he was called to deliver the memorial address on President Franklin De- lano Roosevelt in Mattoon. In 1950, he filed for the Democratic nomination for member of the House of Representatives from his Con- gressional district. He was president of the Illinois Baptist Pastors Union, 1926-27; presi- dent of the Illinois Baptist State Convention, 1940-41, and entertained this organization in 1926 and 1940; president of the Mattoon Pas- tors Union two years; moderator of the Champaign-Urbana Baptist Association, 1924- 2 7. Dr. Lively has been secretary-treasurer of the national association of the Lively Family every since its organization. Gardening is his hobby. He also likes hunting and fishing. The "grand old man" of the Baptist clergy of Illinois, Dr. Lively — described by the un- witting as "retired" — goes on and on, fight- ing for God and his church and for humanity.
EDWARD HENRY JOSHUA MEEK, JR.
With the whimsical slogan, "If your clothes are not becoming to you, they should be "coming to us,"' Edward Henry Joshua Meek, Jr., of Mount Vernon, has developed a tre- mendous cleaning and dyeing business in Jef- ferson County and nearby points. His firm was formerly the Kurley Dry Cleaners at 909 South Tenth Street, Mount Vernon. Mr. Meek is noted in the area for his work in church, civic, and fraternal organizations and on behalf of youth and other worthwhile causes. He now operates the Meek's Dry Cleaners in Mt. Vernon, 111.
He was born at Normal, 111., near Bloom- ington, on April 24, 1917, the son of Edward
Vinson and Tillie (Schilling) Meek. His father, who was born in Kentucky has long made his home at Centralia, and is with the Illinois Central Railroad. The mother was born in the vicinity of Centralia. Both of Edward Meek, Jr.'s, paternal grandparents, Joshua and Annie Meek, were also natives of Ken- tucky and of Irish descent. Joshua Meek was a farmer in Kentucky. Mr. Meek's maternal grandparents, the Schillings, came to Illinois from Germany, where the grandfather began as a farmer. He continued in Illinois as a farmer.
When Edward H. J. Meek, Jr., was a year old his parents moved the family from Normal to Centralia. Mr. Meek received his first-to- seventh grade education in the parochial school of Trinity Lutheran Church of Cen- tralia. He then entered the eighth grade in the public school system of Wamac, outside Centraiia. On being graduated from elemen- tary school, he went to work in the Johanson Brothers shoe factory at Centralia, Illinois. There he remained two and one-half years. Subsequently, he was salesman, working as such until he was twenty years old. At that time he established a route for a dry cleaning company at Centralia, 111. which he operated .for three years. At the end of this period Mr. Meek started his own dry cleaning shop on Apple Street in Centralia. In 1942, when the American war effort was getting into full swing, he sold this shop and went to Evans- ville, Indiana, where he entered the employ of the Evansville Ship Yards. He worked there until 194 4. In November, 1945, Mr. Meek bought the Kurley Cleaning plant in Mount Vernon, and has since operated this with increasing success until May 2 5th, 19 50, when he sold the business and started anew at 912 South 10th St., under the name of Meek's Quality Service Cleaners.
Mr. Meek has been active in virtually all major movements in Mount Vernon. A mem- ber of the Mount Vernon Junior Chamber of Commerce, he is chairman of all its money- making projects, which he has guided to great success. He was the first to serve as presi- dent of the Mount Vernon Aerie, Fraternal Order of Eagles . For two years he was chair- man of the canister collections for the March of Dimes, so important in research and thera- peutic work for infantile paralysis. At the Faith Lutheran Church, Mount Vernon, Mr. Meek is a member of the board of trustees and president of the Men's Club. He was ac- tive in the Optimist Club of Mount Vernon. Bowling and motor travel are his only di-
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versions. Mr. Meek married Ruth Marie Braden, December 10th, 1938, at a Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Mo. They have no chil- dren of their own. However, on their eleventh anniversary, December 10th, 1950, they took three children into their home to raise as their own. They are brothers and sisters and their names are; Lynden, age 7; Norman, age 9; and Lovane Sarver. As the record shows he is one of Mount Vernon's outstanding and valuable citizens — a progressive business man and civic leader.
JOHN JOSEPH SPRINGMAN
A family that has been prominently active in the development of Alton and much of the surrounding area in Madison County is that of John Joseph Springman of the Spring- man Lumber Company. This family, with Mr. Springman latterly its most active represen- tative, has been responsible for the develop- ment of subdivisions in many parts of the area and city, among them the famed Spring- man Addition. He is also well known in wel- fare and civic activities.
Mr. Springman was born in Fayette County, Illinois, on March 26, 1900, the son of George Springman, a farmer and lumberman, and Elizabeth (Stieren) Springman, both also na- tives of Illinois. George Springman entered the manufacturing lumber business in Texas in 1907 and the following year opened a re- tail yard in Alton. Since July, 1916, the Alton business has been known as the Springman Lumber Company.
Under his father's influence John Joseph Springman developed a childhood ambitiou to win success in the lumber business and aimed in that direction as he went through school. From his earliest manhood he has been in the business, and has found that the selling end is its most fascinating facet. It has been through his help that the enterprise has grown to the point where it employs forty persons. It carries a complete line of build- ing materials. The employes receive up to fifteen percent of the company's earnings as bonus through a profit-sharing plan. The firm has developed fourteen subdivisions, in- cluding Springman Addition, and built five hundred homes. This is a contribution of which the Springmans are justly proud.
John Joseph Springman married Marie Wood, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis F. Wood of Alton. The children born to this marriage are Bernard W. Springman, route clerk in the business, who married Harriet
Meyers and is the father of John Henry Springman; Virginia M. ; Angela E.; John J. Springman, Jr., also associated with the fa- ther in the business, and Thomas E., who in 1949 was in high school in Alton. The family worships in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Alton. Mr. Springman's business ad- dress is East Broadway, Alton. He is a mem- ber of the Illinois Retail Lumber Dealers As- sociation, the National Retail Lumber Deal- ers Association, the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce; the Kiwanis Club of Alton, of which he is former treasurer; the Alton Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Columbus and of the board of directors of the Alton Catholic Chari- ties Association. As president of the Spring- man Lumber Company and the Springman Realty Development Company and as a citizen vitally interested in the welfare of his fellow citizens, he has earned a position of leader- ship in the community.
WILLIAM THOMAS MACKAY
Back in 1875 in a small plant in Florence, Massachusetts, the first Florence Oil Stove made its appearance. This was the beginning of the Florence Stove Company, whose steady growth and progress has resulted in today's large three-plant industry. At Kankakee, where one of the three plants is located, is also the company's western sales office. The vice-president and general manager of opera- tions at Kankakee is William Thomas MacKay, who has been a figure of importance in the industrial world for many years. He is also prominent in Kankakee's community affairs.
Mr. MacKay was born on June 3, 1900, at Rhodesport, South Africa, the son of Robert and Mary (Wagstaff) MacKay. His father, a mechanical and civil engineer, was a native of Philadelphia, his mother of Scranton, Penn- sylvania. Brought back to the United States when he was still a young boy, William Mac- Kay received his formal education in the' grade and high schools of Schenectady, New York. Then he became an apprentice tool and machine designer at the General Electric Com- pany there. He supplemented his training with business courses at Columbia University in New York and designing courses at Purdue University in Indiana. In time Mr. MacKay was transferred to the Radio Corporation of America radio division at Camden, New Jer- sey, and in 1928 he was made works manager for RCA at Montreal, Canada. There he re- mained five years. In 1933 he became an ex- ecutive of the Addressograph and Mimeograph
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WAYNE ANDREW JOHNSTON
Corporation at Euclid, Ohio. Three years later he resigned to become works manager for the National Metals Corporation of Chicago. This post he held until 1942, when the company went into war production. Throughout World War II Mr. MacKay was in charge of the con- cern's radar manufacturing. In 1945, he was transferred to Kankakee. Elected as vice-pres- ident and director of the Florence Stove Com- pany, he was made general manager of oper- ations at Kankakee, where 1485 persons are employed. The company has plants also at Gardner, Massachusetts, and Lewisburg, Ten- nessee. The Kankakee factory was built in the 1920s. Florence products, which include near- ly every type of modern cooking and heating- appliance, are marketed directly to dealers and sold in more than 10,000 furniture, hard- ware and department stores throughout the nation.
Mr. MacKay married Janet Marshall Wan- nan, a native of Dundee, Scotland, on April 17, 1934. By a previous marriage Mr. Mac- Kay is the father of Muriel and Ruth Mac- Kay. Muriel MacKay is now Mrs. Richard Nye, of Ashland, Kentucky, and the mother of David and Clinton Nye. Ruth MacKay is now Mrs. Thomas Ambrose of Schenectady, New York. A stepson, William Carson, is mar- ried and has two children — Brooke and Ian. Mrs. Janet MacKay is active in the women's, art and book clubs of Kankakee.
Mr. MacKay is chairman of the manufac- turing division of the Kankakee Chamber of Commerce. He is also active in Community Chest work and in the Masonic order. His fa- vorite sports are golf and fishing and his hob- by is the collecting of antique ink wells. Through all his activities he has become one of Illinois' most valuable citizens.
WAYNE ANDREW JOHNSTON
The name of Wayne Andrew Johnston is immediately recognized as that of one of the nation's outstanding railroad men. For Mr. Johnston is president not only of the Illi- nois Central Railroad but also an officer of various other railroads and related enterpris- es. In the civic life of Chicago, Mr. Johnston is usually found participating on the leader- ship level in all worthwhile programs. He has a reputation for his interest in education, wel- fare and boys' work.
Mr. Johnston was born at Urbana on No- vember 19, 1897, the son of Harry W. John- ston, a native of South Point, Ohio, and De- Etta Bird (Boomer) Johnston, a native of Philo, Illinois and daughter of Andrew Bur-
ton and Pamela (Seymour) Boomer. In 1919, Mr. Johnston was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Science at the University of Il- linois, where he became a member of Phi Gamma Delta, social fraternity, and the two honor societies, Beta Gamma Sigma and Al- pha Phi Omega.
Mr. Johnston's entire career has been with the Illinois Central Railroad, and his is a typ- ical American success story, for he rose from a modest beginning to his present high place in the railroad world. His first position was that of accountant in the office of the divi- sion superintendent at Champaign, to which he was appointed on October 1, 1919. The record then reads: chief clerk to superinten- dent, September, 1920; chief clerk to super- intendent, northern lines, Chicago, October, 1921; correspondence clerk, office of vice- president and general manager, September, 1925; general agent, traffic department, April, 1934; office manager, vice-president, traffic department, February, 1935; general traffic agent in charge of mail, baggage, ex- press and merchandise traffic, September, 1937; assistant to vice-president and general manager, operating department, January, 1938; acting superintendent, Kentucky Divi- sion, Paducah, November, 1940; assistant to vice-president and general manager, opera- ting department, Chicago, June, 1941; assist- ant general manager, March, 1942; assistant vice-president, April, 1944; general manager, September, 1944. On February 23, 1945, Mr. Johnston was advanced to president and in March, 1945, he was elected to the board of directors. He is also chairman of the board and director of the Madison Coal Corpora- tion, and the Peoria and Pekin Union Rail- way; president and a director of the Chicago and Illinois Western Railroad and the Padu- cah and Illinois Railroad; and a director of the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis, the Railway Express Agency and the Harris Trust and Savings Bank, Chicago.
On June 17, 1922, in Chicago, he married Blanche Lawson of that city. Mrs. Johnston is active in the American Red Cross, Old Peo- ple's Home of Chicago, and the P.E.O. Sister- hood. There are two children — Wayne An- drew Johnston, Jr., who married Cynthia Ann Hillman and is the father of Wayne Andrew Johnston, III; and Bette Jane, the wife of Bryce C. Boothby, and mother of Bryce, III. The Johnstons, whose home is on Braeburn Road, Flossmoor, are Protestants.
In his community work Mr. Johnston is vice-president and a member of the executive
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board of the Chicago Council, member of the executive committee of Region Seven and the National Council, Boy Scouts of America, and is a member of the board of managers, YMCA of Chicago, and stabilization commit- tee, University of Illinois YMCA; board of trustees, Illinois Conference, Congregational Church; University of Illinois Foundation and Advisory Council, past president of the Dad's Association and trustee, DePauw University; trustee , University of Illinois; trustee, Chi- cago Sunday Evening Club; director, Travel- ers Aid Society of Chicago; president Old Peoples Home. He is a member of Beta Gam- ma Sigma, Alpha Phi Omega and Phi Gamma Delta, the Masonic order and a variety of clubs. He is an outstanding American.
VICTOR CHARLES DEWEIN
The Dewein Grain Company is an Illinois corporation which under the leadership of Victor Charles Dewein of Decatur has grown to tremendous proportions and is serving the state in distinguished fashion. With head- quarters at 244 North State Street, Decatur, Mr. Dewein does custom milling at his Emery grain elevator. He is a prominent figure in civic affairs, in the field of feed and grain and general agriculture and organizational, activities.
Born on August 10, 19 04, at Warrensburg, Mr. Dewein is the son of Victor Dewein, a native of Peoria who was also in the grain and feed business and who died on March 8, 192 6, and Grace Temple Faith Dewein, the daughter of Charles H. Faith. Mr. Faith was born on May 21, 1857 and died on January 11, 1925. He was also in the grain business having started in 1881. Victor C. Dewein was educated in grade school at Warrensburg, at St. John's Military Academy in Delafield, Wis- consin, and at James Millikin University, De- catur. From the time he left college until May 1, 192 7, he served as clerk at the De- catur Milling Company. Then he took over the operation of grain elevators at Forsyth and Emery, inherited by the family at the lather's death. In September, 1933, without discontinuing operation of the elevators, he took a position in the grain department of the A. E. Staley Manufacturing Company, Decatur. In 1940 he installed machinery at the Forsyth elevator for the manufacture of commercial feeds and in November, 1942, he left the Staley concern to give full time to his elevators and to expand his feed mill operations. The business grew tremendously, but fire destroyed the mill and elevator on
December 17, 19 45. Mr. Dewein then leased a warehouse in Decatur and in a month's time was again manufacturing feed. At the same time he moved his office to Decatur and he gradually started merchandising cash grain until now he is president of the Dewein Grain Company. At the expiration of his lease on the Decatur warehouse, Mr. Dewein on De- cember 31, 1948, discontinued manufacturing feed in volume and moved his machinery and equipment to the Emery elevator, where he ;s now doing custom milling.
On June 2 4, 1944, at Grace Methodist Church, Decatur, Mr. Dewein married Eve Welch, daughter of Robert and Margaret Welch. Mrs. Dewein was house mother of the railroad canteen in Decatur during World War II. In 1948-4 9 she was co-chairman of the residential division of the Decatur and Macon County Community Chest, and in 1949- 50 was president of the Decatur and Macon County Welfare Home for Girls. From 1948 to 1950 she was on the house committee of the Young Women's Christian Association. Mr. and Mrs. Dewein reside at 2 05 North Taylor Avenue, Decatur.
Mr. Dewein is a former president, treas- urer and director of the Illinois Feed Associa- tion. He is also a member of the Illinois Farmers and Grain Dealers Association, the Illinois Grain Dealers Association, the Ameri- can Feed Manufacturers, Inc., the Grain and Feed Dealers National Association; the Junior Association of Commerce of Illinois; the De- catur Club; the Decatur Association of Com- merce, and the Decatur Country Club. He is a trustee and former deacon, and Moderator in 194 9, of the First Presbyterian Church of Decatur. A Republican, he was asked by the Democratic Party to run for Mayor of Decatur in 1936, but declined. He is a boat- ing enthusiast, owning a 2 2-foot Chris Craft on Lake Decatur. Also, he likes golf and photography and travel. HTs travels have been throughout the United States, in South America as far south as Buenos Aires and in Hawaii. This has been written of him: "Keen mind, keen sense of humor and most under- standing of others' problems . . . kind and generous almost to a fault.'"
HON. RICHARD PETTIS ROTH
First to use the paper container, to pas- teurize and then to homogenize milk in the Little Egyptian area, Richard Pettis Roth of Mount Vernon is known throughout the dairy industry. He is president of the Roth Dairy Company, with headquarters and a plant in
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Mount Vernon and other plants at Centralia and New Baden. He has served the people of Jefferson County not only as a dairyman but as a public official, being a County Super- visor.
Mr. Roth was born at Ina, in the same coun- ty, on July 4, 1901, the son of Pettis and Clara E. (Logan) Roth. His father, born at Spring Garden, was a carpenter and grocer first at Ina and then, from 1912 on, at Mount Vernon; he died in 1937, aged seventy-four. He worshiped in the Central Church of Christ and served on the Ina Village Board of Trus- tees. The mother, a native of Richview, Wash- ington County, was outstanding in church work and as a singer. The supervisor's pater- nal grandfather came to America from Ger- many in 1819 and was a merchant at Burnt Prairie. The maternal grandfather, Captain James Benson Logan, served with the Union Army in the Civil War. He was a famed pub- lic speaker and writer of popular songs as well as an inventor with several patents.
Richard P. Roth was educated in Mount Vernon. He has been in his present field of business since leaving school. For a year he worked for Staar Brothers Creamery Com- pany, Mount Vernon, and then was a butter- maker for the United Dairy at Salem and as- sistant buttermaker for Swift and Company at Mount Vernon. In 1922 he became a part- ner in the Mount Vernon Pure Milk Company by buying a half interest. The following year the concern's name was changed to the Roth Dairy Company and was established at its present address, 820 Harrison Street, Mount Vernon. At the beginning Mr. Roth did all the delivery work, while his partner took charge of plant operations. They produced the only pasteurized milk in their territory for a quarter of a century. Then they pioneered in Southeim Illinois as homogenizers of milk and cream, without discontinuing pasteurization. They now operate three plants, employ forty- eight persons, and sell most of their milk through stores.
Mr. Roth married Flossy Reece of Mount Vernon, the daughter of William Reece, one time police chief of Mount Vernon, deputy sheriff of Jefferson County and head watch- man at the car shops, and Mary (Thomas) Reece. There are two children — Nadine, born in 1924, and Richard Pettis Roth, Jr., born in 1927, both of whom are associated with their father in the dairy business. The son, who is manager of the Centralia plant, served with the United States Navy in World War II. He was educated at Mount Vernon High
School, where he was active in athletics, at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, Long Beach City College, Long Beach, Cali- fornia, and Culver-Stockton College, Canton, Missouri. He majored in business administra- tion. The entire family worships in the Cen- tral Church of Christ.
The senior Mr. Roth, active in the Repub- lican Party, has given public service in the county and county seat for many years. In 1931 he was elected to the Mount Vernon City Council and later to the Jefferson Coun- ty Board of Supervisors. He is now chairman of the finance committee of the county board. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen and of the .Masonic order, being a Noble of the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He served three years as a director of the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce and in World War II was on the District Dairy Advisory Committee. His favorite sport is fishing. He is recognized as one of the Jeffer- son County natives who have done the most for their county.
ELWYN LEROY SIMMONS
A construction engineer for more than three decades, Elwyn LeRoy Simmons of De- catur has made, a reputation not only in Illi- nois but most of the other North Central States in the general contracting field. His firms have offices in Decatur, Rantoul and Detroit, Michigan.
Mr. Simmons, born in Chicago on August 24, 1898, is the son of John Lavelle and Har- riet Luella (Thompkins) Simmons. After at- tending Chicago's public schools, he completed his education and training at the University of Illinois, which awarded him the degree of Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engi- neering in 1920. He has been active in con- struction ever since, and is now president and treasurer of the J. L. Simmons Company, general contractors, with headquarters in the Citizens' Building, Decatur, having been elect- ed to these offices in 1936. Also, he is vicfr- president of Kuehne-Simmons Construction Associates, of Rantoul and Detroit.
Mr. Simmons married Elizabeth Snider on April 21, 1923, and they have a daughter and son, Susan Simmons and John LeRoy Sim- mons. The family worships in the Methodist Church. The Simmons residence is on South- moreland Place, Decatur.
In World War I and afterward, 1918-1919, Mr. Simmons served as a Lieutenant in the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps.
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He is a member of the Illinois Society of En- gineers, the University Club of Chicago, the Decatur Club and Decatur Country Club. His contribution to development as a contractor is widely recognized in private and public circles.
HON. CHARLES C. DOERR
As former Fire Chief of Pinckneyville and former Coroner of Perry County, the Honor- able Charles C. Doerr is well known for the service he renders the public. He has given service in yet another way — as operator of the Doerr Funeral Home of Pinckneyville, an institution founded by his father in 1898, and now owned and operated by the son.
Mr. Doerr was born on the family farm in Perry County on March 8, 1882, the third of the four children of Jacob and Louisa (Heg- gemeyer) Doerr. His father, a native of Waterloo, seat of Monroe County, farmed in that county until a month or so before his third child was born, and then moved to Per- ry County. He was a farmer in the latter county until 1898, when he established a fur- niture and undertaking business in Pinckney- ville, the county seat. Charles C. Doerr has a brother, William P. Doerr, and two sisters, Christina and Bertha.
After he had finished his schooling, Mr. Doerr worked for a time in his father's fu- neral home. Then he took employment in the mines, but after a short period became a brakeman on the Illinois Central Railroad. When he left the railroad, he returned to the Doerr Funeral Home.
On October 16, 1904, Mr. Doerr married Dorothea Clark, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Clark of Perry County. One son was born to this marriage- — Karl Doerr ,who oper- ates a photographic shop in Pinckneyville and also assists his father in the operation of the Doerr Funeral Home. Karl Doerr is married and has two daughters, Corla Marie and Eliz- abeth Doerr.
In 1904, too, Charles C. Doerr went to work as a fireman and engineer in the Wink- ler Mines in Perry County. In 1906 he moved to Murphysboro, where he worked as an en- gineer in the mines until 1910. Returning to Pinckneyville, he operated a livery busi- ness. Also in 1910, he became a partner of his father's in the funeral business. In 1922 he bought out Jacob Doerr's interest, and has since been the owner of the Doerr Funeral Home. He is active and well known in the Il- linois Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association. He
served as Fire Chief in Pinckneyville for a short time, but was County Coroner for six- teen years. He is a leading Republican of the county. Farming as a hobby, he belongs to the Perry County Farm Bureau. Also, he is a member of the Rotary Club of Pinckneyville, the Pinckneyville Chamber of Commerce, the Odd Fellows Lodge and various Masonic bod- ies, including the Shrine. Golf is his favorite sport. He won the Class B. tournament at the Elks Country Club in DuQuoin in 1946. He has also won the admiration of his fellow cit- izens for the extent and variety of his public services.
HARRY ALLEN WHITTENBERG
As a banker and citizen interested in the growth of his community, Harry Allen Whit- tenberg of Herrin has made an outstanding contribution. He is cashier and trust officer of the Bank of Herrin, which he helped to organize, and is a leader in banking organi- zations on the regional and State level. He is also the half owner of an insurance busi- ness he founded. He is also prominent in the Baptist Church.
Mr. Whittenberg was born in Murphysboro in November, 1891, the son of John and Lo- retta (Ellis) Whittenberg. After attending the grade schools of Murphysboro, he went to Herrin High School, from which he was grad- uated in 1912. This he followed up with a course in Brown's Business College, at Ma- rion. Mr. Whittenberg's first job was that of payroll clerk for the Big Muddy Coal and Iron Company at Herrin. At the time he severed his association with this concern, he was assistant cashier. In 1917, after five years with the coal and iron company, he be- came assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Herrin. Two years later, without leaving the bank, he founded the insurance business then called The Whittenberg Agen- cy. In 1932, he left the First National Bank and began devoting himself entirely to his in-, surance business. When the Bank of Herrin was organized, he became cashier and trust officer. Today he is half owner of the insur- ance agency, which operates under the name of the Whittenberg and Adams Insurance Agency.
On April 4, 1921, Mr. Whittenberg married Mildred Flanigan, the daughter of Charles and May Flanigan of Cobden, in Union County. Their son, Charles, a musician and composer, now a teacher of music, resides in New York. One of his compositions has been played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
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CLARENCE PAUL McCLELLAND, D.D., LL.D., Litt.D.
Mr. Whittenberg is a member of the exec- utive committee of Group 10 of the Illinois Bankers Association and is also active in the American Bankers Association and the Egyp- tian Conference of the National Association of Bank Auditors and Comptrollers. He is a former president of the Conference. He has also served as president of the Lions Club of Herrin and the Herrin Chamber of Commerce. Also a former secretary of the chamber, he is now on its board of directors. Another or- ganization in which he is serving as a direc- tor is the Herrin Community Council, which he helped organize. A teacher and deacon in the First Baptist Church of Herrin, Mr. Whitten- berg is on the board of trustees of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Louisville, Kentucky. His wife is the pianist of the First Baptist Church. Mr. Whittenberg was a mem- ber of the high school board of Herrin for twenty-one years, serving through part of this time as secretary. He holds the third degree in Masonry. He has achieved considerable leadership in all phases of community life.
CLARENCE PAUL McCLELLAND, D.D., LL.D., Litt.D.
When Dr. Clarence Paul McClelland, pres- ident of MacMurray College at Jacksonville, Morgan County, delivered the centennial ad- dress at the centennial convocation, October 10, 1946, reviewing the hundred-year history of the institution, he said: "MacMurray Col- lege faces the future with confidence and hope . . . The College is well endowed . . . The physical plant seems adequate . . . The faculty deserve the highest praise . . . And if there is a more conscientious, competent or happier community of scholars anywhere, I cannot imagine it." The happy state of the college, as thus summed up by Dr. McClelland, is, all agree, due to its president himself. Dr. Mc- Clelland, an educator with a nationwide repu- tation, ranks high in the Methodist Church and in community affairs as well as in liter- ary circles.
He was born on January 18, 1883, at Dobbs Ferry, New York, the son of Charles P. and Meta J. (Babcock) McClelland. In 1907 he took the degree of Bachelor of Arts at Wes- leyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, and in 1910 that of Bachelor of Divinity at Drew Theological Seminary, Madison, New Jersey. He began his career as a Methodist minister in 1910, continuing until 191(5. In 1917 he was called to Drew Seminary for Young Women as president and this office he
held until 1925. In 1921 he received the de- gree of Doctor of Sacred Theology from Syracuse University and the degree of Doc- tor of Divinity from Wesleyan University in 1925. That was the year he was made presi- dent of MacMurray College, the post he con- tinues to occupy with such distinction. In 1942, Illinois Wesleyan University conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws and in 1946 MacMurray College that of Doctor of Letters.
On April 26, 1910, Dr. McClelland married Mary E. Adams. They have five children — Janet Meta, Charles Paul, David Clarence, Betty Belle and Mary Carol McClelland. They also have eleven grandchildren.
In 1950, the enrollment of MacMurray Col- lege had risen to 774, and there was every in- dication it would continue to grow under Dr. McClelland's leadership. Founded in 1846 with the aid of the Methodist Church and especial- ly in its Illinois Annual Conference, MacMux1- ray College — named for its greatest benefac- tor, James E. MacMurray, whose gifts totaled about four and one-half million dollars — has had the following presidents, in addition to the incumbent; James Frazier Jaquess, Charles Adams, William H. DeMotte, William H. Short and Joseph R. Harker, all of whom made their impression on the entire field of education and certainly forwarded higher ed- ucation for women in America. It was Dr. Harker, the immediate predecessor of Dr. Mc- Clelland, who enabled the college to receive full recognition from all the accrediting agen- cies as a standard college and, as Dr. McClel- land puts it, "laid a sure foundation for all that has been achieved" since then.
Dr McClelland has been president of the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the Methodist Church and a director of the Association of American Colleges. He is a trustee of the Illinois State Historical Libra- ry; and former president of the Board of Pas- savant Hospital, Jacksonville, a member of the Illinois State Commission of the Young Men's Christian Association and of the Na- tional Council of the Y.M.C.A. ; a member of the Governor's Advisory Commission on Vet- erans Education in Illinois; a director of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce; a former president of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville, and a Mason. His fraternity is Alpha Delta Phi. He is the author of "Question Marks and Examination Points," published in 1935, and of numerous articles that have appeared in various educational journals. He has made MacMurray College a liberal institution and
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in doing so has established himself among out- standing contemporary educators and reli- gious leaders.
HERBERT WILLIAM WARD
Though his home and office are in St. Lou- is, Herbert William Ward must be counted among those who are doing their utmost to build the State of Illinois, for he is president of a public service corporation which has been serving what might be called the Greater St. Louis Area of Illinois since 1895 — the Illinois Terminal Railroad Company. Like this line, Mr. Ward has a foremost position in the railroad industry.
Mr. Ward was born in Spooner, Wisconsin, on April 24, 1894, the son of William G. and Marion R. (Church) Ward, and was educated in the public schools and at the Minnesota College of Law, where he received the degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1934. For many years he has combined a practice of law, chiefly in the transportation field, with his career as railroad administrator. He began his railroad career in 1908, as clerk in the tariff de- partment of the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway Company, with which he remained until 1909. In 1910, he became a clerk in the local freight office of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Ry., in which he rose to brakeman in 1911, conductor in 1918, traveling and freight and passenger agent in 1924, at Duluth, Minnesota; and city freight agent, at Minneapolis, in 1930. In 1935 he returned to the M. & St. L., as traffic manager and in 1938 he was made general traffic manager of that line. From 1943 to April, 1948, he was vice-president of the M. & St. L. and the Railway Transfer Company of Minneapolis. On May 1, 1948, he took over as president of the Illinois Ter- minal Railroad Company, with offices at 710 North Twelfth Boulevard, St. Louis. The railroad, incorporated in 1895, began doing business in 1896. It was built primarily to supply terminal facilities to the railroads en- tering the Alton district and to develop the manufacturing interests of the Alton indus- trial area. It has since considerably expanded its purposes, and has become in addition both a diesel and an electric lines operator. The electric lines were born in 1899, with a mod- est six-mile run called the Danville, Faxton and Northern Railroad Company. The first section of what is now called the "main line" was started in 1902 from Champaign, and was built to St. Joseph. Other developments, in- cluding the erection of the McKinley Bridge
across the Mississippi to extend the lines into St. Louis, followed. In 1928 the Illinois Ter- minal Railroad leased and consolidated into one railroad system the Illinois Traction Sys- tem, the St. Louis, Troy and Eastern Rail- road, the St. Louis and Illinois Belt Railway and the St. Louis Electric Terminal Railway Company. On June 30, 1930, the Alton and Eastern Railroad and the St. Louis and Alton and "O'Fallon Freight" of the East St. Louis and Suburban Railway Company were absorbed by the lessee. As the line developed, it ran into downtown St. Louis and erected stations at Pe- oria, Decatur and Springfield, with such points also connected as Champaign, Urbana, Bloom- ington and Danville. All the most modern im- provements, both in track and signal systems and in rolling stock, have been adopted. Consid- erable additional progress is planned by Mr. Ward.
Mr. Ward married Lillian E. McCrudden on December 18, 1912. They have three children — Donald W. Ward; Lois, now Mrs. A. C. Schendel; and Joyce, now Mrs. G. D. Larra- bee.
Mr. Ward, who has been admitted, as a lawyer, to practice in the State of Minnesota, the United States Courts and before the Inter- state Commerce Commission, is a member of the American and Minnesota State Bar As- sociations. He is a former president of the Minneapolis Traffic Club, and is also a mem- ber of the Minneapolis Club, the Minnesota Club of St. Paul, the Union League Club of Chicago, the Chicago Club, the Metropolitan and Bankers of New York, and others. He is a leading figure among railroad men.
RICHARD WENDELL WARD
Prominent in the industrial and civic life of Peoria and central Illinois, Richard Wen- dell Ward was president and founder of the Ward Plywood Company, with plant and of- fice at 2700 South Washington Street, in the state's second city, until his death.
Mr. Ward was a native of Chicago. Born on July 2, 1910, he was the son of William Mul- len Ward, a native of Maryland who was a livestock broker in the Windy City's famed stockyards and who died in 1926, and of Cora Olive (Morgan) Ward, a native of Belle Plaine, Iowa, now living in Peoria.
Educated in the elementary and high schools of his native Chicago, Mr. Ward first went to work for the Coca-Cola Company at Sioux City, Iowa. After seven years with that concern, he returned to Chicago, where he entered the employ of the Michael Leonard
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HON. GEORGE WILLIAM SMITH
Company. He was a salesman for this organi- zation for a year and a half. His next posi- tion, again as salesman, was with the Aetna Plywood Company of Chicago, with which he worked seven years. In August, 1946, Mr. Ward established the Ward Plywood Company in Peoria and since that time had been its president. The company distributes plywood and doors in Illinois and Iowa and employs ten persons.
Mr. Ward married Julia Judnick of Joliet on November 30, 1939. Mrs. Ward's parents were the late John and Josephine Judnick, natives of Czecho-Slovakia. Her father was a millwright at Joliet. Mr. and Mrs. Ward, who made their home at 2112 Peoria Avenue, Peoria, became the parents of two children — Susan Ann Ward, born on June 19, 1941, and Richard William Ward, born on March 17, 1946. Mr. Ward worshiped in the Episcopal Church, his wife in the Roman Catholic.
Mr. Ward was active in the Peoria Associa- tion of Commerce, the Peoria Better Business Bureau, the Peoria Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Creve Coeur Club and the Mount Holly Country Club. In 1949-50 he was president of the Country Club. His favorite recreations were golf, fish- ing and hunting. He was one of the leading citizens of Central Illinois, and will be sorely missed by a large circle of friends.
HON. GEORGE WILLIAM SMITH
The Honorable George William Smith of Mattoon, Coles County's biggest municipality, calls himself retired, but, always responsive to the call of his neighbors and fellow citi- zens, he works day and night on their behalf as Mayor. Mayor Smith has been active in public affairs since the day in 1928 when he took office as a member of the Mattoon Board of Aldermen and he has been Mayor since 1945. Before "retiring," Mayor Smith was a machinist and railroad man, and at one time he played baseball. He is active in many organizations.
Mayor Smith was born at Rockport, Indi- ana, on August 10, 1881. He is the son of the late Lincoln and Ella (Morris) Smith. His fath- er, "Line" Smith, who was born at Madison, In- diana, on October 6, 1860, was a machinist and railroad engineer and was the son of Benja- min W. Smith, who was the first master me- chanic on the first railroad, the old Madison & Jefferson, laid in the State of Indiana and who died at the age of ninety-three, the oldest member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mayor Smith was educated in grade
schools at Rockport, Huntingburg and Prince- ton, Indiana. The third generation of his family to enter the railroading field, he be- came an apprentice machinist on the Louis- ville and Nashville Railroad at Evansville, In- diana, in 1898. Later, for two years, he was a fireman on the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad, out of Danville, Illinois. Then he served eighteen months as an engineer at the electrical plant of the Atlas Engine Works in Indianapolis. In 1908 he came to the Mat- toon Big Four shops and remained there un- til on April 25, 1949, when he retired from vocational activities.
On July 14, 1912, at Shelbyville, Shelby County, Mayor Smith married Nellie Pearl Miller, the daughter of John and Lottie A. Miller. Mrs. Smith is active in the Central Community Church of Mattoon, the church at which the entire family worships and in which Mayor Smith is also a well known fig- ure. Mayor and Mrs. Smith have one daugh- ter, Dorothy, now the wife of Floyd C. Hegg. She was first married to Harold M. Tracy, on August 31, 1932, but he died in 1945. She has two children by the first marriage, Jack W. and David H. Tracy. A third child, Janet Lee Tracy, died at the age of two months. Mayor and Mrs. Smith reside at 920 Marshall Avenue, Mattoon.
A resident of Mattoon since 1908, Mayor Smith has always intex-ested himself in its welfare, and he has always been active in the Republican organization of Coles County. In 1928, he was elected a member of the City Board of Aldermen, representing Ward Two. He served as Alderman for nine years. In 1945 he was elected Mayor for a four- year term and in 1949 was reelected to that office. He has served on various boards in connection with both his Aldermanic and May- oral offices. He has been a member of the International Association of Machinists since 1908 and is also active in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Loyal Order of Moose, the Knights of Pythias and the Dokeys. He is five feet eight inches tall, has blue eyes and gray hair. Fishing, hunting and baseball are his favorite sports. He played baseball in his Princeton, Rockport and Evansville days. His service to the commu- nity has made him one of the popular figures in Downstate Illinois.
HON. JAMES ARTHUR HEDRICK
Dedicated to every phase of public welfare, the Honorable James Arthur Hedrick of De- catur has risen to a position of great promi-
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nence in Illinois. He is the holder of various public offices, including the Mayorship of De- catur, and is a leading figure in the oil busi- ness.
Mayor Hedrick is the son of Thomas D. and Anna M. (Casey) Hedrick. His father, born at Athens, Menard County, July 12, 1850, died July 8, 1935. He was a black- smith and the father of seven boys and six girls. The mother was born on January 25, 1855, and died June 8, 1934. Decatur's fu- ture Mayor was educated in grade school and by way of a mechanical and electrical engi- neering correspondence course. He began as an apprentice in the machinist and tool-and- die-making trades. At the age of 19 he was promoted to toolroom foreman. Later he was made machine shop foreman, motor foreman, then assistant superintendent at the Bartholo- mew Company, Peoria, makers of Glide auto- mobiles. In 1909 and 1910 Mr. Hedrick drove cars in the Glidden Tours. In 1913 he became a salesman and territory manager for the Ca- dillac Motor Car Company and in 1917 he opened a Cadillac agency in Decatur, in part- nership with A. R. Coggan. He lectured on the first V-type eight cylinder Cadillac at auto shows for two years. This business was sold nine years later. Then Mr. Hedrick en- tered the retail and wholesale oil business. He sold his enterprise in 1941, but continues prominent in the oil industry.
On October 8, 1909, at Lincoln, Mayor Hedrick married Rilla M. Martin, daughter of Robert R. and Kitty M. Martin. Mrs. Hed- rick, also well known in Decatur and Macon County, is especially noted for her work in connection with philanthropies. She and the Mayor worship in the Christian Church at Decatur.
Mr. Hedrick's prominence in the automo- tive and oil businesses brought him election to such offices as president of the Decatur Automobile Dealers Association and as a member of the board of directors of the Illi- nois State Petroleum Association. He was named to the Illinois State Welfare Board in 1945 and is also now on the Illinois Mu- nicipal League Advisory Board. In 1950, he was serving his second term as Mayor of Decatur. His reputation as a city adminis- trator is such that he has served as president of the Illinois Municipal League, in which he continues influential. Since 1944 Mayor Hed- rick has been president of the Decatur Base- ball Club, and thus has contributed further to the welfare of the community. He is a Mason and a Republican. In addition to base-
ball, football and basketball are his favorite sports. Mayor Hedrick has attracted much attention in the state because of his progres- sive, business-like approach to the municipal problems of Decatur and his wholehearted, interested devotion to the solution of these problems.
ROBERT CHARLES McMILLAN
"Have a goal; then be willing to put forth the effort to attain that goal." With this philosophy, Robert Charles McMillan of Mount Vernon has made himself an important figure in the car building world and an out- standing citizen of Southern Illinois. He is the general manager of the Mount Vernon Car and Manufacturing Company, a subsid- iary of the Pressed Steel Car Company, Inc., noted for the quality of its cars.
Mr. McMillan was born in Fairmount, Ver- milion County, on December 31, 1893, the son of Robert Hope and Phoebe (Williamson) McMillan. His father, a native of County Cork, Ireland, came to the United States with his parents when he was two years old. The family settled at Hanover, Indiana, where for many years he was a railroader. He died in 1941, at the age of 89. The mother, born in Veedersburg, Indiana, died in 1930. Her father, Conrad Williamson, was a farmer at Veedersburg. The car manufacturer's pater- nal grandfather, Robert Hope McMillan, also born in County Cork, was a machinist.
Robert Charles McMillan attended the pub- lic schools of Terre Haute, Indiana, where the family had moved when he was six years old, and then continued at Mount Vernon, to which the family moved when he was thir- teen years old. He was graduated from the Mount Vernon High School, where he had distinguished himself as a long distance run- ner. The family returned to Terre Haute, Robert with the others, but a year later he returned again to Mount Vex-non. The real reason was a girl — Mary O'Riely — and they were married. Mrs. McMillan, educated in the public schools of Mount Vernon, is the daugh- ter of Andrew O'Riely, who was born in Ire- land. Brought to the United States by his parents when he was four, he became a school teacher in Jefferson County, where the fam- ily settled. He taught for more than forty years. Mr. and Mrs. McMillan have two chil- dren— Robert Howard, born March 7, 1917, who married Virginia Lyle of Mount Vernon and is the father of Robert Richard born March 12, 1939 and Charles Michael McMillan born January 7, 1941; and Mary DeElla born
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HON. JAMES ARTHUR HEDRICK
January 7, 1920, now the wife of Joseph Cortwright, residing- at Berwick, Pennsylva- nia, and mother of Joella Cortwright born March 29, 1946.
Upon his return to Mount Vernon and mar- riage, Mr. McMillan entered the employ of the Mount Vernon Car and Manufacturing Com- pany. His first job was that of helper in the fabricating shops. Step by step he rose until he was steel car superintendent. On March 15, 1940, Mr. McMillan resigned to accept the general superintendency of the American Car and Foundry Company at Berwick, where he was soon promoted to manager of the freight car division. On January 15, 1949, he resigned the Pennsylvania post because he was given the opportunity to return to the Mount Vernon Car and Manufacturing Com- pany as general manager. He immediately began guiding the concern in its resolve to produce high quality cars in the tradition of the Pressed Steel Car Company. Pressed Steel was the first builder of all-steel freight cars in the world. Mr. McMillan is a member of the Masonic order, the Elks and Moose lodges of Mount Vernon, the Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions Clubs of Mount Vernon and the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce. He worships in the First Baptist Church and golf and hunting are his chief diversions. His lead- ership in his field are not only helping the development of Southern Illinois but also the transportation and commerce of the nation.
FERREL M. BEAN
Having devoted his entire business life to the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, Ferrel M. Bean is today General Agent for that fine old Boston company at Chicago. That he is known among insurance men throughout the United States follows as a matter of course. He is active in civic work and in the affairs of the Episcopal Church.
The son of P. L. and Maude (Eubank) Bean, Hancock's Chicago chief was born in Farmer City, DeWitt County, on September 13, 1900. Both parents were also natives of that community. P. L. Bean, the son of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Bean, spent his entire business life as a salesman. The mother is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Martin L. Eu- bank.
Ferrel M. Bean was graduated from the Farmer City High School and then attended Eureka College and the University of Illi- nois, and is a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. Many years after he had begun his career with the John Hancock Mutual Life
insurance Company, he attended and in 1941 was graduated from the Life Insurance Agen- cy Management Association's School in Agen- cy Management. In 1949, he took a graduate course in that school. It was in February, 1920, that Mr. Bean started as an agent at Farmer City. He continued to sell insurance while attending the University of Illinois. On January 1, 1924, he was made district agent at Champaign and in July, 1928, he was ad- vanced to agency supervisor at Decatur. From November 15, 1934, to February 1, 1943, he was General Agent at Oklahoma City and on February 1, 1943, he was transferred to the John Hancock home office in Boston as su- perintendent of agencies. This post he held until on February 20, 1946, he returned to Illinois as General Agent at Chicago. As re- ported in "The National Insurance Leader," the year 1943, Mr. Bean's last full year as General Agent at Oklahoma City, was the big- gest year that agency ever had, the total paid volume of business exceeding $4,000,000. When he left to take up his post in Boston, the agency had eight full time agents in the main office and about forty agents in other parts of the State of Oklahoma.
On January 19, 1924, about two weeks aft- er he had been appointed district agent at Champaign, Mr. Bean married Irene Battaile, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William A. Battaile of the university city. Mrs. Bean, who has been a prominent citizen of the communities in which she has lived as Mr. Bean's wife, was active in the American Red Cross throughout World War II, serving as a staff assistant in both the Oklahoma City and Bos- ton Chapters. Mr. and Mrs. Bean have one daughter, Nancy, now Mrs. John W. Jones of Oklahoma City and mother of Douglas B. Jones. The Beans reside at 5555 Sheridan Road, Chicago, and attend St. Chrysostoms Episcopal Church. When they were in Okla- homa City Mr. Bean was on the vestry and Bishop's Council of St. Paul's Cathedral there.
Mr. Bean, who launched the Oklahoma agency for his company in 1934, became one of Oklahoma City's leading citizens. He was active not only in insurance organizations but in many civic groups and for a time was chairman of the Chamber of Commerce med- ical committee and a director of the state Chamber of Commerce. He is now on the board of directors of the Chicago Life Man- agers Association, and also that organization's program chairman; on the board of directors of the Chicago Life Underwriters; on the board of directors of the Illinois State Life
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Underwriters; on the membership committee of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and is vice-president and on the advisory committee of the John Hancock General Agents Association. He also belongs to va- rious Masonic bodies, including the Shrine; the Union League Club; the Executives Club; the Illini Club; the Chicago Association of Commerce and the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce. In politics he is a Republican. Golf, fishing and horseback riding are his recreations. He is a noted citizen of Chicago and the insurance world.
KENNETH W. MOORE
A leading figure at Bloomington both as funeral director and as citizen, Kenneth W. Moore also has a reputation as a proponent of pre-paid burial insurance. He is vice-pres- ident of the undertaking firm of John A. Beck Company and president of the Urbane Burial Insurance Society of Bloomington. He is also a cotton grower.
Mr. Moore was born in Chicago on June 3, 1890, the son of Otto W. and Mary L. (Talty) Moore. His father, also a native of Chicago, was with the Chicago Daily News for many years. He died in 1929. The moth- er, a native of Moline, died in 1939. The future executive of the John A. Beck Co. was educated in Chicago's elementary and high schools and at Northwestern Academy, spending two years at the latter. For twenty- two years after completing his education he was associated with the Peabody-Houghteling Company of Chicago. Then he worked for Otis and Company, also in Chicago, for two and one-half years. In 1934 Mr. Moore moved to Bloomington to join the John A. Beck Company organization, of which he was made vice-president in 1936. He has since assumed the presidency of the Urbane Burial Insur- ance Society. His cotton plantation is lo- cated in Mississippi.
Mr. Moore's first wife was Grace Beck, daughter of the late John A. Beck, the found- er of the John A. Beck Co., and she died May 2, 1936.
On June 22, 1937, Mr. Moore married Eliz- abeth B. Birkoff, a native of Chicago and daughter of Nicholas Birkoff, who was born in Holland and who, after coming to the United States, engaged in the real estate business and died in 1935. Mr. and Mrs. Moore have two children — John Beck Moore, who was born on December 14, 1939, and Kate Isa- belle Moore, who was born on February 13, 1941. The Moore home is at 1309 East Wash-
ington Avenue, Bloomington. Mr. Moore is a Methodist and his wife a Christian Scient- ist.
Mr. Moore belongs to the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, the Bloomington Country Club, the Rotary Club of Blooming- ton and the Union League Club of Chicago. His community work — he is active in every important phase of life at Bloomington — his public service and related activities are his hobbies. He likes golf and traveling for di- version. Mr. Moore's activities, professional and civic, have endeared him to the Blooming- ton public.
T. A. CHAPIN
National fame has enveloped the Illinois Steel Bridge Company of Jacksonville, Mor- gan County, for many years, especially since World War II when the company made such a distinguished contribution to the all-out war program. The company has helped the na- tion in other wars also, especially World War I, for it was founded in 1900 and has always been led by men of national vision and in- terest, such as T. A. Chapin, the president. Mr. Chapin, an outstanding figure in the in- dustrial world, is also one of Illinois' lead- ing citizens.
Mr. Chapin, born in 1870 at White Hall, Illinois and educated at Ann Arbor, Mich., and Dixon College, Illinois, became associated with the company in 1902. It had been found- ed in February, 1900, under the name of Jacksonville Bridge and Machine Company. Its founders were Charles A. Slaughter, Charles Radjohns, Grace Ayers, J. W. Wal- ton, John R. Robertson and W. E. Crane, and it was incorporated for $20,000, with Mr. Crane as president. The firm began on a small scale, its founders furnishing tools and capital. Dedicated to the purpose of building, erecting and repairing steel bridges, making and repairing steel boilers and gen- eral machine work, the company has adhered to this program through its more than half century of existence.
When, two years after the founding, Mr. Chapin joined the company, it was as general manager and a member of the board of direc- tors. Working closely with Mr. Crane, the president, he helped build the concern to its present great success and standing in the field of industry and public service. Mr. Crane con- tinued as president until his death in 1943, and at that time Mr. Chapin succeeded him in the company's top executive post. In 1905, incidentally, the corporate name was changed
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KENNETH W. MOORE
EDWIN L. HAUSMANN
to Illinois Steel Bridge Company, Inc. In ad- dition to Mr. Chapin, the present officers are H. W. Keadey, vice-president, and J. T. Flynn, secretary-treasurer.
In World War II the company fabricated boat sections, steel for ordnance plants and other material for the prosecution of the war. Also, it manufactured for the Lockheed Air- craft Company of California the world's larg- est three-hinged counter-balanced trussed arches for the famous Burbank plant. For this enormous piece of work the Illinois Steel Bridge Company received national attention. Mr. Chapin married Miss Ada Tunson of White Hall, Illinois. They have four children: Conine who died in 1946; she was the wife of Captain T. P. Wilson of the U. S. Navy. T. A. Chapin, Jr., now living in Chicago; Eleanor who married Captain T. P. Wilson in 1949; Clara who is married to George Louden and lives in New York City. Mr. Chapin also has four grandchildren: Diane Wilson, Barbara Wilson, Thomas Wilson, Jr., and Gail Wilson. Like his company, Mr. Chapin holds a distin- guished position in industry. He is also active in civic and philanthropic affairs.
EDWIN L. HAUSMANN
A famous address in western Illinois, es- pecially in Saint Clair County, is 203-11 East Main Street, Belleville. This is the site of the Fellner-Ratheim Inc. Department Store, head- ed by one of the region's most honored citi- zens— Edwin L. Hausmann. Mr. Hausmann not only directs the destinies of the depart- ment store, but is active in banking, in city planning and in civic, service and fraternal organizations. He traces his success back to the days when, as a boy of fourteen, he went to work in St. Louis for a salary of twenty dollars a month, resolved to succeed no mat- ter how hard he had to work.
Mr. Hausmann was born in Belleville on September 15, 1896, the son of Joseph P. and Anna (Berkel) Hausmann. His father, a re- tail merchant in Belleville, was born in 1867 on a farm near Smithton, Saint Clair County; he died in 1907. Anna Berkel Hausmann was born in Smithton in 1874 and died in 1941. The department store prasident was educated in the Cathedral Parochial School of Belle- ville, taking a commercial course in the sev- enth and eighth grades. He then went to St. Louis to work in a bank. He was fourteen and the salary was the meager twenty dollars a month. But he was an expert typist, willing to give long hours to his work, and this meant promotion for him. Today he is president of
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Fellner-Ratheim, Inc., a director and treas- urer of the Building and Loan Association, a director of the Belleville Savings Bank, and a noted figure not only in the retailing world but in civic and municipal affairs.
Mr. Hausmann married Clotilda Fellner, native of Belleville and daughter of Peter and Catherine Fellner, in the county seat in 1919. Mr. and Mrs. Hausmann have three children — a daughter, Dolores, who is as- sistant secretary-treasurer of the Home Build- ing and Loan Association of Belleville, and two sons, Joseph, who married Jean Wey- gandt, and is associated with him in business as secretary of the firm; and Eugene, who ( 1950 ) is a student at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The family wor- ships at St. Luke's Catholic Church, Belleville, and Mr. Hausmann, prominent in the Catholic laiety, is a member of the Holy Name Society.
Mr. Hausmann, interested in serving his city, is a member of the Belleville City Plan- ning Commission. He was also treasurer of the Belleville Board of Trade and of the Com- mercial Club of Belleville. He is a member of the board of directors and vice-president of the Illinois Federation of Retail Associations, and is past president of the Retail Merchants Association of Belleville. He is a past presi- dent also of both the Belleville Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Belleville and is also active in the Belleville Lodge, Be- nevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and is a leading figure in the Belleville Council, No. 1028, Knights of Columbus, in which order he holds the fourth degree. To be successful, Mr. Hausmann contends, a firm must have the constant supervision of its heads and its methods of doing business and of serving customers must constantly be improved. A business man must strive to be the best in his field and to keep his mind on his goal rather than on the hours he works. Civic groups should be supported by every business man because the success of the merchants de- pends on the success of the community, is another belief of Mr. Hausmann. He has fol- lowed all these beliefs throughout his career, and has achieved for himself, his firm and his community all that he has wished.
FRANK McCRORY
The contribution which the late Frank Mc- Crory made through activity in agriculture and the clothing business and in civic and cultural affairs to the development of Central Illinois will long remain in the history of that region, and continue to influence the
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work of future generations. At first a farm- er, Mr. McCrory was in the last 30 years of his life active in the operation of McCrory Brothers Daylight Clothing Store at Charles- ton, seat of Coles County, and he became known and popular throughout that county.
Mr. McCrory was born in Cynthiana, Ken- tucky, on March 24, 1847, the son of James and Mary Ellen (Chambers) McCrory, and came of Scottish and Irish stock. His father, who was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, on November 16, 1814, was the son of James and Sara (Vance) McCrory. Frank McCro- ry's parents were married on March 20, 1838, in Kentucky. His mother, also born at Cyn- thiana, was the daughter of James and Sally (Rankin) Chambers. Her father was a grand- son of the James Chambers who came to America from Chambers, Scotland, and gave his name to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Frank McCrory was educated in the public schools of Charleston, his family having moved to that city in 1850. The father had been in the mercantile business in Cynthiana. At Charleston, he became County Clerk, an office he held eight years. Then he engaged in the mercantile business. Finally, in 1867, he moved to his 160-acre farm on the old Lafayette State Road, now Route 16, between Mattoon and Charleston. As a young man Frank McCrory followed his father into ag- riculture, and so continued until about 1885. In that year he left the farm and moved back to Charleston, where he became a mem- ber of the firm of McCrory Brothers Day- light Clothing Store. He remained in this business for thirty years. His brothers were William Edward, Henry, Joe and Charles Dun- lap McCrory. He also had two sisters, Sarah Ellen, who became Mrs. L. F. Wilson, and Elizabeth, who became Mrs. J. W. Neal.
On April 21, 1875, Mr. McCrory married Elizabeth Jane Balch, the daughter of George Beall and Margaret (Walker) Balch. The cer- emony was performed at Pleasant Grove Township. Mrs. McCrory, who was born on September 18, 1853, in Coles County, is re- membered as a great homemaker. Both Mr. and Mrs. McCrory were active in the First Presbyterian Church. Mr. McCrory founded the first Sunday School in Munroe Church, Lafayette Township, later serving for nine years as ruling elder of the church in Charles- ton. Mrs. McCrory, assisted by her sisters, had published a collection of her father's poetry in book form about 1912. She and Mr. McCrory became the parents of eleven children, six of whom grew to adulthood:
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1. Mary, who died in 1937. She was the wife of E. M. Pierce and the mother of Elizabeth McCrory Pierce. 2. Clara, now Mrs. Frank H. Wescott and mother of Mrs. Clara Jean Galyan and Mrs. Lois Catherine Daily. 3. James, who died on March 22, 1909, while attending Oberlin College. 4. Bertha, now Mrs. J. L. Wilson, and mother of Dr. James McCrory Wilson, George Tinnin Wilson and O. Lee Wilson. 5. Esther McCrory. 6. Marga- ret, who died in 1935. She was the wife of Dr. G. F. Corley and the mother of Edward McCrory Corley. On their mother's side these children are related to the Amos Balch who fought in the Revolutionary War. One of Amos' brothers was on the committee which prepared the Mecklenburg Declaration of In- dependence at Charlotte, North Carolina, in May, 1775. This was Hezekiah J. Balch. An- other brother, Stephen Bloomer Balch, was a famed Presbyterian minister in the George- town section of the District of Columbia. Both Hezekiah and Stephen Balch were Princeton graduates.
Frank McCrory was a former member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He was a great lover of music and nature and also was interested in national and civic affairs. He died on May 15, 1922 — one of the truly be- loved men of his community.
AVERY BRUNDAGE
Internationally famous as an amateur sportsman, for many years president of the United States Olympic Association, vice-chair- man of the International Olympic Commit- tee, and chairman of the Comite Deportivo PanAmericano, Avery Brundage is also noted in Chicago and vicinity as an engineer, builder of outstanding skyscrapers and as a real es- tate and hotel operator.
This celebrated Illinoisan was born in De- troit, Michigan, on September 28, 1887, the son of Charles and Amelia (Lloyd) Brundage. His father, a native of Steuben County, New York, was the descendant of Scottish-English ancestors who settled in New England and New York in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. Mr. Brundage distinguished him- self in athletics and other school activities throughout the years he was obtaining his education. He was graduated from Chicago English High School in 1905 and took the degree of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engi- neering at the University of Illinois in 1909. That same year he was intercollegiate cham- pion, editor of the college magazine, and was elected to the honor societies, Tau Beta Pi
LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
FRANK McCRORY
and Sigma Xi. In 1912 he was a member of the United States Olympic Team. In 1914, 1916 and 1918 he was Amateur All-Round Champion of America. At one time he was Handball Champion of Chicago.
For six year's Mr. Brundage was an archi- tects' and engineers' superintendent in charge of the construction of Chicago skyscrapers. In 1915, he established and became presi- dent of the Avery Brundage Company, Gen- eral Contractors, which erected many of Chi- cago's outstanding buildings. In 1932 he was made chairman of the board of the Roanoke Real Estate Company and in 1939 president of the Roanoke Hotel Corporation. He is also chairman of the board of the LaSalle-Madi- son Hotel Company which owns and operates the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago. At various times he has been a director of other compa- nies and financial institutions.
In 1927 Mr. Brundage married Elizabeth Dunlap, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Carrol Dunlap of Chicago. Mrs. Brundage shares her husband's interest in athletics and is herself active in music and art. She has been his companion on world travels during which they have accumulated a large and im- portant collection of objet d'art. He has one of the finest private collections in the world of Chiness ritual bronzes, porcelain sculpture, jade, Japanese pottery, ivory carvings, net- suke, lacquer and sword fittings. Mr. and Mrs. Brundage maintain homes at 229 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, and 159 Ashley Road, Santa Barbara, California.
To continue the story of Mr. Brundage's place in the world of athletics, it should be pointed out he was president of the Inter- collegiate Conference Athletic Association in 1919. From 1928 through 1933, he was pres- ident of the Central A.A.U., and in 1928 he was elected president of the National A.A.U., an office to which he was reelected seven times. In 1929 he was first elected to his present office as president of the United States Olympic Association and chairman of the United States Olympic Committee. To this position he has been reelected unani- mously six times for four-year terms. He be- came chairman of the United States Pan- American Games Committee in 1941 and was elected first president of Comite Deportivo Panamericano in Buenos Aires in 1940. This post he also continues to hold. Incidentally, at Santa Barbara, in 1949, he was given the Excelentisimo Senor Don de Santa Barbara Award, the fifth person so honored. He is on the executive council of the Comite Interna-
tional Olympique and is vice-president and a member of the Council of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, the Federation Internationale des Sports de Handball d'ama- teur and the Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur. In 1934 he was awarded the special James E. Sullivan trophy for "out- standing service to amateur sport." The au- thor of various articles on amateur sport, he was awarded an honorary degree by Spring- field College in 1940. He is the owner of the Montecito Country Club at Santa Barbara and is a member of the Chicago Athletic Asso- ciation, Chicago Engineers' Club and the Glen- view Country Club. A famed sports writer once called Mr. Brundage. "the high priest of amateur athletics in America." He is one of the great agents of peace in the world.
HARLAN LEE CALDWELL
An organization which has contributed greatly to the progress and welfare of Morgan County and the surrounding territory is the Caldwell Engineering Company of Jackson- ville, the county seat. Of this corporation Harlan Lee Caldwell, a civil engineer, is presi- dent. Mr. Caldwell, prominent in the con- struction and industrial fields, is also a man with a reputation in civic, organizational and educational affairs, and in the Congregational Church.
Born on March 16, 1886, in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, Mr. Caldwell is the son of George and Mary (Draper) Caldwell. His father, a native of Hartford, Indiana, and a Civil War veteran, traveled to South Dakota in a covered wagon in 18 72 and homesteaded. He became a successful and influential farm- er. The mother, a native of Cambridge, Illi- nois was the daughter of Clinton and Har- riet (Vertner) Draper. Harlan Lee Caldwell attended the University of Minnesota, at Min- neapolis, in the summers of 1908 and 1909 and from 1908 to 1911 he was a regularly- enrolled student at the University of South Dakota, at Vermillion. He was elected to Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Sigma Tau Fra- ternities. Since completing his education Mr. Caldwell has been in the engineering and con- struction business. He operated his present enterprise as an individual from 1912 to 1948. In July, 1948, the Caldwell, Engineer- ing Company was incorporated, with Mr. Caldwell as president.
On June 24, 1913, at Vermillion, South Dakota, Mr. Caldwell married Vera Kahl, the daughter of Charles and Stella Kahl. They are the parents of two sons and two daughters —
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Robert H. Caldwell; Donald L. Caldwell, who married Anne Grover; Margaret, the wife of T. R. Coleman; and Betty, the wife of Jack Mathews and mother of Constance .Lee Mathews. Like her husband Mrs. Caldwell is prominently identified with important activi- ties in Jacksonville. She is active in the P. E. O. Sisterhood, various women's clubs, the Fortnightly, Monday Conservation Club, and ihe Jacksonville Country Club. The family home is at 255 North Webster Avenue, Jack- sonville, and the family worships in the Con- gregational Church. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cald- well are active in this church. Mr. Caldwell, a member of the church's board of trus- tees, is past chairman of the prudential com- mittee and present chairman of the building committee, is property custodian and hospital representative of the church and member of the Board of Governors of the Memorial Hos- pital.
In the community at large Mr. Caldwell has served on the school board 15 years, 1920 to 1935; is past exalted ruler of the Jackson- ville Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and is vice president of the Jackson- ville Community Chest and chairman of the Council of Social Agencies. Formerly presi- dent of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville, he was an official delegate to the Rotary Inter- national convention at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1948. Has been interested in Boy Scout work many years and is past Chairman of the Honest Abe District of Boy Scouts of America, and is presently a member of the Executive Board Abraham Lincoln Council Boy Scouts of America and in 1948 was awarded the National Silver Beaver Award, the highest honor in scouting. Golf and hunting are his favorite sports. Mr. Caldwell, five feet eleven inches tall and weighing 175 pounds, is de- scribed as of jovial disposition. His business address is 803 West College Avenue, Jackson- ville. He is one of Morgan County's most influential citizens, as well as one of its more popular personalities.
EDWARD H. MEYER
On the outskirts of Mount Vernon, in Jef- ferson County, stands a modern establishment, operated with the most up-to-date equipment and rendering tremendous service to Southern Illinois and a large part of Kentucky — the Ed. Meyer Tractor Company. Founded and operat- ed by Edward H. Meyer, a native of the area, this company sells road machinery and con- struction equipment. Mr. Meyer, renowned in
the area, is active in the county and city's civic affairs.
He was born at St. Jacob, Madison Coun- ty, on October 20, 1899, the son of Hugo Meyer, a livestock dealer, and Louisa (Adler) Meyer, both of whom were also born in that community. The father died in 1945. Ed Meyer's paternal grandfather was Conrad Meyer, who lived most of his life in St. Louis. Ed Meyer was educated in St. Jacob's public schools. When he completed his education he went to work on his father's farm in Mad- ison County. Then, for awhile, he worked for the Brooks Tomato Products Company at Collinsville, in charge of field production. Afterward he was with the G. S. Suppiger Company of Belleville as supervisor of field work and salesman. From this work he was transferred to the Scientific Tablet Company, also of Belleville, a subsidiary of the Suppi- ger Company, as special salesman. In 1928, he left this concern to sell milking machines and other farm equipment for the Babson Brothers of Chicago. From 1933 to 1945 he was in the sales department of the Allis-Chal- mers company's tractor division. During the war years Mr. Meyer was expeditor for Allis- Chalmers Manufacturing Co. Then, in 1946, Mr. Meyer established the Ed. Meyer Tractor Company, with plant on the Salem Road, at Stanley Avenue, just north of the Mount Vernon city limits. The building is sixty by one hundred forty. His firm represents six- teen leading manufacturers of construction equipment. He is represented on the road by six salesmen. Operating with a stream- lined organization, Mr. Meyer has an office manager, shop foreman, service manager, sales manager, credit manager and parts de- partment. The repair shop has space of sixty by seventy feet, with ten expert mechanics working full time, five of them in the shop itself and the other six on the road with the company's six service trucks. There are $50,- 000 worth of parts in the parts department. One of Mr. Meyer's customers is his only brother, Fred, who owns an eighty-acre farm in Madison County. Mr. Meyer is a member of the Associate Equipment Distributors, the Masonic fraternity, the Mount Vernon Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Mount Vernon Chamber of Com- merce and the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce. He is considered one of the more aggressive and far-seeing leaders in the com- munity.
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LIBHARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
EDWARD H. MEYER
HARRY JOHN SCHMOEGER
HARRY JOHN SCHMOEGER
President of the Peoria Builders Supply Company, with headquarters at 1412-14 South Washington Street, Peoria, Harry John Schmoeger is a familiar figure in construc- tion operations in the area. He not only leads this firm but is president of the J. C. Proc- tor Lumber Company and the Peoria Ready- Mixed Concrete Company and was a pioneer in the ready-mixed concrete field. His firms play an important part in the growth of the region.
Mr. Schmoeger was born in Sterling, Whiteside County, Illinois, on September 19, 1883, the son of Sebastian A. and Katherine (Salzman) Schmoeger, both of whom were natives of Germany. His father, who died m 1937, was a butcher, farmer, banker and stockman. The mother died in 1939. Harry Schmoeger first attended the elementary and high schools of Sterling. He then attended the Pennsylvania Military College and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. For sev- en years after leaving school he worked in the sales department of the United States Gypsum Company. In 1911 Mr. Schmoeger moved to Peoria, where he bought out the branch of the United States Gypsum Com- pany, in association with a partner. The name of the company was then changed to Peoria Builders Supply Company, and until 1931 Mr. Schmoeger was vice-president and manager-. In 1931, he was made president, and since then he has continued to occupy that office. The firm carries a general stock of building supplies, hardware, mason supplies and sim- ilar items. It covers the Peoria trade terri- tory and employs forty persons. The Proctor Lumber Company is the oldest firm in its field in Peoria, having been established in 1845. Mr. Schmoeger's other Company, the Ready-Mixed Concrete, is the oldest or one of the oldest in its field.
Mr. Schmoeger married Irene Louise Craw- ford of Sterling on May 12, 1912. She is the daughter of Elmer E. Crawford, also a native of Sterling, and Jennie (Burdick) Crawford, who was born in Chicago and died in 1943. Mr. Crawford, who died in 1941, was a utilities executive. Mr. and Mrs. Schmoe- ger are the parents of three children — Kath- erine, born in 1914, now the wife of Joseph E. Cook; Ann, born in 1916, now Mrs. Oli- ver E. Day, Jr., and mother of Barbara Day, born in 1946; and Barbara, born in 1917, now Mrs. Bert Wheeler, Jr., and mother of Mark Wheeler, born in 1947. Mr. and Mrs. Harry J. Schmoeger reside at Ankabar Acres,
Washington, in Tazewell County. Mr. Schmoe- ger worships in the Lutheran Church, his wife in the Presbyterian.
Ankabar Acres, the Schmoeger home, is a thousand-acre farm operated by Mr. Schmoe- ger. It is devoted to general farming. An- other of Mr. Schmoeger's activities in the rural world is the operation of one of the major Standard Bred horse farms of the na- tion. Horses are his hobby and he has owned world champions Ankabar, Promoter, Eddie Havens and Mclwin. Horses from Ankabar Acres Farms are winners and contenders at the nation's leading raceways and state and county fairs. Twenty-five colts are sold an- nually from Ankabar Acres. Mr. Schmoeger is a popular figure among horsemen and sportsmen in general. He is a member of the Materials Dealers Association, the Peoria As- sociation of Commerce, the Creve Coeur Club, the Masonic order and Phi Kappa Psi Fra- ternity. He has contributed to progress and welfare at Peoria and is one of that city's eminent citizens.
CHESTER R. DAVIS, LL.D.
Possessor of a national reputation as a banker and trust officer, Chester R. Davis is senior vice president and a member of the board of directors of the Chicago Title and Trust Company. He has held positions of great responsibility and influence in banking and fiduciary organizations and is one of the leading figures in regional planning and con- servation in Cook County, and is also noted in educational work.
Born at Saint Charles, Kane County, on February 2 7, 1896, Chester R. Davis is the son of the late Perry H. Davis and Lydia (Buhl) Davis. His father was the superin- tendent of the Moline Malleable Iron Com- pany which he moved from Moline to Saint Charles; he was the son of the late Wil- liam and Mary Elrick Davis. Chester Davis took the degree of Bachelor of Arts at Lake Forest College in 1917 and the degree of Bachelor of Laws at the University of Illinois in 1922. He was elected to such fraternities as Alpha Delta Phi, social; Phi Delta Phi, legal; Phi Pi Epsilon, social, and Scabbard and Blade, honorary military.
Mr. Davis began his career in the trust de- partment of the Chicago Title and Trust Com- pany in 192 2. Two years later he was ad- vanced to assistant trust officer, a post he held until 1936. In 1932 Mr. Davis was elec- ted a vice president and in 1936 he was made vice president and trust officer. From these
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posts he rose to senior vice president in November, 194 7, having been elected to the board of directors in 1938.
Mr. Davis married Mead Scoville, daughter of George F. and Valina Mead Scoville, in the Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago, on Oc- tober 12, 1929. They have three children — Chester R. Davis, Jr., Richard Scoville Davis and Jean Kathleen Davis. The family makes its home at Wayne, on Oakenwald Farm.
Mr. Davis has an outstanding position in the banking world. He was a member of the American Bankers Association executive council from 1947 to 1948, was chairman of the organization's committee on service for war veterans from 1944 to 1947 and was a member of its executive committee in the trust division from 1943 to 1947. In 1938 and again in 1943 he was president of the Corporate Fiduciaries Association. Outside the banking business, he is a director of such firms as Kramer Opticians, Inc., Chicago Gravel Company, Zeigler Coal Company, Crib- ben and Sexton Company, DuPage Title Com- pany and Kane County Title Company. In the field of education and welfare, he has been active with the Morrison Old Peoples Home, the Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children, been a trustee of the University of Illinois (194 0-49), Lake Forest College and Hektoen Institute for Medical Research, been an as- sociate of Northwestern University and a member of the Citizens Board of the Univers- ity of Chicago. Also, himself a veteran of World War I, Mr. Davis has served as chair- man of the advisory committee, Department of Public Welfare, by appointment of Gov- ernor Emmerson, handling veterans problems, particularly the distribution of unclaimed funds under World War I bonus legislation. In 1929-30, he was chairman of the rehabili- tation committee, American Legion, Depart- ment of Illinois. In World War I, he was Cap- tain of Company K, 320th Infantry, 80th division, American Expeditionary Force, and wounded in action in France, was decorated with the Order of the Purple Heart. In the World War II period (1940-47) Mr. Davis was a Brigadier General, commanding the First Brigade, Illinois Reserve Militia. He is now Major General, Retired. For his many contributions to life in America, Mr. Davis received the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Lake Forest College in 19 49. His clubs include Legal (president in 1944); Ex- ecutives (director in 1949-51); University, Mid-Day, Economic, Commercial., Army and Navy, Sky Line, Law, Rehearsal, St. Charles
Country, Dunham Woods Riding. He is a Mason and Shriner. His honorary degree is but one of the many forms of recognition of his contribution.
HON. J. WES. GENTRY
The Mayor of Carterville is a public-spirited citizen well known in the Southern Illinois coal mine industry — the Honorable J. Wes. Gentry- He is owner of the Pure Coal Com- pany and president of the No. 6 Coal Com- pany, Inc. Mayor Gentry is also noted for his work on behalf of welfare and boys and for his devotion to the development of the entire Southern Illinois region.
Born in Carterville on June 15, 1916, Mr. Gentry is the son of Edward and Jennie (Cole- man) Gentry. Both the parents were also born in Illinois. They are now divorced. Ed- ward Gentry, a coal mine operator, is the son of the late Thomas J. Gentry, who was one of Illinois' Republican leaders. The Mayor of Carterville was educated in the elemen- tary and high schools of that city, graduating from high school in 1934. He completed his more formal education at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, where he partici- pated in the staging of school plays and was cheer leader at rallies and athletic events. He supplemented his education with correspon- dence courses in engineering and mining.
While attending school Mr. Gentry operated a newspaper agency in Carterville, working in coal mines on weekends. In 19 43, he, his father and brother bought a small mine, which was operated under the name of t lie Gentry Coal Company. The father and bro- ther later withdrew from this business, and J. Wes. Gentry became its owner. Subse- quently, also he assumed the presidency of the No. 6 Coal. Company, Inc.
Mr. Gentry married Nelle Mae Boren, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James D. Boren of Carterville, in that city on April 3, 1938. Mr. and Mrs. Gentry are the parents of throe children — Lynn Carol, Jennifer and Joan. The latter two are twins. Mr. Gentry himself comes of a family of four children, among whom he was born second. The others are James, William and Genevieve Gentry. The Gentry family worships in the Second Bapiisi Church of Carterville. Mr. Gentry is a devout Christian and aside from being active in liis church lives in accordance with strict Christian principles.
His devotion to the public welfare brought him election as Carterville's Mayor. Also, he is a member of the Carterville High School Board and, a sponsor of the Boy Scout move-
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LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
HON. J. WES. GENTRY
This Space Reserved for the Portrait of Edgar Monroe Stephens, Jr.
ment, serves as member-at-large on the Egyp- tian District Committee, Boy Scouts of Ameri- ca. He is president of the Carterville High School Alumni Association and a member of the board of directors of the Greater Egyptian Association. In addition, he belongs to the Southern Ilinois, Inc., the Lions Club of Carterville, the Carterville Lodges of the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows and the Fra- ternal Order of Eagles. In politics he is a Republican. Hunting and fishing are his favorite recreations, and related to these are two of his hobbies — bird dogs and guns. He is president-elect of the Crab Orchard Sports- men's Association and a member of the Illi- nois Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs of which he is presently director for the south- ern zone. Another major interest is classical music, especially grand opera, and he owns eight hundred of the best recordings for his radio-phonograph combination. He has long served his community and region in a manner to make him one of the most popular figures there.
EDGAR MONROE STEPHENS, JR.
Not only in Illinois but also in Kentucky and Missouri the name of Stephens has been associated for three generations with high quality contracting work and major construc- tion projects. Though as a firm the big con- struction organization bearing this name, Edgar Stephens and Sons, Inc., of Cairo, bar- kens back only to 1906, when it was taken into the general field by the father of Edgar Monroe Stephens, Jr., its antecedents are far- ther back — to the days when the latter's mandfn ther operated as a masonry and con- crete contractor. Like the earlier men of the family, Edgar Monroe Stephens, Jr., now the head of the business, takes a leading part in civic movements, and is a highly honored citizen of the community.
He was born in Cairo on December 3, 1917. His father, Edgar Monroe Stephens, was a native of Mayfield, Kentucky. The senior E. M. Stephens was one of Cairo's most promi- nent citizens. He was active in Rotary and Masonry, and served on the board of educa- tion for twenty-five years. James M. Stephens, who called the masonry and concrete con- tracting business "J. M. Stephens and Son, Masonry and Concrete," was also prominent in the community. The mother of Edgar M. Stephens, Jr., is the former Iva Mae Bateman, a native of DeSoto, Illinois. She is active in the city's affairs and in the Women's Club and in the First Methodist Church.
Mr. Stephens was graduated from the Cairo High School in 1935. In 1937, 1938 and 1939 he attended the University of Illinois, where lie was elected to Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. He left school in 1939 to manage his father's business, which had, in 1906, been named Edgar Stephens and Sons. The other sons were Eugene and Russell Stephens. E. M. Stephens, Jr., is now president and general manager of the business, which has a branch at Carbondale. The firm does a general con- tracting operation, but specializes in com- mercial and industrial construction. Mr. Stephens owns and operates the Stephens Ready-Mixed Concrete Company of Cairo. Both the companies operate in Illinois, Ken- tucky and Missouri. By late 1949 the con- struction firm had built twelve school edifices. Extent of recent operations include; Tele- phone buildings at Carmi and Fairfield, Illi- nois; Physical and Vocational Building, Har- risburg, 111., Lincoln Junior High School and Springmore Grade School at Carbondale, 111., Clinic and hospital at Carbondale, 111.., Wash- ington Junior High School, Cairo Junior High school and an addition to Sumner High School at Cairo, Illinois. St. Mary's Nurses Home, Cairo, 111., Reiss Dairy at Sikeston, Mo., Coca- Cola bottling plant, Sikeston, Mo., Sections No. 1 and No. 2 of the Ohio River flood wall improvements, Cairo, 111., R.E.A. Office build- ing, Donzola, Illinois and Rodgers Theatre at Popular Bluff, Mo., opened in May, 1949, one of the chain owned by I. Walter Rodgers of Cairo, whose life story is also told in this his- tory of Illinois.
Edgar M. Stephens, Jr., married Virginia Shelton, in Cairo on January 1, 1941. Mrs. Stephens was reared by an uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. George E. Dunn, in Cairo. Her uncle at one time owned the Hotel Cairo. She is active in the First Methodist Church and ?s past president of the Junior Women's Club. Mr. and Mrs. Stephens are the parents of Ronald Bruce Stephens, who was born on January 14, 1943.
Mr. Stephens is a director of the Junior As- sociation ot Commerce of Cairo and is active in the Association of General Contractors of America, the Egyptian Country Club of Cairo and the Masonic order. In Masonry, he be- longs to the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite and the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, as well as other bodies. His construction work and community activi- ties enable him to do his share in the build- ing of Southern Illinois.
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RICHARD ANTHONY DOOLEY
"Peoria's factories are nationally famous for modern mass production and precision standards." So says a statement of the As- sociation of Commerce of Illinois' second city, famed for its live and prosperous spirit. Among the plants which have helped give the city its reputation is that operated by Dooley Brothers, Inc., at 1201 South Wash- ington Street, of which Richard Anthony Dooley is president. This firm not only manu- factures electric cold drills but is also the agent for the explosives produced by E. I. duPont de Nemours and Company. Mr. Dooley is not only one of Peoria's leading citizens but is also a leading figure among lay Ca- tholics and industrialists. James B. Dooley, grandfather of Richard A. Dooley, was one of Peoria's most highly respected citizens and was well known in business circles, being not only an extensive dealer in coal, but also the manufacturer of a line of coal drills which were in demand throughout the coal indus- try, both domestic and foreign. He was born at Albion Mines, Pictou county, Nova Scotia on June 21, 18 54 and was the son of Ed- ward and Joanna (Bradshaw) Dooley. He was of the third generation of his family in this country, his paternal grandfather, James Dooley, having been born in County Wexford, Ireland, whence he came to America in Young manhood.
James B. Dooley received a very limited education in the public schools of Nova Scotia, for at the age of nine years, he went to work in the mines. In 1881 he came to Peoria to work in the mines and in 188 4, in associa- tion with others, started a cooperative mine below Bartonville. In 1913 Dooley Bros, pur- chased the business of Wantling Brothers, makers of coal, drills.
On February 8, 18 84, Mr. Dooley was unit- ed in marriage to Miss Fredericka Schultz, a native of Pennsylvania and they became the parents of a son Edward J. Dooley, who was born on September 11, 1885. He married Miss Catherine O'Gorman, who was born in Peoria, on July 30, 1883. To this union were born eleven children, namely, Emma, Mil- dred, James Eileen, Mary, Rita, Lucille, Richard, Edward, Fredericka, and Eugene. Edward J. Dooley was made Secretary of Dooley Bros. December 2 0, 1917 and was an officer in this capacity until his death, May 13, 1929.
Richard Anthony Dooley was born in
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Peoria on June 16, 1922, the son of Edward J. and Catherine L. (O'Gorman) Dooley, both also natives of that city. He was educated in the primary and high schools of Peoria, and at Brown's Business College, Peoria, where for sixteen months he studied busi- ness administration. In 1941 Mr. Dooley went to work for the family company and be- gan learning the business. It was not many months later that the Japanese made their "sneak attack" at Pearl Harbor and plunged the United States directly into World War II. Mr. Dooley took a military leave from the plant and went into the United States Army Air Force. He served in the Asiatic and Pacific Theaters of War, attaining the rank of Sergeant. Separated from the service in December, 1945, he returned to Dooley Brothers in 1946 and was elected to his present post of president. He has done much to ex- tend the company's business and prestige and supervises a personnel of forty-nine. The elec- tric cold drills produced by the company are sold in all parts of the United States.
Mr. Dooley, who is unmarried, is active in the Peoria Association of Commerce, the Illi- nois State Chamber of Commerce, the Cham- ber of Commerce of the United States, the Peoria Association of Credit Men, the Knights of Columbus, the Te Deum Institute and the Creve Coeur Club. Photography is his hobby. He makes his home at 812 Stratford Drive, Peoria. Carrying on traditions made famous by his grandfather, and other members of his family, Richard Anthony Dooley is mak- ing an outstanding contribution as indus- trialist, citizen and churchman.
HON. SAMUEL THOMPSON BUSEY
One-time Mayor of Urbana, one-time mem- ber of the United States Congress represent- ing Champaign and adjoining counties, Civil War veteran, banker, friend of the farmer and farmer himself, sportsman — Such wis the record of the late Samuel Thompson Busey, whose service to his fellow citizens of Illinois contributed so highly to the devel- opment and welfare of the State.
Born at Greencastle, Indiana, on November 16, 1835, Mr. Busey was the son of Matthew Wales Busey, a farmer, and Elizabeth (Bush) Busey, who was the daughter of John and Mary Bush of Washington County, Indiana. The future statesman was educated in the public schools and in a seminary located in Urbana in the early days.
Mr. Busey became a merchant, in partner- ship with a friend, in tha days preceding the
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Civil War. Also, he farmed, and this interest, dating from the time of his birth, remained with him to the end of his life. On August 2 2, 1862, he took a military leave from all his civilian activities to be mustered into the Seventy-sixth Infantry, in which he was com- missioned a Lieutenant-Colonel. The follow- ing February he was promoted to Colonel in command of the regiment. This rank he re- tained until the end of the war, at which time he was breveted Brigadier-General, in recognition of his gallantry at Fort Blakeley. The regiment was mustered out on August 4, 1865.
After the war Mr. Busey continued his farming and Mercantile activities. In Feb- ruary, 1868, he and his brother, S. H. Busey and a Mr. Earhart launched Busey's Bank in Urbana. In the following years Samuel Busey established his reputation as an earnest, hard- working civic leader and in 18 8 0 the citizens of the city harnessed his interest and ener- gies officially by naming him Mayor. He served until 1889. In 1891, he was elected on the Democratic ticket to the United States Congress and he served for one term, 18 92-4. At the time of his election as a Representa- tive, he severed active relations with the bank, though he kept a desk in the execu- tive's section, where he advised his numerous friends and carried on his farming interests. He had about 1400 acres. Toward the end of his life he laid out Woodlawn Cemetery in Urbana. Though he did not belong to any church, Mr. Busey was a deeply religious man who found God in his service to his fellow man. He sang in the choir of the First Meth- odist Church of Urbana. He was a member of the Masonic order.
Mr. Busey was a Democrat through most of his career, the first man to defeat the famed and almost indomitable Joe Cannon. But later in his career he was unable to agree with Bryan on the free silver issue and broke away from the Democratic Party to vote Re- publican. He was fond of horses and not only ode them but kept a team to drive. He also liked outdoor games and fishing. It was fish- ing that brought about his death. August, 1909, when he drowned at Mantrap Lake, Min- nesota. His body was brought back to Urbana and buried in the family lot in Woodlawn.
Mr. Busey married Mary Elizabeth Bowen, the daughter of Abner T. and Catherine T. Bowen, at Delphi, Indiana, on December 2 5, 187 7. His wife was also active in public af- fairs and in 1904 was elected to the Univers-
ity of Illinois board of trustees. She served on that body until her death in 1930. Mr. and Mrs. Busey were the parents of three children — Marietta, who was married to Guy Allan Tawney on April 6, 1909. Her children are George Busey Tawney, born July 7, 1912, who died in the military service on June 27, 19 43, the husband of Lenore Gallagher, Miss Elizabeth Paige Tawney, and Catherine Tawney, born February 3, 1922, married to John Guyon and living in New York City, the mother of two boys; Bertha Busey, who died in 1923; Charles Bowen Busey, who was killed in the service in World War I. He mar- ried Louise Carter in 1911 and one son was born to them: Charles B. Busey, Jr., who, married, and is the father of three children. Tall and strong, the late Samuel Thomp- son Busey was a familiar figure along the streets of Urbana. He was known for his kindness and for the wisdom and efficacy of his advice. He belonged to that group of men who gave their utmost to the development of their country.
GUY ALLAN TAWNEY, M.A., Ph.D.
Two generations of Americans in the East and Middle West knew and loved the late Dr. Guy Allan Tawney, philospher and teacher of philosophy, who served on the faculties of four institutions of higher learning, includ- ing the University of Illinois at Urbana. Aside from holding a position of great prominence in the educational world, Dr. Tawney was at the time of his death an outstanding figure in the civic life of Urbana and was an officer in two of its financial institutions and the head of the Woodlawn Cemetery Association. He was also a leader in the Presbyterian Church and active in the work of McCormick Theological Seminarj.
Born at Tippecanoe City, Ohio, Dr. Tawney was the son of the Reverend Daniel. A. Tawney, a Presbyterian minister, and Adele (Paige) Tawney of Johnston, Ohio. He was educated at MacAlester College, St. Paul, Minnesota; Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana; Princeton University, and Leipzig University in Germany. At Princeton, where he was active in debating, he took the de- grees of Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts. Lepizig awarded him the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy.
Dr. Tawney then taught philosophy at Beloit College, Belcit, Wisconsin; Columbia University in New York City; Squire pro- fessor and head of the department at the
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University of Cincinnati, and finally profes- sor at the University of Illinois.
On April 6, 1909, in Urbana, Dr. Tawney married Marietta Busey, the daughter of Gen- eral S. T. and Mary E. Busey of the Cham- paign County seat. Mrs Tawney died of heart failure on December 31, 1949. Mrs. Tawney was one of Urbana's best known and beloved women. She was influential and popular in Cincinnati. She was actve in many spheres of interest in Champaign County, especially in the League of Women Voters. At Cincin- nati she served on the City Charter Commit- tee which drew up one of the model municipal government structures of the world. She took her degree of Bachelor of Arts at Vassar Col- lege in 1899 and after a period of graduate study at the University of Cincinnati was awarded the degree of Master of Arts. Dr. and Mrs. Tawney became the parents of a son and two daughters — George Busey Tawney, who married Lenore Gallagher and died in service in World War II, on June 2 7, 1943; Miss Elizabeth Paiee Tawney; and Catherine Jane, who on October 7, 19 43, was married to John Guyon and is the mother of George Denis Guyon, born January 6, 1946, and Paul Joris Guyon, born June 22, 1948. Mrs. Tawney made her home at 502 West Main Street, Urbana, and was active in the Presby- terian Church.
Dr. Tawney, who was well known in the church, was a life member of its board of elders. He also served on the board of trus- tees of McCormick Theological Seminary. He was chairman of the board of the Busey First National Bank of Urbana, treasurer of the Citizens Building and Loan Association of Urbana and president of Woodlawn Cemetery. Also, served on the board of the University of Illinois Young Men's Christian Association and was a member of the Rotary Club and Chamber of Comerce of Urbana. His fratern- ity was Phi Delta Theta. In politics he was independent. His death occurred on January 5, 1947, at Urbana, and he was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.
A man nearly six feet tall, Dr. Tawney was a modest, unassuming individual who in- spired confidence with his wisdom and human understanding and who was especially loved by his students.
I. WALTER RODGERS
"There's no business like show business," as the saying goes, and in show business there are few individuals with more spectacular
success stories or popularity than I. Walter Rodgers of Cairo, Illinois. The string of mo- tion picture houses operated by Mr. Rodgers under the name of Rodgers Theaters, Inc., stretches from the southeast corner of Ar- kansas to the northeast corner of Missouri and to Southern Illinois, and the policies un- der which these theaters operate have made Mr. Rodgers' name one to conjure with in that region.
Mr. Rodgers was born in Neoga, Cumber- land County, Illinois, on April 3, 1875, the son of Carson Porter and Martha (Veatch) Rodgers. His grandfather, Isaac Rodgers, was born near Huntsville, Alabama, and came to Illinois before the Civil War, where his son, Carson Porter Rodgers, established himself as a general merchant at Farmington and Janesville. Isaac Rodgers, settled on a Govern- ment land grant more than a century ago near Janesville. Martha Veatch Rodgers came of a family which originated in the area near Mam- moth Cave, Kentucky. Her grandfather, when sixteen years old, was with Washington's Army in the Revolution, and was wounded in battle during Gates' Defeat and was captured by the Pritish.
Mr. Rodgers attended school near Charles- ton while he worked on the family farm. Even after leaving school, he remained on the farm awhile. Then he went to Mattoon, where he worked as a clerk in the Big Four shops. Later he was assistant secretary of the Mat- toon Young Men's Christian Association. To this day he never touches coffee, tobacco or alcohol. In 1893, when he was eighteen, Mr. Rodgers went into "show business," having, as he says, "been born with show business in my blood." He bought a phonograph, at that time one of the great wonders of the world, and with it traveled the country and ap- peared in lodge halls, schools and churches, sharing the profits with sponsoring groups. People came and paid money to listen to the first "talking and music machine." When the x-ray was invented, Mr. Rodgers bought one of the machines and exhibited it in the South, where it attracted as much attention as the phonograph. Mr. Rodgers used his own body to demonstrate the workings of the machine, receiving 25 cents from each customer. He received one of the first x-i-ay burns in his- tory. In 1896 came the motion picture, and Mr. Rodgers was among the first to open a "store show." or "nickelodeon," this being in New Orleans. Later, he had a "store show" in Chattanooga. Mr. Rodgers was forced to buy his films and he more or less prophesied the
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I. WALTER RODGERS
HON. HERMAN CROVER WANGEI.IN
future of the film industry when he sought, in vain, to induce other "store show" opera- tors, also forced to buy films, to establish a film exchange. When business in Chattanoo- ga dwindled, Mr. Rodgers obtained a hydro- gen and oxygen outfit to make light for his movie projector and made another tour of the South, showing his pictures in towns where there were no electric light plants. Thus he was able to show again and again the films he had bought in Chattanooga but could no longer exhibit there because they had become "old stuff."
In June, 1906, Mr. Rodgers married Grace Sawyer of Clarksville, Tennessee, the daugh- ter of John and Lyda (Williamson) Sawyer. Mr. Rodgers acquired a business partner as well as a wife, for in later years Mrs. Rodgers was to take an active part in the building of the Rodgers chain of theaters. One son, Car- son W. Rodgers, was born to them in Mont- gomery, Alabama, on July 31, 1907. He is now president and general manager of Rodg- ers Theaters, Inc. He married Helen Pease of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and is the father of Grace Culp, Phyllis Ann and Helen Car- son Rodgers.
At about the time of his marriage Mr. Rodgers, discouraged over the state of the film industry, left show business temporarily and operated hotels at Cleveland and Clarks- ville, Tennessee, LaGrange, Georgia, and Ful- ton, Kentucky. Also, for a time, he operated a billiard parlor in Tampa, Florida. When the film industry took on a new lease of life, with the telling of stories — as Mr. Rodgers had once predicted — he returned to the field. He and his wife purchased a theater at Jones- boro, Arkansas, and in March, 1914, took over the Princess Theater, and closed it, and still later the Jewel Theater, which they continue to operate. Also, they acquired and closed the Lyceum Theater of Poplar Bluff. In addi- tion to the Criterion and Jewel in that city, the Rodgerses have built a modern motion pic- ture palace, the Rodgers ,which opened to busy theatergoers in May, 1949. Other thea- ters now in the chain are in Caruthersville, .Missouri; Anna, Carbondale and Cairo, Illinois, and Blytheville, Arkansas.
In 1914, Mr. Rodgers was one of a trio which organized the Motion Picture Theater Owners Association of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, and Mr. Rodgers was the organization's first president. Since 1921, when he bought the theaters in Cairo, he has made that city the headquarters of the chain. Mr. Rodgers is active in The Committee of
100, an exclusive club at Miami, Florida — with about 400 members, all multi-million- aires and representing every section of the United States. He is also a member of the Surf Club and the LaGorce Country Club of Miami Beach, the Rotary Club of Cairo, the Egyptian Country Club of Cairo, the Variety Club of Miami Beach, the Masonic Order and its various bodies, such as the Shrine and Scot- tish Rite, the Elks and the Knights of Pythias. Though in his seventies, Mr. Rodgers still plays 18 holes of golf. He owns a home in Miami Beach as well as in Cairo. A great portion of the Middle West has been stimu- lated to development and to culture through the activities of this leader of show business — I. Walter Rodgers.
HON. HERMAN GROVER WANGELIN
A leader in many fields, the Honorable Herman Grover Wangelin of Belleville may be said to have pioneered in the retail sale of automobiles — not only because he entered the business at an early age in the early part of the present century but because he per- suaded, even before then, his father to enter that business. Today Mr. Wangelin is an out- standing figure in the industry. But he has also made a reputation for himself in public affairs, in the political world, in local and state chamber of commerce activities and in the field of education. He is a former post- master of Belleville — an office held by his grandfather in post-Civil War days — and by his father under the administration of Grover Cleveland. Mr. Wangelin comes of an illus- trious family closely identified with develop- ments in Illinois. Boi'n in Belleville on Au- gust 5, 1890, he is the son of Irvin Hugo and Johanna (Weber) Wangelin. His father, a native of Lebanon, in the same county, was the son of Colonel Hugo Wangelin, who came to the United States from Germany about 1848. The Colonel, who won his title with the Union forces in the Civil War, was a merchant in Lebanon. Later, he lived in Belle- ville, which he served as Postmaster by ap- pointment of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and U. S. Grant. Irvin Hugo Wangelin grew up in Belleville and was also in the mercantile business, though later he switched to the in- surance business. He was appointed postmas- ter of Belleville by President Grover Cleve- land and served four years. In 1909, at the request of his son, Herman, he entered the automobile business as a Buick dealer. Jo- hanna Weber Wangelin was the daughter of
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Mr. and Mrs. Herman G. Weber, who also came to Illinois from Germany.
Herman Grover Wangelin was educated in Belleville's public schools and at the Univer- sity of Illinois, where he spent three years. On his return home he joined his father in the automobile business. Their firm, Modern Automobile and Garage Company, sold Buick, White, Steamer and Cadillac cars. In 1911, they became the Ford dealers. In 1924, Her- man Wangelin took over the business under his own name and in 1936 became the Chrys- ler-Plymouth dealer, which franchise he still represents. He has been in business on East Main Street for forty years (as of 1950) and owns considerable real estate. In 1936 he was appointed Postmaster of Belleville by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This office he occupied until on May 1, 1948, he resigned to return to his automobile business.
In 1914 Mr. Wangelin married Magdalen Heidinger of Belleville, daughter of Julius Heidinger. Two sons were born to them — Don J., who is in the research department of Pure Oil Company at Northfield, who mar- ried Elizabeth Moe of Detroit and who is father of two children, Carolyn and James Wangelin; and Jack J. The latter was a B-17 pilot in World War II. He was killed by flak over Germany on his thirteenth mission and was buried in England. Previously wounded and awarded the Purple Heart, he had been restored to active duty.
A leader in his field, Mr. Wangelin is past president of the local and state automobile associations and for three years was secretary of the National Automobile Dealers Associa- tion and a member of the National Control Committee during the NRA. He was first president of the Belleville Chamber of Com- merce and a director of the Illinois State Chamber. He is also past president of the Rotary Club and for five years was president of the Belleville School Board. He was pres- ident of the Illinois Postmasters Association and founded the Illinois Postmasters News, which he edited nearly three years. He is vice-president of the First Mutual Building Association, an Elk and a Democrat. Further- more, he is one of the state's valuable citi- zens.
PHILIP MILSTER KIMMEL
At Carbondale the man who runs the Yellow taxis and also five city buses is — Philip Mil- ster Kimmel. He is sole owner of the Yellow Taxi Company of Carbondale and president
of The City Bus Lines, Inc. He is one of the leaders in community affairs and one of the better known builders of Southern Illinois.
Mr. Kimmel was born in Elkville, Jackson County, on February 1, 1902, the son of Ed- ward Everett ("Red Ed") Kimmel, a native of this State who became prominent as farmer and banker, and Susan R. (Milster), born in Missouri. A graduate of the Elkville High School, Class of 1926, Philip Kimmel spent a few months at Southern Illinois Univer- sity in Carbondale. He then went to work for a coal company at Elkville, operating its liquid oxygen plant. He remained with the company for twelve years altogether, and in that time also operated an electrical shovel for the loading of coal. In the Spring of 1937 Mr. Kimmel went to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he worked for the Portland Cement Company for a year, during which time he also operated a loading shovel. In 1939 he returned to Carbondale and bought out the Taxi business of the late Earl Throgmorton, famed as the founder and operator of the Carbondale and Harrisburg Coach Lines, Inc. At that time Mr. Kimmel took over five taxis and two public buses. Today he oper- ates seven cabs — all radio-controlled — and five buses.
On June 3, 1934, Mr. Kimmel married Phyllis Prosser, the daughter of Everett Prosser of Carbondale, and they have become the parents of two children — Everett Dan, born May 5, 1936, and Philip Michael, born March 21, 1946. The family worships in the Baptist Church. Mrs. Kimmel is also promi- nent in Carbondale. She is vice-president of the Carbondale Women's Club and teaches in the primary department of the Baptist Church Sunday School.
Mr. Kimmel, a former president of the Ro- tary Club of Carbondale, now serves on the organization's board of directors. He was president of the Business Men's Association of Carbondale for two years and he is now a member of the Carbondale Grade School Board. He is active in Red Cross and Com- munity Chest drives and in such Masonic bodies as the Blue Lodge, the Royal Arch Masons, the Knights Templar and Ainad Tem- ple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at East St. Louis. A flying enthusiast, he has a Luscombe plane of his own. He has flown for six years and clocked off 500 hours of flying time. Golf, his favorite game, he plays at the Jackson Country Club. A man of strong and aggressive but popular
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PHILIP MILSTER KIMMEL
PAUL FURGESON McROY
personality, Mr. Kimmel has made a reputa- tion as a citizen devoted to community bet- terment.
PAUL FURGESON McROY
As early as his high school days Paul Fur- geson McRoy of Carbondale was a figure of note in Southern Illinois and even Southeast- ern Missouri, for he directed a dance band of his own and traveled with it throughout that region. Today he is even better known, for, after a teaching career and service with the United States Navy in World War II, he is owner and operator of Radio Station WCIL, Carbondale's only broadcasting outlet, serv- ing a large Illinois-Missouri-Kentucky area.
Mr. McRoy was born in Carbondale on June 25, 1912, the son of Robert D. and Ann Eliza- beth (Furgeson) McRoy. His father was a locomotive engineer. After the death of his father in 1939 his mother married John H. Soaring, a prominent Southern Illinois law- yer. Paul McRoy was graduated from high school in 1930. He not only had his own dance band in his high school days, but was also athletic editor of the school paper, manager of the cross-country team, member of the school band and orchestra, president, secre- tary and treasurer of the debating society and secretary and treasurer of the Hi-Y Club and actor in school plays. In 1934, Southern Illinois University, also in Carbon- dale, granted him the degree of Bachelor of Education. At the university he had been president of Kappa Phi Kappa and of the ed- ucation club, program director of the YMCA and member of numerous organizations as well as the staff of the school paper, The Egyptian. He was a member of the track team, as in high school, and represented the senior class on the school council.
Mr. McRoy began his career as assistant principal and coach at the Lowell School in Mound City in 1934. From 1935 to 1937 he taught mathematics and was coach at Loves Park Elementary School in Rockford. In 1939 he took his degree of Master of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin. For five years he was with the Houston, Texas, schools. He taught in both junior and senior high schools there, and was director of visual education for the entire school system. In 1941 he served on the faculty of the University of Houston, teaching visual education on Satur- days and in the summer session.
In January, 1942, Mr. McRoy entered the United States Navy, with a commission as Lieutenant Junior Grade. He emerged in Sep-
tember, 1946, a Lieutenant Commander, the rank he holds in the Naval Reserve today. He was in charge, during the war, of the training section of the Sixth Naval District, with headquarters at Charleston, South Car- olina. In the service he became acquainted with a man in the radio business and through him became interested in broadcasting. Upon separation from the active service, Mr. Mc- Roy returned to Carbondale and opened its first and only radio station, WCIL, now em- ploying eighteen persons and handling 250 accounts in seventy-one towns in Illinois, Mis- souri and Kentucky. The station began broad- casting on November 14, 1946.
On June 12, 1937, Mr. McRoy married Mary E. Helm, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. N. S. Helm of Benton. Their childi^en are Paul Helm, born December 4, 1939, and Elea- nor Ann, born June 22, 1942. The family worships in the First Methodist Church of Carbondale, in which Mr. McRoy is chairman of the board of stewards. He is a member of the Executive Committee of Holden Hospital, Carbondale, 111., president of the Carbondale Rotary Club, chairman of the Carbondale In- ter-Service Club Council, secretary of South- ern Illinois Incorporated. He is also a member of the National and Illinois Associations of Broadcasters, the Associated Press, the Elks, the Busines? Men's Association, the Jackson Country Club, York rite Mason and Shriner, the Greater Egypt Association, and the Chi- cago Radio Management Club. He is public- ity chairman of his American Legion post. His broadcasting and civic work have given him great prestige in a tremendous area of the Middle West.
HERMAN H. WALLACE
To Herman H. Wallace of Carbondale there is no field of interest, commercial or volun- tary, with value to the community at large in which he would refuse to be active. As a con- sequence Mr. Wallace has become known for the tremendous contribution he is making toward the general welfare. As a business- man, he owns the Down-State Chevrolet Com- pany in Carbondale (with his son Orlen H. as a par'ner) and the Wallace Service Station (with his son James R. as manager), also handling farm machinery, heating equipment and airconditioning devices. In his voluntary activities as a public spirited citizen Mr. Wal- lace is a leader in Boy Scout work — on a na- tional as well as local scale — in community education and welfare agency programs and in religious affairs. And in World War II he
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led an extremely successful series of salvage drives.
Mr. Wallace was born in White County on February 9, 1900, the son of Robert P. and Lorena (Phillips) Wallace, and after attend- ing the public schools of his native county became a student at Southern Illinois Uni- versity in Carbondale. He was at the univers- ity three years, working his way as a janitor, firing furnaces and doing other menial tasks. After leaving the university he taught school in a German section of White County for three years. He then attended Gem City Busi- ness College in Quincy, completing an eighteen- months' course in thirteen months and emerg- ing an honor student with an average of 96.
For the next two and one-half years Mr. Wallace worked for the Goodrich Tire and Rubber Company in St. Louis as a stenog- rapher and clerical work in sales department. In this period he completed a correspondence course in accounting. He then worked for the R. J. Brown Petroleum Company of St. Louis for two years and after this was associated with the General Motors Acceptance Corpora- tion for nine years in a variety of capacities, including credit manager and finally field manager for Southern Illinois, with head- quarters at Carbondale. His experience with General Motors gave him the background for his present activities. On May 9, 1934, he bought out the Chevrolet agency in Carbon- dale, paying $5000 for a business he has built to the point where its value far exceeds $100,- 000. He had only four employees at the start. Today he has twenty-five. Also, he has a $50,000 stock of parts and $15,000 shop equip- ment. He also operates the Wallace Service Station, with Minneapolis-Moline Farm ma- chinery, Delco heating equipment and Carrier air conditioning.
Mr. Wallace married Mattie Scudamore, the daughter of James Scudamore of White County, on August 16, 1919. Of the two sons born to this marriage, Orlen is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and, married, has a son named Robert Orlen; and James is also married and the father of a son, James Terry. There is also a daughter, Virginia, married to Jack Lee Reno, who has one -daughter, Sharan Kay. The family worships in the First Baptist Church, in which Herman Wal- lace is president of the board of trustees and a former Sunday School teacher.
Mr. Wallace is president of the Egyptian Council, Boy Scouts of America, covering fif- teen Southern Illinois counties, and is a mem-
ber of the National Council of this organiza- tion. He was president of the Lions Club in 1936 and of the grade school board in 1940. He has been chairman of the Community Chest many times and during wartime was chairman of the salvage committee that was so preeminently successful. He is prominent in all bodies of the Masonic order, up to Ainad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at East St. Louis, and is past Worthy Patron of Eastern Star and Past Watchman of White Shrine of Jerusalem, Also, he is active in the Elks and the Carbon- dale Business Men's Association. A popular vote would place Mr. Wallace among the first five who have done the most for Carbon- dale and Jackson County.
HENRY RICHARDSON HELMLE, A. I. A.
Member of an old Springfield family ren- owned for the contribution it has made to architecture both in America and in Europe, the late Henry Richardson Helmle was an out- standing practitioner among architects of the Middle West. Numerous buildings in Spring- field and elsewhere stand today, in their beauty and usefulness, to his memory.
Mr. Helmle was born in Springfield on De- cember 11, 1888, the son of George Henry and Mimi (Whitehurst) Helmle. The family is de- scended from William Helmle, who came to the United States in 1849 from Karlsruhe, Bavaria. The Helmles made their reputation in architect and woodcarving in Europe and then proceeded to do the same in the New World. William Helmle established a planing mill and furniture carving shop at 426-28 South Fifth Street, Springfield— famed as "The Old Helmle Place." Two of his sons became architects, George Henry and Charles Helmle. George Henry Helmle designed and built the old St. John's Hospital, Springfield, and his son, the late Henry Richardson Helmle, designed and built the new one.
Henry Richardson Helmle took his degree in architecture and engineering at the University of Illinois in 1911. He was the valedictorian of the graduating class. He began his career im- mediately on leaving college. He served in World War I and on December 2, 1919, soon after his discharge from the Army, married Ida May Huff, who was born on December 26, 1893, in Indiana, the daughter of William Huff, a farmer, and Annie (James) Huff.
In the course of his career Mr. Helmle de- signed and supervised the construction of
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numerous residences, industrial plants, office buildings, public structures and hospitals. Among his "credits" are: The First National Bank of Springfield, the Springfield Marine Bank, the Illinois State Journal Building, the Old Franklin Life Insurance Building, the Abraham Lincoln Hotel, Broadwell Building, Young Women's Christian Association Building, the Sangamo Club, the Chicago Motor Club Building, the Illinois Motor Building, the Cen- tral Baptist Church addition, the Sangamo Electric Company Building, the Allis-Chalmers plant, Gothard Manufacturing Company plant, Baker Manufacturing Company plant, all in Springfield; the Crescent Forge and Shovel Manufacturing Company, Havana, Illinois; the Allis-Chalmers super-charger plant, built in the course of World War II in Milwaukee, Wiscon- sin, one of the largest in the world. Among the hospitals to his credit are, in addition to St. John's in Springfield, such as St. John's Sani- tarium, St. John's Crippled Children's Hospital and St. Francis of Assisi Convent, all in Spring- field; the St. Mary's Hospital, Decatur; St. Joseph's, Highland, Illinois; St . Elizabeth, Belleville; St. Mary's, Streator; St. Clara, Lin- coln; St. Francis, Litchfield, and St. Anthony's, Effingham. Also, he designed and supervised erection of the Catholic Girls' School at the base of the Wasatch Mountains in Salt Lake City, Utah.
An amateur astronomer, Mr. Helmle built his own telescope and ground his own lenses and became noted among both professional astronomers and those who follow this science as a hobby. Another of his avocational inter- ests was his 1,000-acre farm. Mr. Helmle won widespread popularity and affection not only because of his valuable architectural contribu- tion, his farming and other activities but also because of a good heart which impelled him to give time and money to civic and philan- thropic projects. He died on April 24, 1949, a few months after his sixtieth birthday, and is survived by his widow, who is also one of Springfield's outstanding citizens. Mr. Helmle enjoyed prominence in the Masonic order, the American Legion, the Illinois Chapter of the American Institute of Ai-chitects, the Ameri- can Association for the Advancement of Science and the Sangamo Club. He was a life- long communicant of the Episcopal church and as a boy sang in the choir. He was past master of his Masonic lodge — a citizen long to be remembered.
WILL LESTER GRIFFITH
Southern Illinois, or the section known as "Egypt" owes a debt of gratitude, to Will Grif- fith and it will cherish his memory, for it was he who established and published Egyptian Key, the magazine of southern Illinois, and founded the Greater Egypt Association. The entire area was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Mr. Griffith on May 24, 1950, in Carbondale.
Mr. Griffith was born in Terre Haute, In- diana, October 2, 1889, the son of William Al- bert Griffith. The Griffith family have been residents of Edgar county since 1850, when William Burrow Griffith moved there from Pennsylvania. He built a home two miles west of Paris and it became a popular resting] place for others who were westward-bound. It be- came known as Griffith's two-mile house and is still standing at the junction of highways 133 and 16.
Will Griffith grew up in Terre Haute where he completed the public grade and high schools. At the age of sixteen he entered Rose Polytechnic Institute. At the close of his second year he left college and continued his education in his own way. He had originally intended to be a civil engineer, and during his college years he had summer employment in the Maintenance of Ways Department of the Pennsylvania Rail- road. He was only eighteen when he went into the office supply business for himself.
From 1916 through 1925, Mr. Griffith trav- elled Southern Illinois for the Commercial Lith- ographing Company of Louisville, Kentucky, selling bank supplies. During those days, be- fore hard roads were built, he said, "I made my towns anyway I could get there — freight trains, driving, or rowing if necessary." From 1924 through 1938 he published telephone direc- tories, meantime operating the Griffith-Norris Printing Company in Indianapolis and the Mil- roy Press. The latter was a weekly newspaper. The metropolitan newspapers frequently quoted from his column facetiously called the "League of Notions." In 1935 he went to Quincy, Illi- nois, finding this a better center from which to operate the directory business, and there estab- lished the state magazine known as the Illi- nois Quest. The publication was along historical lines, each issue featuring a different county. When Illinois Quest became a World War II casualty Mr. Griffith did free lance writing for some time. He then returned to Southern Illi- nois and in March 1943 founded the Egyptian Key. This was followed by the founding of Greater Egypt Association in September, 1945. The Egyptian Key and the Greater Egypt Asso-
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ciation became a team implementing one an- other. Both were under the guiding hand of Mr. Griffith and both had the same purpose — the promotion of Southern Illinois.
Will Griffith and Katharine Quick Bicknell were married in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 29, 1921. From that time to the day of his death, they shared interests and activities, work and pleasures, the "better" and the "worse."
Professor E. G. Lentz of Southern Illinois University, writing of Mr. Griffith in the Egyp- tian Key summarized — "His position among his fellow men was quite an unusual one. He was the dreamer of a dream. He had a vision for the future of an entire area. He gave his thought and energies with unwearying devotion to that dream and that vision. Because of his faith and his efforts the dream caught on, and it came to life in the minds of a large number of his fellow citizens. In relatively few years the dream began to bear fruit. The harvest began to increase. To an unusual degree, Mr. Griffith invested his life in the future."
HON. PAUL H. DOUGLAS
Born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1892, Paul H. Douglas has had a varied and distinguished career, as an internationally known economist, Marine Corps War hero, and lecturer. Paul Douglas was graduated from Bowdoin College in 1913. Graduate work at Harvard and Co- lumbia Universities, with a Ph.D. degree at the latter school. He entered a teaching career and later, government service, then came to the University of Chicago in 1920, where he was promoted to Professor of Economics in 1925.
Mr. Douglas served as Chairman of the Board of Arbitration for the Newspaper Publishing Industry from 1925 to 1942, handing down eighty-five decisions. He served the longest term on record in this work. He has served on many state and national commissions. He was drafted by Franklin D. Roosevelt, then Gover- nor of New York, to serve as Secretary of the New York Committee to Stabilize Employment. He later worked under President Roosevelt on the Consumers Advisory Board and the N.R.A., was active in drafting the original Social Sec- urity Act, and was a member of the Advisory Committee to the U. S. Senate on the revision of this Act.
Mr. Douglas drafted the first old age pension act passed by the Illinois Legislature in 1935 and helped draft the State unemployment in-
surance act of 1937. Appointed to the State Housing Commission in 1930 serving to 1933. He led the fight in the 1930's to reduce elec- tricity and gas rates and to protect investors in private utilities from financial manipula- tion. He was recruited to draft the Utilities Act of 1933. Elected a Chicago Alderman from the Fifth Ward in 1939 and made a notable record urging municipal economies.
Mr. Douglas enlisted as a private in United States Marine Corps in May 1942; served with First Marine Division, advancing through ranks to grade of Lieutenant Colonel. He was twice wounded, at Pelelieu and Okinawa and was awarded Bronze Star for "heroic achieve- ment in action." Returned to Chicago in late 1946 and resumed his position on the University of Chicago faculty. Author of many books on economic subjects, which have made him inter- nationally known in this field.
Mr. Douglas was elected Senator on No- vember 2, 1948, for the term expiring Janu- ary 3, 1955. Elected President of the American Economic Association in 1949 which is the high- est honor in his profession.
He is a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and a member of the American Le- gion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Elks, and the Chicago Literary Club. Married Emily Taft Douglas, daughter of the famous sculp- tor, Lorado Taft. Mrs. Douglas was Congress- woman-at-Large from Illinois from 1945 to 1947. They have one daughter, Jean, and live at 5658 Blackstone Avenue, Chicago.
HON. ADLAI EWING STEVENSON
Adlai Ewing Stevenson, member of a family long prominent in public life, became the 31st Governor of Illinois January 10, 1949. His elec- tion was by the largest majority in the history of the State.
Governor Stevenson is a fifth generation Illinoisan whose career has sustained the family tradition of public service. His paternal grandfather, the first Adlai E. Stevenson of Bloomington, was Vice-President of the United States in the administration of Grover Cleve- land. Governor Stevenson's father, Lewis G. Stevenson, was Secretary of State of Illinois. His great-grandfather, Jesse Fell, was a pio- neer in the development of central Illinois and an intimate friend and leading supporter of Abraham Lincoln.
Born February 5, 1900, Governor Stevenson attended the public schools in Bloomington. After serving in the Navy as an apprentice
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seaman in World War I, he graduated from Princeton University and Northwestern Uni- versity Law School. Following college he en- gaged in newspaper work for a time in Bloom- ington and for many years was a partner in one of the leading law firms in Chicago.
Governor Stevenson's public career has in- cluded major federal administrative and diplo- matic assignments. He has written and lectured extensively, particularly in the field of foreign affairs. He served as special counsel to the Agricultural Adjustment Administration in 1933 and 1934. For the first three years of the war he was special assistant to Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox. He headed the first Economic mission to Italy in 1943, and served on an Air Forces mission to the European thea- ter in 1944. As assistant to the Secretary of State he was a member of the U. S. Delegation to the San Francisco Conference in 1945 and later was U. S. Minister in London and head of the American Delegation to the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations. He was appointed by the President as a U. S. delegate to the several assemblies of the United Na- tions in New York in 1946 and 1947.
Unopposed in the 1948 primary, he was elected by a majority exceeding 570,000, win- ning widespread independent support.
Governor Stevenson practiced law and re- mained active in civic affairs in Illinois during intervals between his federal service. He has been a director or trustee of many business cor- porations, charitable and educational organiza- tions, including Hull House, the Illinois Chil- dren's Home and Aid Society, the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, among others. He was the first chairman of the civil rights committee of the Chicago Bar Association. Hon- orary degrees have been conferred upon him by Illinois Wesleyan, Northwestern and Brad- ley universities; Centre College of Kentucky, Illinois College and Lake Forest College.
Governor Stevenson has three sons : Adlai E., Ill, Borden and John Fell Stevenson.
HON. SHERWOOD DIXON
Sherwood Dixon was born June 19, 1896, in Dixon, which city has been the home of his fam- ily since it was first settled in 1830.
Mr. Dixon was educated in the public schools of Dixon and the University of Notre Dame, where he was graduated in 1920 with the de- gree of Bachelor of Laws. He has been engaged
in the general practice of law in Dixon since that time.
His college career was interrupted by two years military service in World War I, during which he became an infantry sergeant in the A.E.F. After his discharge, he entered the 129th Infantry Regiment of the Illinois Na- tional Guard and served more than twenty years in that organization, with which he en- tered Federal service in 1941. He was released from active duty in 1946 as a Colonel of Infan- try. He took part in the reorganization of the Illinois National Guard after World War II and is still the Commanding Officer of the 129th Infantry.
Mrs. Dixon is the former Miss Helen M. Cahill of Dixon. They are the parents of seven children: Henry, Mary, William, Louise, James, Patrick and David.
Mr. Dixon is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Knights of Columbus and Elks.
HON. EDWARD J. BARRETT
Born in Chicago, March 10, 1900, Edward J. Barrett has made a career of military and civil public service. Mr. Barrett has the distinction not only of having been elected to three major State offices, but of having served as an over- seas enlisted man in World Wars I and II. He was the sole Democrat elected to State office on two occasions.
When the United States became involved in World War I, Mr. Barrett immediately en- listed with the 131st infantry and was at that time but seventeen years of age. He ob- served his eighteenth birthday in France as a private in the A.E.F., and his next anniversary found him in Germany with the American Army of Occupation. He had been wounded and gassed, awarded the Purple Heart, and cited for performance "above and beyond the call of duty."
After being mustered out of the U. S. Army in 1920, Mr. Barrett continued his studies at Spaulding Institute and finished at Mayo Col- lege, where he received the degree of Bachelor of Science. He then entered advertising and sales promotion work in Chicago, and was later active in organized labor.
In 1930, Mr. Barrett was elected State Treas- urer. Two years later, he was elected to a four- year term as Auditor of Public Accounts, being re-elected in 1936 and serving until 1940.
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During World War II, he again enlisted, although he was forty-three years of age. Again he went overseas, this time to the South Pacific as a private in the United States Marine Corps. He was discharged a Sergeant in No- vember, 1944, to become Illinois Secretary of State. As a candidate for Secretary of State, Mr. Barrett was in the unusual position of a man being sought for the office. Although he was thousands of miles from home, friends and supporters from all sections of the state in- sisted that he permit himself to be drafted as a candidate for the office he now holds.
As an executive officer, he has been actively concerned in beneficial legislation affecting the Old Age pensioners, administration of State Banks, Building and Loan Associations and Credit Unions. He has recommended construc- tive amendments to the Securities Act, Corpo- ration Act, Drivers' License Law, Motor Ve- hicle Act and Library Laws. He has supported constructive legislation for the veteran and his family and has been active in labor's cause.
Secretary Barrett, a widower, married Miss Jeanne Townsend in December of 1948. He is a member of the American Legion ; the Disabled Veterans; Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Ma- rine Corps League, and Thirty-third Division War Veterans Association and numerous civic, social and fraternal organizations.
JAMES ROLAND ANSLEY, D.C.
Member of a family which settled in Ameri- ca long before the Revolutionary War, Dr. James Roland Ansley of Mount Vernon has made a reputation as a chiropractor through- out Southern Illinois and the "Egyptian" area. Formery of the staff of the Southmoor Medical Health Center, Dr. Ansley is now in private practice, with offices at 616 Main Street, Mount Vernon.
He was born in Warrenton, Warren County, Georgia, on November 18, 1916. His parents were James Thomas and Josie (Ivey) Ansley, the father also a native of Warren County, the latter of McDuffie County, Georgia. Born April 7, 18 79, his father was a building con- tractor and planter in Warren County. He served as a school trustee for years and was active in the school consolidation movement and in the Camak Baptist Church at Camak, Georgia. The mother was born on December 23, 1874. The chiropractor's paternal, grand- father, James Capers Ansley, a planter, was born in Warren County on October 3, 18 53, and died there on April 10, 1897. He was a trustee and steward in the Methodist Epis- copal Church, South. The grandmother, also
a native of Georgia's Warren County, was the former Anna Ivey. Dr. Ansley's great-grand- parents, Elum F. and Epsey (Granade) An- sley were still other natives of that county. The great-grandfather, born on November 20, 1826, died on August 24, 1883; his wife, born April 26, 1827, died September 2, 1855. Dr. Ansley's great-great-grandparents were James and Betty (Jones) Ansley. James Ansley was born in 1779 at Mecklenburg, West Virginia. He was given a land grant by the government in what is now Warren and Columbia, Counties, Georgia.
Dr. Ansley began his education in the public schools of Camak, Georgia, and was graduated from high school, in 1934. In 1936 he entered the National College of Chiro- practors, Chicago, and in 19 41 was graduated with the degrees of Doctor of Chiropractic and Doctor of Naturopathy. While at this school, he worked at the Presbyterian, St. Luke's and Michael Reese Hospitals, Chicago, doing general nursing work. From 19 41 to 1943 Dr. Ansley was on the staff of South- moor Medical Health Center in charge of the department of x-ray diagnosis. In May, 1943, he established his office in Mount Vernon and has since then built a tremendous practice as a chiropractor.
On January 2 5, 1941, Dr. Ansley married Amelia Gumienny, who was born at Indiana Harbor, Indiana, on December 31, 1912. Mrs. Ansley first attended Holy Angels Parochial School and then Horace Mann High School, in Chicago, graduating from the latter in 1931. In 1932 she entered the St. Mary School of Nursing at Rochester, Minnesota, and, grad- uated in 193 6, has since been a Registered Nurse. She was a member of the University Hospital staff in Cleveland, Ohio, until August, 1938, and of the Michael Reese Hos- pital staff until January, 1941. She is active in the Brownie Scouts in Mount Vernon. Mrs. Ansley's parents were Edmund P. and Louise (Chudzinski) Gumienny, both born near Reading, Pennsylvania. Dr. and Mrs. Ansley have five children — Amelia Louise, born Oc- tober 3 0, 1941; Barbara Jean, born November 2, 1942; Janice Elaine, born September 14, 1944; Caryl Christine, born August 15, 1946, and Marsha Jo, born November 21, 1947.
Dr. Ansley was secretary of the Southern Illinois Chiropractors Association in 1948. He also belongs to the National Chiropractors As- sociation, the National Council of Chiropractic Roentgenologists, the Illinois Chiropractic Society, the Optimist and Kiwanis Clubs and the Masonic order. He has become one of Southern Illinois' noteworthy citizens.
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HON. FRED W. WANLESS
The sudden death of Fred W. Wanless ift his Springfield office in 1949 left the state's capital not only stunned but bereft of a citi- zen who for years had been dedicating his daily life to the advancement and prosperity of the community. For 30 years Mr. Wanless had, as the Illinois State Register described it, "been a part of the business, financial, po- litical and community life of this city." He had been a leader in all those phases of the civic picture. Among those of his family who remain to carry on in his traditions is his son, the distinguished Paul Fyffe Wanless, attor- ney and executor of his father's estate.
Fred W. Wanless was born in Riverton, Sangamon County, Illinois, on March 16, 1881, and after completing his education embarked on an educator's career. He was at first a teacher. Then he served as principal of the Riverton Schools. About 1919 he moved to Springfield, the county seat, and began the series of activities which were to have such marked value to the entire county. In the be- ginning he was associated with Albert S. Spaulding in the real estate business, but la- ter and for many years he and his brother, Charles S. Wanless, operated the real estate firm of Wanless and Wanless. When the firm was dissolved, the brothers established sep- arate real estate offices. "The rise of the two brothers in the business world was marked with great success," says the Illinois State Register. "Many of the city's building addi- tions were laid out by them. Their develop- ments of residential and business property were extensive." As he made his career in real estate and land subdivision, Fred W. Wanless also rose to leadership in political and other fields, and he became one of the popular citizens of his section of the state.
On December 30, 1903, at Riverton, Illi- nois, Mr. Wanless married Alva Fyffe, and two sons and a daughter were born to them — Paul Fyffe Wanless and J. Thor Wanless, at- torneys in Springfield, and Virginia, now the wife of Henry R. Barber, also an attorney at the capital. At the time of his death, these children survived him, along with his widow, who is prominent in Springfield's civic and social circles; his sister, Mrs. Margaret Jones, also of Springfield, and his brother, Thomas Wanless, of Riverton, as well as seven grand- children. The family home is at 1700 Wiggins Avenue.
In his rise in politics Mr. Wanless became chairman of the Sangamon County Republi- can Committee, retiring from the chairman-
ship in 1934 but not from his interest in the party and its program. In 1918 he served on the Sangamon County Board of Supervisors and in 1920 was elected to the State House of Representatives. He served only one term, declining to run for re-election. In his civic work Mr. Wanless was prominently identified with the raising of funds for the construction of the new Memorial Hospital in Springfield, and for ten years he served as president of the hospital's board of directors. Again the Register says, "During his service as director his success in clearing the hospital indebted- ness and at the same time making many im- provements stimulated the interest which made possible the raising of the money for construction of the new hospital. He donated his time and work to make the hospital a suc- cess." In World War II Mr. Wanless was chairman of the Sangamon County rationing board for automobile tires and tubes, gaso- line, and gave five hours a day to the work. He was a director of The First National Bank of Springfield, a member of the Springfield Rotary Club and of the Masonic order. His Masonic affiliations were with the Riverton Union Lodge, of which he was past master; Springfield Chapter, No. 1, Royal Arch Ma- sons; Elwood Commandery, No. 6, Knights Templar; Springfield Consistory, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, and Ansar Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He was also prominent in the First Methodist Church of Springfield. He not only served for many years on its board of trus- tees, but also acted as chairman of the fund- raising campaign for remodeling the church edifice in the late 1920's. More recently he was chairman of the financial drive which led to the purchase of the property immediately north of the church structure. He was, at the time of his death, one of the two Rotarians who had not missed a club meeting in twen- ty-five years. This long and useful life came to a sudden end through a heart attack on September 3, 1949. Mr. Wanless was then sixty-eight years old. He lies buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery. His memory lingers on in Sangamon County, which he did so much to develop.
The executor of Mr. Wanless' estate, his son Paul, was born in Springfield on August 10, 1912. After he was graduated from the Springfield High School, he went to Green- castle, Indiana to study at DePauw Universi- ty. When he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts from DePauw he prepared for the legal profession at Northwestern University
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School of Law, receiving the degree of Juris Doctor and being admitted to the practice of law in Illinois in 1937. That same year Mr. Wanless began a general practice of the law in the capital. He became one of the most active and prominent attorneys in Sangamon County and Central Illinois, and is counsel for many large corporations as well as for some of the state's most important citizens. When his father died in 1949, Paul Wanless took over active management of the firm called Fred Wanless, Real Estate Broker, and through his leadership the business con- tinues to serve the community and area in ac- cordance with the high standards established by the founder. As executor of Fred Wanless' entire estate, Paul Wanless has further op- portunities to serve his fellow citizens. He married Berenice McAlester on October 14, 1940, and they have three children — -Virginia Fyffe, born in 1942; Kirk M., born in 1944, and Berry Fred, born in 1946. Mr. Wanless served with Military Intelligence and The Judge-Advocate General's Departments in World War II. His period of service began June, 1942, and ended July, 1946. Like his late father, Paul Wanless is an active Repub- lican. Also, he is a member of the Masonic order, the Rotary Club of Springfield, the Illini Country Club, and the Sangamon Coun- ty Bar Association and the Springfield Real Estate Board. He is adding luster to a name already brilliant in the history of the state.
GORDON LANG
The leadership which Gordon Lang has giv- en to civic projects in Chicago has accelera- ted the growth and promoted the welfare of the nation's second city. This has made Mr. Lang a figure of national prominence. To his reputation as a civic leader he has added that of a business leader, for he is president of Spaulding and Company, the Middle West's leading jewelers, silversmiths, goldsmiths and stationers for six decades.
Mr. Lang, born in Sayre, Pennsylvania, on November 3, 1895 ,is the son of the Reverend Herman and Martha (Levis) Lang. His father, who held the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of Divinity was born at Kitchener, Canada, was a Baptist clergyman, lecturer and author. Gordon Lang completed his edu- cation at Denison University, Granville, Ohio, where he was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1918, though he had already left his classes to become a soldier in World War I. At college he was four-letter man in the sophomore, junior and senior years; also,
he was president of Lamda Deuteron Chap- ter, Phi Gamma Delta, and a member of the
Masquers.
Mr. Lang became a Second Lieutenant and instructor in mechanism in the Machine Gun Officers' Training School in the war. When he returned to civilian life, he began his business career as sales correspondent for the B. F. Goodrich Rubber Company. The posi- tions which followed included bond salesman for Borton and Borton, Cleveland; manager, bond department, Guarantee Title and Trust Company; director of sales development, The Gorham Company; vice-president and man- ager, Black Starr and Frost-Gorham, Inc.; president, Spaulding-Gorham and director of Spaulding-Gorham, Black Starr and F'rost- Gorham, Inc., Gorham, Inc., Gomanco, Inc. In 1943 Mr. Lang became president and owner of the great firm of Spaulding and Company. He is also consultant and director of Lyon and Healy. His business is located at 959 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago.
On August 2, 1927, at Akron, Ohio, Mr. Lang married Harriet Kendig, daughter of Karl and Evalyn (Hill) Kendig. Mrs. Lang, who holds the degrees of Bachelor of Arts from Wells College and Master of Social Sci- ence from Western Reserve University, is past president of the Junior League of Chica- go and currently president of the women's board of St. Luke's Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Lang are the parents of Gordon Lang, Jr. They are communicants of the Episcopal Church and reside at 1420 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago.
Mr. Lang has held some of the outstanding posts in Chicago's civic life. He is president of the board of the Chicago Latin School for Boys; director and past president of the Chi- cago Better Business Bureau; vice-chairman and director of the Chicago Area Project; vice-president and director of the Chicago Crime Commission; director of the Chicago Retail Merchants Association; president of the North Michigan Avenue Association; chairman of the City Planning Advisory Board, and member of the Chicago Plan Com- mission. He is a member of the Chicago, Rac- quet, Casino, Indian Hill, Old Elm, Shove Acres, Les Cheneaux, Commercial, Common- wealth and Adventurers Clubs. He is a Repub- lican. Golf and sailing are his favorite sports. Chicagoans have long recognized the contri- bution Mr. Lang is making toward education, crime prevention, city beautification and other major developments.
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GEORGE NYLE HUFFMAN
George Nyle Huffman is perhaps best known as the operator of the Huffman Fu- neral Home at Carbondale, an institution which has been serving the people of Jackson County for decades. But he is also known for his leadership in the many-faceted programs for veterans — he is a veteran of World War I himself — and in civic and fraternal affairs, not to mention another of his business enter- prises, the Hamilton Service Station.
Born at Murphysboro on July 18, 1898, Mr. Huffman is the son of George R. and Maggie M. (Will) Huffman. George R. Huffman, now retired, founded the Huffman Funeral Home. He was also in the furniture business for years. Nyle Huffman was educated in the ele- mentary schools of Carbondale and the Uni- versity High School there, graduating from the latter in 1916. He then attended South- ern Illinois University for one. year. By this time the United States had become a bellig- erent in World War I, and he broke off his education to enter the Navy. He reported at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in April, 1918, and was attached to the Naval Air Station.
Upon his discharge from the Navy Mr. Huffman, who had worked in the post office at Carbondale in his student days, returned to that Federal job. Soon afterward, how- ever, he became associated with his father in the undertaking business. Meantime, he continued his education and training. In 1922, after completing a two-year course at South- ern Illinois University, he resumed his work with his father, but later, to perfect himself for a career in the conduct of a funeral home, he attended Worsham School of Mor- tuary Science in Chicago for nine months, finishing in January, 1925. In 1929 he bought out his father's business and since then has been the sole owner of the Huffman Funeral Home.
On March 1, 1925, Mr. Huffman married Gwen Hamilton, the daughter of W. W. Ham- ilton of Carbondale. Mr. and Mrs. Huffman are the parents of two children — William Nyle Huffman, born on February 11, 1926, now married and a former college professor in Ohio, and at present preparing to enter business with his father; and Imogene Huff- man, born on June 23, 1928, now 1950, a sen- ior at the State University of Iowa, Iowa City, from which she will graduate with a degree in Physical Education. Mrs. Huffman is active in Girl Scout Work in Carbondale, and the entire family is active in the First
Christian Church of that city, Mr. Huffman being a member of the official board.
Mr. Huffman is a former president of the City Park Board, on which he served as a member for nine years, and is intensely in- terested in youth and recreational programs. He was on the Carbondale City Council in 1927. He is also past president of the Lions Club of Carbondale and of the Carbondale Business Men's Association and is past exalted ruler of the Carbondale Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Also, he is ac- tive in Masonic bodies, including Ainad Tem- ple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mys- tic Shrine, East St. Louis. He is past com- mander of the American Legion post in Car- bondale and now serves on the draft board. In 1945-46 he served on the re-employment committee of that board. He has also been active in Red Cross and Community Chest work. Few men have devoted themselves so whole-heartedly to the betterment of their home cities than George Nyle Huffman.
ALBERT MOHR, JR.
As president and a director of John Mohr and Sons of Chicago, Albert Mohr, Jr., is known throughout the nation. A leading man- ufacturer, he has given much attention to education and college athletics. He is one of the great American athletes of the period 1918-1921.
Mr. Mohr was born in Chicago on Oct. 11, 1899, the son of Albert and Emily Alice (Sutton) Mohr. His father, also a manufac- turer and also a native of Chicago, was one of the Windy City's outstanding citizens. He served as a South Park Commissioner for ten years. The mother, another Illinoisan, was the daughter of Isaac Terry and Susan (Chau- craft) Sutton. Albert Mohr, Jr., went through University Elementary School in Chicago and then University High School. In 1922 he was graduated from the University of Illinois, with the degree of Bachelor of Science. He played varsity football at the University of Illinois in 1918, 1919, 1920, and 1921. The 1918 team was the Big 10 Champion and the 1919 team was the national champion. Mr. Mohr was a member of Walter Echersoll's All-West- ern team while in college. He also received All-American mention from Walter Camp. In 1918, he was an apprentice seaman in the United States Naval Reserve, the Armistice being signed before he could be called to active duty.
Since the beginning of his business career in 1922, Mr. Mohr has been identified with
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John Mohr and Sons, with offices at 3200 E. 96th St., Chicago 17, Illinois. He began as an apprentice and rose step by step in responsi- bility until he was elected president and a di- rector in 1938. He has continued to serve in that capacity since then, and to guide the firm to greater prestige and production and distribution volume.
On October 8, 1924, at Champaign, Mr. Mohr married Dorothy Dobbins, the daugh- ter of Oliver Beard and Edith Emma (Leon- ard) Dobbins. Mrs. Mohr is a director of The Home for the Friendless in Chicago. The Mohrs have two children — Courtney Ann Mohr and Marjory Lloyd Mohr. They reside at 7221 Crandon Avenue, Chicago, and wor- ship in the Episcopal Church. Mr. Mohr's favorite hobby at home is gardening.
Continuing his associations with his Alma Mater, Mr. Mohr is president of the Alumni Association of the University of Illinois Chap- ter of Delta Kappa Epsilon and is vice-presi- dent of the Dads' Association of the University of Illinois. He was a director of the Flossmoor Country Club and is also a member of the South bhore Country Club, the Chicago Athletic Asso- ciation and the Duquesne Club of Pittsburgh. He votes as a Republican. Golf is his favorite game. Mr. Mohr has become a popular figure in the industrial world as well as in community life at Chicago.
FREDERICK HENRY EBERSOLD
In both Chicago, where he operates his busi- ness, and in Downers Grove, where he lives on a twenty-acre farm, Frederick Henry Eber- sold has demonstrated extraordinary qualities of leadership in public affairs and an equal zeal in carrying out programs for the gen- eral welfare. In Chicago he is the president of the firm of Fred H. Ebersold, Inc. He is an officer or director of a variety of organi- zations devoted to the public interest.
Mr. Ebersold was born in Chicago on Feb- ruary 19, 1902, the son of Frederick Anthony and Emma T. (Rieke) Ebersold. Both parents were also natives of the Windy City. The father, prominent in banking, was the son of the Frederick Ebersold who won fame as the man who quelled the notorious Haymar- ket Riot. He was general superintendent of the Chicago Police Department from 1886 to 1888 and it was in this capacity that he led the police against the rioters. Emma Rieke Ebersold was the daughter of Henry E. Rieke, one of Chicago's early real estate and man- agement brokers. He subdivided part of the city's near north side and founded several
Methodist churches in that area of the com- munity.
Frederick Henry Ebersold achieved such standing scholastically and otherwise as to be salutatorian of his class when graduated from Oak Park High School in 1920. In 1924, he took the degree of Bachelor of Science at the University of Illinois College of Com- merce. His fraternities were Delta Upsilon, Alpha Kappa Psi, Sigma Delta Chi, Ma-wan- da, Skull and Crescent and Phi Eta Sigma. He was news editor of The Daily Illini; editor of The Illini Weekly, publication of the Dads' Association; president of the Wesley Foun- dation Council and chairman of the final Me- morial Stadium campaign. He has continued prominent in the university's affairs and is noted for his interest in education. From 1924 to 1927 Mr. Ebersold was assistant ad- vertising manager of the Universal Portland Cement Company in Chicago. From 1928 to 1932 he was account executive for the Dosch- Kircher Organization, Chicago. In 1932, he participated in the formation of Ebersold-Oli- ver, Inc., Chicago, becoming its president Since 1937 he has been president of Fred H. Ebersold, Inc.
On September 1, 1928, at River Forest, Mr. Ebersold married Marguerite G. Sander, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Sander. Mrs. Ebersold is active in the League of Women Voters at Downers Grove. They live with their two sons at 6000 South Main Street, Downers Grove, this being the address of the twenty-acre farm. The sons are Kenneth Frederick Ebersold, born on March 31, 1931, a graduate of the Downers Grove Commu- nity High School and The Avery Coonley School, and now (1950) at the University of Illinois, and Keith Sander Ebersold, born on September 13, 1935, who following gradua- tion from The Avery Coonley School entered the Downers Grove Community High School. The family worships in the Downers Grove First Methodist Episcopal Church.
In his civic activities Mr. Ebersold is direc- tor and past president of The Junto of Chi- cago, is serving a two-year term (1949-1951) as president of the University of Illinois Alumni Association, and is president of the Downers Grove Village Forum. He is also a co-founder and vice-president of the Downers Grove Community Chest, a director of the University of Illinois Foundation and mem- ber of the administrative board of The Avery Coonley School. He belongs to the Chicago Federated Advertising Club, the Electric Club of Chicago, the Advertising Federation of
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America, the Farm Bureau, the S.P.E.B.S. Q.S.A. (Barber Shoppers) of Downers Grove and the Kiwanis Club of Downers Grove. His recreational interests include farming, an- tiques, civic work and university affairs. He is a Republican. Known for his enthusiasm, he has instigated and led numerous civic movements which have resulted in much good.
IRA GOODSELL NICHOLS, SR., D.D.S., ScD.
"Prosthetic Dentistry" is an authoritative textbook in the dental profession, fully recog- nized by the profession and used in dental col- leges throughout the world. It was written and compiled by Dr. Ira Goodsell Nichols of Champaign, with the collaboration of the world's foremost men in this field. Through this work, his other writings, his researches, teachings, lectures, inventions and other activi- ties, Dr. Nichols has himself become a world figure. He also practices dentistry and, in addition, is a farmer and a sculptor.
Dr. Nichols was born in Horton, Kansas, on November 9, 1888, the son of John Good- sell and Odelia Johnson Nichols and the grand- son of Lorenzo Dow Nichols. His father, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, was a civil engi- neer and contractor on Government projects. The grandfather, author and poet, was also a banker and landowner. He wrote fifty arti- cles and volumes for the Esoteric Fraternity, established in 1887 at Applegate, California.
Dr. Nichols attended high school at Biloxi, Mississippi. He did his dental studies at the University of Louisville and completed his training in the Northwestern University Den- tal School. He holds the degrees of Doctor of Dental Sui'gery and Doctor of Science. He has operated a farm in Marshall County, Illi- nois, throughout the years that he has also practiced dentistry.
Besides "Prosthetic Dentistry," Dr. Nichols has written "Action of Hypotonic, Isotonic and Hypertonic Solutions Upon Blood, Muscles and Nerve Tissues of Living Animals," Jour- nal of the American Dental Asociation, Feb- ruary, 1922; "Photomicrographic Moving Pic- tures Using Living Animals: Changes in Blood Cells from Local Anesthetic, Blood Cells in Circulation and Heart in Action, with En- tire Circulatory System of Embryo Chick," Journal of the American Dental Association, September, 1930; "Some Important Factors that Enter into the Construction of Success- ful, Complete Dentures," Massachusetts Den- tal Society Bulletin, July, 1940. His researches
have been into local anesthesia, and these have been described in the book "Block Anesthesia and Allied Subjects," by Arthur E. Smith, M.D., D.D.S.; in moving pictures in local an- esthesia, in which Dr. Nichols opened a new field for further investigation, by using a high-powered microscope with the films, for the study of disease and the use of drugs on the circulatory system ; motion pictures in "Complete Denture Prosthesis"; rubbers, vul- canization and acrylics, the results having been quoted in the book "Acrylics and Other Synthetic Resins Used in Dentistry," by Stan- ley D. Tylman, M.S., D.D.S. He designed frac- ture appliance, universal for all fractures of the head, which he contributed to the Navy and used in World War II ; stress-breaker for partial dentures; impression trays for class- ification of partial dentures and made the formula for treatment in desensitizing hyper- sensitive teeth in cavity preparation. He has given lectures and held clinics before all the major dental and denture prosthetic associa- tions of the nation and given post-graduate courses to various other organizations, espe- cially in the West. His motion pictures have been used by the American armed forces, by medical and dental organizations and by for- eign countries, and he has been recognized as one of the outstanding contributors to the entire field of visual education. He was invited by the dean of the University of Athens, Greece, to give a thirty-day post-graduate course in full denture prosthetics. He is also known as one of the first four to make nerve blocking of the second division of the fifth nerve, blocking tonsils and extra oral injec- tions under the direction of the original de- veloper of this technique, Dr. Arthur E. Smith, of Los Angeles, California. He pre- sented a full-day program, including lectures and clinic, before the Centennial Celebration of the University of Louisville and the Ken- tucky State Dental Association in 1937. He has won gold medals, honorable mention and other awards. His was the highest award for research, presented by the American Inter- national Academy. Most of Dr. Nichols' ex- periments were carried out in the department of Experimental Surgery, University of Min- nesota, Medical School and in the animal Pathology Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois.
Dr. Nichols is past president of the North Dakota State Dental and the North Dakota State Post Graduate Associations; past secre- tary-treasurer, North Dakota State Dental Post Graduate Association; delegate to thf
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American Dental Association from North Dakota, 1921; chairman, executive committee, North Dakota Dental Association, 1921 ; pro- gram committee member, National Dental Society Denture Prosthetists, Los Angeles, 1922; and a member of the American Inter- national Academy, the Association of Military Surgeons, the American Dental Association, the Illinois State Dental Society, the Cham- paign-Urbana Dental Society, the Champaign- Danville District Dental Society, charter mem- ber of the National Society of Denture Pros- thetists, Army and Navy Club, U. S. Reserve Officers Association, University of Illinois Quarterback Club, Champaign and Urbana Country Clubs, Masonic order, Moose and Elks. He holds the rank of Lieutenant Com- mander in the Naval Reserve. His home is at 2104 Grange Drive, Urbana; his office at 113 North Neil Street, Champaign.
Dr. Nichols married Blanche Marie David- son in LaPrairie Centre, Illinois, on June 21, 1916. Mrs. Nichols was a graduate of North- western University and was a teacher prior to her marriage. She was very active in club and church work in the Champaign-Urbana area. She died March 31, 1942. Dr. Nichols has one daughter and one son. Eolyne Yvette Nichols is a pilot and aeronautical engineer and served with the WASPS in the United States and Great Britain in World War II. Ira Goodsell Nichols, Jr., has received his M.D. degree and has specialized in obstetrics and gynecology. He served in the U. S. Navy in World War II. He married Dorothy Blair and is the father of two daughters, Nancy Ann and Claire. On December 9th, 1949, Dr. Nichols was married to Mary Corbett Buckner of Urbana.
EOLYNE YVETTE NICHOLS
A renowned flyer of vast civilian and mili- tary experience — of whom General H. H. Arnold, commander of the United States Army Air Forces in World War II said, "Her serv- ices have been of great value to the Army Air Forces in World War II" — Eolyne Yvette Nichols of Champaign, Chicago, New York and the world at large is today an outstanding personality in the fields of aeronautical engi- neering and airline research and development. She is frequently called on for airline effici- ency advisor work and as an airline operations consultant and airline commerce and finance advisor. To her has been attributed much of the forward-looking developments in aviation in the world over in the years since World War II. She has been active in many other
fields of interest, including teaching, horse- manship, dancing, ice skating, bowling, shoot- ing and world travel. In connection with her travels, it is interesting to note she has gone by plane, car, boat, bicycle, horse, train and afoot, and there is hardly a country or spot in the world she has not visited.
Miss Nichols, born in Mandan, North Dako- ta, on January 22, 1919, is the daughter of Dr. Ira Goodsell Nichols, Sr., dental surgeon, researchist, teacher and writer whose own story appears in other pages of this edition, and Blanche Marie (Davidson) Nichols.
The distinguished record this young woman made in her childhood as she went through school, or gave piano concerts beginning at the age of five, would fill pages of description. She began her education under the Winnetka system in Dr. Howard's School and later at- tended the University of Illinois High School. She was active in Girl Scouting, Girl Reserves and various extra-mural programs. She was fifteen when she entered the University of Illinois. On the campus and in her classes she was again distinguished. To prepare for her career in aeronautics Miss Nichols went to the Lane Technical School, University of Chicago, Harbican Air College and, later, to the Naval Air Station at Pensacola, Florida, and the primary and secondary flight and ground schools of the Civil Aeronautics Ad- ministration. Meantime she was winning championships in many fields of sport.
Miss Nichols was on the faculty of Starrett School for Girls in Chicago and in World War II served twenty-four months with the Wom- en's Army Ferrying Service (WAFS) and the Women's Air Force Service Pilots (WASPS), receiving a special commendation from Gen- eral Arnold at the conclusion of her service. She was graduated as an advanced ferry pilot and received a certificate of graduation from a course in the piloting of radio con- trolled aircraft. She flew special missions with tow target squadrons and on detailed service and flew on radio controlled aircraft missions, and was one of the first women ever to check out in B-29's, B-17's, and B-24's. She flew operational missions with light, medium and heavy bomber squadrons, and had much to do with development of training programs for other women flyers, and there are few military planes of any type she has not piloted.
In her civilian career Miss Nichols has been with the Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM), the Trans-Canada Air Lines, Iranian Airways, British European Airways and guest consult- ant of boards of directors of aviation manu-
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facturing corporations and airlines. She was a delegate from KLM to the International Aeronautical meeting of forty-one countries which was held in Montreal, Canada.
Miss Nichols is a member of the National Aeronautical Association, the Institute of Navigation, the Order of Fifinella (WASPS), Alpha Gamma Delta Alumni Association, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association and numerous international organizations. She is one of the leading women in world aviation.
JAMES OLIVER SHANAFELT
A farmer and oil man of great reputation in Southern Illinois, James Oliver Shanafelt is one of the venerable and most highly re- spected citizens of that region. His farm and oil lands are in Marion County, near the county seat, Salem.
Mr. Shanafelt was born on the Salemville Eoad, at an address which is now Route 2, Salem. His parents were Jacob and Annie M. (Houchen) Shanafelt. The father, a native of Seneca County, Ohio, and the son of Adam Shanafelt, a farmer born in Pennsylvania, came to Illinois at a young age and settled in the vicinity of Salem, where he became a prominent farmer. The mother, a native of Chambershire, England, was brought to the United States by her parents when she was six years old; her father and mother were Charles and Susan Houchen.
James Oliver Shanafelt grew up at Salem- ville and attended the district public schools. He recalls that he began doing his first farm work when he was six years old, working on his father's farm until he was twenty-one. Then he rented a farm of his own near Salem. Later he acquired his father's farm, where he still lives. Oil was found on the land in 1938.
Mr. Shanafelt married Nettie Rebecca Web- ster, a native of Wisconsin. The ceremony took place in Salem, to which community Mrs. Shanafelt was brought when she was a child. Her parents were Van Buren Webster, a farmer and carpenter, and Susan (Carrigan) Webster. Three children were born to the marriage. All are well known today. There are two daughters and a son — 1. Shirley Ann, now the wife of Dwight Young and residing on Rural Route 2, Salem, or Salemville, and the mother of four children, Jean, Mildred, Betty and John Young; her husband is a retired farmer and oil man. 2. Ella S., now Mrs. Featherling, also living near Salem, who has two children, LaDon Featherling, born
in 1930, and Jacquelin Sue, born in 1931. 3. Estle Paul Shanafelt, engineer on the Cotton Belt Railroad, also married, and the father of three children, Helen, Paul Jacob and Donald Shanafelt.
James Oliver Shanafelt has made his in- fluence felt throughout Marion County and he is one of its most popular citizens. The growing of roses and dahlias is his hobby. Television is another of his interests. He has made an important contribution to agricul- tural and other developments in his native county.
ROY ESTEE FRAZIER, SR.
Carrying a newspaper route and working as a railroad telegrapher have been two tradi- tional American avenues to success. Roy Estee Frazier, Sr., of Centralia, has traveled both. Today he is one of the best known fruit growers and shippers in his part of the state, being a partner in the firm of Frazier and Wooters. He is also one of those men who give public service and are always ready to help out in the community when needed and called on.
Born in Rockbridge, Greene County, on July 4, 1888, Mr. Frazier is the son of Samuel Harvey and Lucy Eleanor (Finch) Frazier. His father, a native of Peoria who moved with his parents to Burlington in childhood, was with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad for many years. The mother, born in Concord, Kentucky, lived in Concord, Illi- nois, in early life. Her parents were John Thomas and Nancy (Johnson) Finch, also natives of Kentucky. Roy Frazier's paternal grandfather, John Frazier, an Illinoisan by birth, was a bridge foreman for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy.
Roy Estee Frazier, Sr., grew up in Brigh- ton, Macoupin County. At the age of twelve he moved with his family to Rock Island. He was educated in the public schools of both communities. His first job was that of news- paper carrier. When he was fourteen he began learning telegraphy, and at fifteen he was a telegraph operator and agent for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy. Two years later he attended Brown's Business College at Jackson- ville. Then he returned to the railroad and for four and one-half years was in the super- intendent's office. In 1912 Mr. Frazier left the railroad to take a position with the travel- ing brokerage firm of Harmon and Evans, well known in the fruit business. After two years with this firm he became associated with the Fruit Supply Company of St. Louis, Mis-
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souri, as traffic manager. He was with this concern for five years. In 1919, Mr. Frazier established himself at Centralia, where at first he was engaged in the wholesale fruit and vegetable business in association with J. C. Clovinger and L. E. Porter. In 1928 the firm name became Frazier and Wooters, and so it continues. In addition to growing fruit and shipping it, this firm handles orchard supplies and electric appliances. Mr. Frazier and his partner grow and buy strawberries in Tennessee, green beans in Mississippi and Florida and peaches in Arkansas. Their South- ern Illinois operations in peaches, apples and strawberries are tremendous: they handle the output of 600 acres and 500 growers in that region alone.
Mr. Frazier married Mildred Marie Greve, a native of Beardstown and daughter of Anton Fred and Marie Ann (Paul) Greve, of Ger- man extraction. Her father was a cigar manu- facturer in Beardstown. Mr. and Mrs. Frazier have three children — Roy Estee Frazier, Jr., born in 1917, a graduate of the University of Michigan College of Law, Ann Arbor, who married Lucy Mallory of Centralia and is the father of Roy E. Frazier, III, born in 1944; Elda M., born in 1923, now the wife of Lapsey Hensley of Chicago, a graduate of the Univer- sity of Illinois School of Fine Arts, who has become well known for her excellent art work, which has been widely shown; and Glen G. Frazier, born in 1927, a graduate of the Uni- versity of Illinois School of Architecture, now practicing in association with the Clanson Architectural Company of Decatur, though residing in Urbana.
The senior Mr. Frazier was a member of the Centralia City Health and Safety Com- mittee for four years. A Mason, he belongs to such bodies as the Knights Templar and the Shrine. Also, he is a member of the United Fruit and Vegetable Association, the Centralia Chamber of Commerce and the Methodist Church. He is a trustee of his church and a member of its finance committee. In politics he is a Republican. Hunting, football and baseball are his favorite sports; gardening is his hobby. Mr. Frazier has won high distinc- tion at Centralia and in his field of business operations.
ROBERT MINER CAPPS
In 1839 Joseph Capps of Kentucky, the son of a wealthy and influential planter named Caleb Capps, settled in Jacksonville, seat of Morgan County, and proceeded not only to establish what is now the famed woolen cloth-
ing firm of J. Capps and Sons, Ltd., but to promote the cause of education, civic better- ment and good government, making the Capps name forever renowned in Illinois history. Today his great-grandson, Robert Miner Capps, continuing family traditions, adds to the fame and success of J. Capps and Sons, Ltd., as its president, and furthers the civic and educational program so closely identified with the family.
Robert Miner Capps was born in Jackson- ville on November 16, 1894, the son of Alfred T. Capps, born 1863, died 1935, a one-time president of the Illinois Anti-Saloon League and of the clothing company. Alfred T. Capps was the son of another important figure in the business and the community, Stephen Reid Capps, born 1838, died 1914. The first Joseph Capps was born in 1811 and died in 1872. Like numerous members of his family, Robert M. Capps received all his education in Jack- sonville. He was graduated from the county seat's grade and high schools and in 1917 took the Bachelor of Arts degree at Illinois College, an institution founded in Jackson- ville only ten years before the Capps plant.
Mr. Capps had barely been graduated from the college when, the United States having entered World War II, he enlisted in the Army. He was commissioned a Second Lieu- tenant in the Army's Ordnance Corps. For a few months after the war Mr. Capps worked for the Sangamo Electric Company in Spring- field. But he returned to Jacksonville and joined other members of his family in the employ of J. Capps and Sons, Ltd., the firm once called the Jacksonville Woolen Mills and built by the Capps family into a world re- nowned enterprise. For twelve years Robert M. Capps was a traveling salesman for the firm. Then he was taken into the administra- tive offices where he rose from one responsible position to another as he demonstrated his executive and other abilities. In 1931 he was elected secretary and treasurer of the corpora- tion and in 1946, president.
On February 1, 1921, Mr. Capps married Lucy Gatling of Tarboro, North Carolina. They have two daughters — Frances, now Mrs. A. D. Robinson, residing in Grosse Isle, Michi- gan, the mother of Sarah Gray Robinson; and Helen P. Capps, who is in the advertising business in Chicago. The family worships in the Congregational Church, the church sup- ported for years by the Capps.
Mr. Capps, one of the nation's outstanding business men and industrialists, is a director of the United States Clothing Manufacturers
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Association. Active in Jacksonville's and Morgan County's civic life, he has given lead- ership to the Jacksonville Chamber of Com- merce and other groups and movements and serves on the board of trustees of Illinois Col- lege, thus following another family tradition. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Jack- sonville and of the Manhattan Club of New York City. Golf and fishing are his favorite forms of relaxation. An historian of the Capps family and J. Capps and Sons, Ltd., has said of Jacksonville that it "took leader- ship in civic, political, educational and re- ligious affairs in Illinois." To this may be added that the Capps family has given the leadership to the community, the mantle of which has fallen on the shoulders of the present company president, Robert Miner Capps.
EUGENE PHILIP REINHARD
Through two companies at Pekin, the Taze- well County seat, Eugene Philip Reinhard has aided a home and general building program which has helped maintain progress and pros- perity in the area. These companies, in both of which he is a partner, are Philip Reinhard and Son and the Reinhard and Meyer Lumber Company. Mr. Reinhard is well known in the banking business at Pekin and as an amateur photographer and flyer.
He was born in Pekin on May 22, 1900, the son of Philip H. and Fannie (Hummel) Reinhard. His father, who was a native of Heidelberg, Germany, founded Philip Rein- hard and Son in 1912. He died in 1932. Fannie Hummel Reinhard, born at Bishop, Illinois, survives her husband. Eugene P. Reinhard was educated in grade and high school in Pekin and on leaving school went to work in his father's business. In 1921 he was made a partner and he continues in this capacity. Philip Reinhard and Son does a general mill- work business and manufactures sash and door. Its territory is the entire Pekin trade area and it employs twenty-five persons. The Reinhards organized Reinhard and Meyer Lumber Company in 1925. This is a retail lumber and building materials concern, operat- ing throughout the Pekin trade territory.
Eugene P. Reinhard married Lillian Presley of Bloomfield, Missouri, on July 30, 1925, and they have one daughter, Phyllis Jean Rein- hard, who was born on July 19, 1926, and is now the wife of Charles Hanson. Mrs. Rein- hard's parents, both also born at Bloomfield, Missouri, were Joseph Presley, a railroad storekeeper who died in 1941, and Tina
(Heinze) Presley, now living at Pekin. The Reinhard home is at 1021 South Fourth Street, Pekin. The Reinhards worship in the Grace Methodist Church of that city.
Besides flying — for which he has his own plane — and photography, fishing is Mr. Rein- hard's favorite diversion. He belongs to the American Photographic Society, the Pekin Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Masonic order. He is a direc- tor of the Herget National Bank of Pekin. An outstanding citizen of Pekin, he is contributing to the development of Illinois.
CHARLES ERNEST LOVEJOY, JR.
A member of the publishing business since 1923, Charles Ernest Lovejoy, Jr., is now vice- president of Bill Brothers Publishing Corpo- ration, Chicago, publishers of seven well- known trade journals, among them "Sales Management." He is also prominent in the affairs of the University of Illinois.
Mr. Lovejoy was born in Chicago on No- vember 20, 1899, and is the son of Charles Ernest and Anna (Thompson) Lovejoy. His father, a native of Bangor, Maine., now de- ceased, opened the Chicago plant for Chase and Sanborn's coffee and tea during the World's Fair of 1893. He was active in the Methodist Church, though his own father, who was the captain of Negro troops in the Civil War, was a Unitarian minister. The mother, also deceased, was born in Boston, Massachu- setts. Her father was on the Monitor when it fought the Merrimac in the Civil War.
The publisher received his early education in the Clissold Grade School and Morgan Park High School. In 1920, he took the de- gree of Bachelor of Science at the University of Illinois. He was one of the outstanding students in his time at the university and he has continued so as an alumnus. He was on the varsity football team for three years, having been a member of the Big Ten cham- pionship teams of 1918 and 1919. Also, he was president of the junior class and mem- ber of Ma-Wan-Da Senior Honorary Society and Phi Gamma Delta.
For three years after his graduation from the university Mr. Lovejoy worked as super- intendent and salesman for the Case Harden- ing Service. Company of Cleveland, Ohio. In the meantime, he studied in the night classes of the Case School of Applied Science, in Cleveland. In 1923, Mr. Lovejoy returned to Chicago as assistant advertising manager of Sales Management Magazine, then owned and published by The Dartnell Corporation.
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Later Mr. Lovejoy became advertising man- ager of this publication and in 1928 vice- president. In 1945, Mr. Lovejoy became vice president of Bill Brothers Publishing Corpora- tion, which had acquired "Sales Management" and which publishes six other business publi- cations.
On June 14, 1923, in Chicago, Mr. Lovejoy married Doris Martin, the daughter of Charles B. and Alice G. Martin. They have three chil- dren— Alice Lovejoy Hine, born in 1927, who, like her husband, Manford Doyle Hine, is a graduate of the University of Illinois; Sally Clare Lovejoy, born in 1929, also a graduate of the University of Illinois, and Charles Er- nest Lovejoy, III, born in 1933, now (1950) a student at Morgan Park Military Academy. The family resides at 10315 South Hoyne Avenue, Chicago, and worships in the Epis- copal Church of Morgan Park.
Mr. Lovejoy's five-foot-eight-and-one-half- inch, stocky figure is a familiar one in Chi- cago's civic life and among University of Illi- nois students and graduates. He is former president of both the Illini Club of Chicago and the board of directors of the University of Illinois Athletic Association and is a mem- ber of the University of Illinois Foundation. In his classroom days, he was a member of the Student Army Training Corps (1918) at the university. He is a Republican, and his favorite sport is golf.
JOHN FRANCIS O'KEEFE
Formerly business manager of the Chicago Daily News, John Francis O'Keefe is now secretary of the Chicago Newspaper Publish- ers Association. He has had a long career in the newspaper world, but he has also been long associated with public utilities and invest- ments. His career began, like that of many another business man, when he took a job as stenographer.
Mr. O'Keefe was born in Chicago on Au- gust 24, 1904, the son of John F. and Kath- erine (Harte) O'Keefe, and he was educated in the parochial schools of Chicago. In 1920, he became a stenographer in the employ of the Chicago Police Department. Later he be- came an official reporter, via the notebook and typewriter, for the department. When he left the police force in 1925 Mr. O'Keefe became a stenographer and secretary in the office of Samuel Insull in Chicago. Later, he was promoted to private secretary to Mr. Insull, with whom he remained until 1932. From 1930 to 1932 he was secretary and treasurer of the Insull Utility Investments,
Inc., and also secretary and treasurer of the Corporation Securities Company of Chicago. From 1928 to 1934 Mr. O'Keefe was assist- ant secretary, and subsequently assistant to the vice chairman of the Commonwealth Edi- son Company. In 1934 he became secretary of the Chicago Daily News, an office he held until 1942; from 1942 to 1944 he was vice- president, and in October, 1944 he became business manager and assistant secretary of the company and of the Chicago Daily News Printing Company, of which he was later made vice-president. He has been secretary of the Chicago Newspaper Publishers Association since January 1946. His office is at 211 West Wacker Drive, Chicago.
Mr. O'Keefe married Elizabeth P. Burton in Chicago on June 12, 1937, and they are the parents of five children — John Francis, Jr., Mary Sheila, Denis, James Paul and Philip Joseph O'Keefe. All the members of the family are communicants of the Roman Catholic Church. The O'Keefe home is at 3020 Normandy Place, Evanston. Mr. O'Keefe, a Republican, is a member of the Electric Club, the Economic Club, and various newspaper groups. From 1940 to 1942 he was special as- sistant to the Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Board of Directors and Vice- President of Catholic Charities of Chicago and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Community Fund of Chicago. He is well known among publishers throughout the United States and Canada and has done much to promote cooperative relationships among them.
WALTER HENRY REASOR, JR.
The man behind the Midwest Building Com- pany and the residences famed as "Midwest Homes" is Walter Henry Reasor, Jr., who went into the lumber and home building business after World War II. In that war he served the nation as an Air Force pilot. He is one of the best known men in Coles County, and . has offices in both Mattoon and Charleston.
Mr. Reasor was born in Charleston on June 8, 1918, the son of Walter Henry and Marie Sayre (Gramesly) Reasor. Both his parents were born in Coles County, his father in the county seat. The father is now retired, having served thirty-five years with the Railway Ex- press Agency. Mrs. Reasor is the daughter of Charles and Keturah Gramesly. Walter Rea- sor, Jr., attended grade and high school and Eastern Illinois State College, Charleston. In high school he played football.
Mr. Reasor began his career in 1936 as an office boy for a Chicago real estate firm. In
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1937 he returned to Charleston and then spent six months at Eastern Illinois State College. In 1938 and 1939 he was a clerk in a Mattoon shoe store. From 1940 to 1942 he worked as an insurance agent for the Wash- ington National Insurance Company in Cham- paign. In April, 1942, he entered the United States Army Air Forces, in which he served the next forty-six months. After completing his aviation cadet training, Mr. Reasor became a troop carrier pilot with the 46th Troop Carrier Squadron. He was with the 317th Troop Carrier Group in the Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations for nineteen months. He is now an officer in the Air Force Re- serve. Upon his separation from the active service in February, 1946, Mr. Reasor, return- ing home, bought an old house and six acres of land. He remodeled the house, converting it into three separate apartments. He subdi- vided part of the land and built houses on the lots. This was his beginning in his present field of operations. In 1948 Mr. Reasor started a small lumber yard and since then has op- erated under the name of Midwest Building Company. He dismantled barracks at various military installations and sold them. In 1949 he began the manufacture of "Midwest Homes," which are prefabricated dwellings. His business keeps growing and in 1950 he was building a new factory as well as start- ing an addition in Charleston (his headquar- ters are in Mattoon). He is also building homes for rentals.
On January 7, 1938, in Knox, Indiana, Mr. Reasor married Ruth Hawley, the daugh- ter of Mabel and Dennis Hawley of Danville, Illinois. Mrs. Reasor, one of the well known women of Coles County, is active in the Par- ent-Teacher Associations, in the Presbyterian Church of Mattoon, the Coles County Home Bureau and, the leader of a bowling team, in the Woman's International Bowling Con- gress. Mr. and Mrs. Reasor are the parents of four children — William Sayre Reasor, born on March 9, 1939, a Boy Scout; Maribeth Reasor, born on November 15, 1940, a Girl Scout; Julie Reasor, born on April 10, 1947, and Margaret Ann Reasor, born on Febru- ary 13, 1948. The family home is at 820 A Street, Charleston.
Mr. Reasor is a member of the Mattoon As- sociation of Commerce, the Illinois Retail Lumber Dealers Association, the Charleston Country Club and the Air Force Association. Flying and hunting are his favorite pastimes. A vigorous energetic individual who tends to become restless when conditions become
static, Mr. Reasor has worked his business rapidly from one small operation to bigger and better operations, until today he is one of the outstanding figures in his field in the state.
GEN. ROBERT ELKINGTON WOOD
One of the most distinguished American careers in history has been that of General Robert Elkington Wood of Chicago. General Wood is not only chairman of the board and former president of the great Sears, Roebuck and Company, but he is the possessor of an extraordinary record as military man, as for- mer chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and former member of the War Resources Board and as an ardent worker on behalf of youth, health and welfare, agricul- ture and industry.
General Wood was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 13, 1879, the son of Robert W. and Lillie (Collins) Wood. His father, a native of Herkimer, New York, was a mer- chant. After his graduation from Central High School of Kansas City, the future gen- eral and merchant entered United States Mil- itary Academy at West Point. Graduated from West Point as a Second Lieutenant in 1900, he served as Second and First Lieutenant of Cavalry with troops in the Philippine Islands during the insurrection of 1900-1902 and at Fort Assinniboine, Montana, 1902-03. From 1903 to 1905 he was an instructor at West Point and in March, 1905, he was sent to the Isthmus of Panama, where he was de- tached from the Army for duty with John F. Wallace, first Chief Engineer employed by the Isthmian Canal Commission during the construction of the canal, 1905-1915. Sub- sequently, General Wood served as superin- tendent, assistant chief quartermaster, chief quartermaster and chief of building depart- ment in charge of recruiting, housing, dis- tribution of labor, requisition, purchase and distribution of supplies for the Panama Canal and the Panama Railroad and Steamship Line. In May, 1915, General Wood resigned from the service and from July to October of the same year was assistant to the vice-president of E. I. duPont de Nemours Company. From 1915 to 1917 he was assistant to the presi- dent of the General Asphalt Company. In May, 1917, less than a month after the United States entered World War I, he reentered Government service as general purchasing of- ficer, Emergency Fleet Corporation. Then he sailed for France with the 42nd Division, as Colonel of Infantry; was assigned to the
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General Staff in charge of transportation on arrival, and later as assistant to General At- terbury as director of Army Transport Serv- ice in charge of all ports, water terminals and shipping in France and England. Recalled to the United States in 1918, he was pro- moted to Brigadier General, Acting Quarter- master General, later director of purchase and storage in charge of all Army supplies except ordnance and aircraft. On March 1, 1919, he returned to civil life. In World War II General Wood served on the Advis- ory Staff of the Chief of Ordnance and as General Consultant and Adviser to the. Com- manding General of the Army Air Forces in reorganization of supply functions of the Air- Forces and as such visited all the theaters of war, flying a total of 200,000 miles and around the world twice by air.
When he left the Army in March, 1919, General Wood became general merchandise manager and vice-president in charge of mer- chandising of Montgomery Ward and Com- pany, and this office he held until in 1924 when he left M.W. & Co. He went to Sears, Roebuck & Co. as vice-president and in 1928 he was made president of the company and in 1939 he was elevated to the chairman- ship of the board, his present office. It has been in the years since General Wood be- came president that Sears has made some of its greatest strides, especially in the ex- pansion of its retail establishments, and Gen- eral Wood has himself become a world figure in merchandising and other affairs. He is a director of the Illinois Central Railroad, the First National Bank of Chicago, North Amer- ican Car Corporation, McGraw Electric Cor- poration, International Minerals and Chemi- cal Corporation.
On April 30, 1908, in Augusta, Georgia, General Wood married Mary Butler Hard- wick, daughter of George W. and Anna (Sto- vall) Hardwick. They have five children — Anne Wood, now Mrs. William H. Mitchell and mother of Mary Tullis Kinnear, Robert Wood Tullis and Edwin E. Tullis, Jr.; Fran- ces Wood, now Mrs. Calvin Fentress, Jr., and mother of Audrey, Calvin, III, Mary H. and Robert W. Fentress; Sarah Wood, now Mrs. James R. Addington and mother of Keene H., Whitney W. and Anne H. Addington; Rob- ert W. Wood, who married Martha Cook and is the father of Robert E. Wood, II, Daphne, Katherine K. and Sarah H. Wood; and Mary Wood, now Mrs. Hugo V. Neuhaus, Jr., and mother of W. S. Farish, III. General and Mrs. Wood reside at 700 South Ridge Road,
Lake Forest, and worship in the Episcopal Church.
The General has always been active in pub- lic affairs. In 1933-34 he was on the Indus- trial Advisory Board of the N.R.A. and in 1934-38 on the Business Advisory Council of the Department of Commerce, being since 1938 a Graduate Member of the Council. From 1936 to 1940 he was deputy chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and in 1940 was chairman. From 1938 to 1940 he was public representative on the board of the New York Stock Exchange. From 1939 to 1943 he was on the Committee for Civil Service Improvement and in 1939 on the War Resources Board. From 1938 to 1940 he was a member of the American Youth Commission of the. American Council on Education and from 1940 to 1942 he was on the board of the National Association of Manufacturers. In the 1946 campaign he was a member of the Chicago Committee of the National Service Fund of the Disabled American Veterans and was vice-president of the Community Fund of Chicago for several years and one year headed the Community Fund drive. He is a trustee of St. Luke's Hospital, the Museum of Science and Industry, Farm Foundation, Midwest Research Institute, Advisory Coun- cil of Southern Research Institute and Inter- American Council of Commerce and Produc- tion; president of the Chicago Boys Clubs and a director of the Foundation for Amer- ican Agriculture; honorary president of the North Shore Area Council, Boy Scouts of America; member of the University of Illi- nois General Advisory Committee, Salvation Army Association of Chicago and board of Cradle Society. The entire world has long honored him and his achievements.
EARL THROGMORTON
On December 31, 1948, "The Rotary Spur," official organ of the Rotary Club of Carbon- dale, wrote the following, under the title "Ro- tary's Great Loss": "Thursday night, at ten o'clock, Carbondale lost a friend. Past Presi- dent Earl Throgmorton died. He had been ill for several months. The story of Earl's life is a regular Horatio Alger tale. Born in a log cabin on land now covered by Little Grassy Lake, Earl fought his way to the top. At his death he was the largest independent operator of bus lines in the United States. There is a gap in Carbondale today. It will be years, if ever, before this gap is filled. Kindly, generous, civic minded, everybody's friend, Earl did a great amount of good in
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and for Carbondale." Mr. Throgmorton was an outstanding citizen of that section of the United States called "Egypt," and he worked day and night for its welfare and prosperity, and he was also known for his sponsorship of collegiate athletics in the North Central States. The company through which he be- came so prominent in motor coach transpor- tation in the United States was the Carbon- dale and Harrisburg Coach Lines, Inc., of which he was founder and president. Today this great corporation is being directed by Mr. Throgmorton's widow, the former Ruth Keith of Alto Pass, who is herself developing a reputation of great proportions for leader- ship in the transportation world.
Earl Throgmorton was born on June 3, 1899, on a farm south of Carbondale, and he attended rural schools, Carbondale Univer- sity High School and Southern Illinois Uni- versity. Unable to finish his formal educa- tion, Mr. Throgmorton obtained employment with the Illinois Central, and in time became a freight and passenger brakeman. In 1924, with the few dollars he had accumulated, he started the taxi service at Carbondale now known as the Yellow Cab Company. Four years later he inaugurated his chartered bus service, buying out the Carbondale-Harris- burg Coach Line, Inc., then operating two buses bewteen those two communities. In 1938, Mr. Throgmorton built the new bus station in Carbondale, doubling the building in size in 1941. In 1947 six large new buses were put into operation on the line, which had expanded to include transportation serv- ice for practically all of Southern Illinois, parts of Central Illinois, Missouri and Indi- ana. New depots and new buses were later added to the system. Mr. Throgmorton's en- try into this field really began when he op- erated a charter bus primarily for athletic teams of Southern Illinois University. At the start of his business, he was his own driver, sleeping in the bus to save hotel expenses on long trips. Through the "national emergency" period preceding World War II and the war period itself, Mr. Throgmroton's coaches car- ried thousands of workers to essential jobs in war plants.
Mr. Throgmorton served as president of the Rotary Club of Carbondale, was a char- ter member and director of the Greater Egypt Association and active also in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Masonic order. In the latter, he belonged to Shekinah Lodge, No. 241, A. F. and A. M. ; Reynolds Chapter, No. 75, Royal Arch Masons; Beau-
sant Commandery, No. 86, Knights Templar; and Ainad Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, East St. Louis. He was a past patron of the Carbondale Chapter, No. 467, Order of the Eastern Star. He was one of the two men honored with honorary membership in the "I" Club of Southern Illinois University and was a member of the Carbondale Com- munity High School board and otherwise ac- tive in civic affairs.
Mr. and Mrs. Throgmorton were married in 1923. Mrs. Throgmorton, whose parents are Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Keith, still residing at Alto Pass, is a graduate of Southern Illinois Uni- versity and taught at Chicago before her marriage. She succeeded her husband as pres- ident of the C. and H. Coach Lines and since then has helped further development of the system through participation in the manage- ment. She. has been a leader in the Order of the Eastern Star and is now Associate Grand Matron of the Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star of Illinois, having previously served as Worthy Matron of her chapter. In 1951 she will serve as Worthy Grand Matron of the Order of the Eastern Star of Illinois, the highest office in the Order. Since the death of Mr. Throgmorton, which occurred on December 30, 1948, when he was forty-nine years old, Mrs. Throgmorton has preserved the Throgmorton reputation for a contribution of a high order to progress and welfare.
WATSON GAILEY, M.D.
Possessor of an international reputation as a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the eye, Dr. Watson Gailey of Bloomington is also noted as a teacher in this field and as a leader in work for the visually handicapped and in movements aimed at eye- sight conservation. He is the founder and chief ophthalmologist of the Gailey Eye Clinic of Bloomington and president of the Wat- son Gailey Eye Foundation.
Dr. Gailey was born in Ashland, Cass Coun- ty, on September 7, 1882, the son of Dr. William Watson and Mary Elizabeth (Sinclair) Gailey. His father, who was born on July 19, 1842, near Newcastle, Pennsylvania, was graduated from Westminster College, Wil- mington, Pennsylvania, when he was 17. Later he took the degree of Doctor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He enlisted as a medical cadet soon after the outbreak of the Civil War and served in Army hos- pitals and also on the high seas on the war- ship Commodore Vanderbilt. Later he prac-
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ticed medicine in Jacksonville, Illinois, and also Ashland.
Dr. Watson Gailey, a graduate of Ashland High School of the Class of 1900, received the Doctor of Medicine degree at the Uni- versity of Illinois College of Medicine in Chi- cago in 1904. For 18 months he interned at Cook County Hospital, Chicago, and for a like period afterward served as resident at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary. Subse- quently, he did graduate study in ophthalmol- ogy in all the leading medical centers of the country, and since 1909 he has been practic- ing his specialty in Bloomington. He has studied ophthalmology in Vienna, Berlin, Chi- na, India, England, Japan and Spain. In 1931- 1932 he spent six months in India doing noth- ing but cataract surgery, and, previously, in World War I, he spent 18 months in the United States Army Medical Corps as a Cap- tain stationed at General Hospital No. 9, Lake- wood, New Jersey. When he began his prac- tice, he opened offices in the Griesheim Build- ing, Bloomington, where he remained until 1941. Then he built the Gailey Eye Clinic, at 1008 North Main Street. Because of the rapid growth of the clinic, it became neces- sary in 1950 to build a new structure, a duplication in size of the original. On March 1, 1949, Dr. Gailey founded the Watson Gail- ey Eye Foundation, a non-profit corporation formed to afford a means by which private funds, in the way of contributions and gifts of any kind, can be channeled into uses pro- moting and improving the science of ophthal- mology. In addition to being president of the foundation and chief ophthalmologist of his clinic, Dr. Gailey is chief ophthalmologist of Mennonite Hospital and is extramural oph- thalmologist for the University of Illinois Di- vision of Services for Crippled Children. He is consultant in the special education pro- gram for the visually handicapped at Illinois State Normal University.
Dr. Gailey married Louise Huffaker, daugh- ter of Frank and Liza Huffaker, at Jackson- ville, and one daughter, Janet, was born to them. She is now the wife of Dr. Charles Digges Branch, physician and surgeon, and mother of Watson Gailey (Twig) Branch and Charles Digges Branch, II. Dr. and Mrs. Gail- ey reside at 8 Country Club Place, Blooming- ton.
Dr. Gailey is a member of the McLean County Medical Society, Illinois State Medi- cal Society, American Medical Association, Pan-American Congress of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Ophthalmalogy, the
Central Illinois Society of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology (of which he was first presi- dent), and also Bloomington Lodge, No. 43, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Bloom- ington Consistory, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, and coordinate bodies; Louis E. Davis Post, No. 56, American Legion, at Bloomington. His profession is his hobby. He is known for his generosity and charitable- ness as well as his leadership in the world of ophthalmology.
JAMES EVERETT ETHERTON
The leadership of James Everett Etherton of Carbondale, one of Illinois' best known cit- izens, extends into many fields. A lawyer who has not only practiced privately but served as special prosecutor for the Illinois Pure Food Commission and on the Illinois State Board of Bar Examiners, he is also president of The Carbondale National Bank of Carbondale. He has headed some of the most important civic and health and welfare organizations in his community.
Mr. Etherton comes of a family whose progenitor in America settled in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1640, after coming to the New World from England. His father was James Marcus Etherton, a native of Illinois who was also president of the Carbondale National Bank and his grandfather was William Carroll Etherton, another native of this State, who served as Sheriff of Jackson County. James Everett Etherton's mother was Lavannia J. (Lee) Etherton, also born in Illinois.
Born at Pomona, Illinois, on February 21. 1889, Mr. Etherton began his education in Carbondale's elementary schools. He has at- tended Southern Illinois University in Car- bondale, Shurtleff College at Alton and the University of Illinois. He was graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Laws from the Uni- versity of Illinois at Urbana in 1913, and when he was admitted to the Illinois State . Bar in 1914 he achieved an ambition to which he had clung since boyhood. He practiced in Carbondale until 1917, when he became assistant cashier of the Carbondale National Bank. In 1938, he rose to the presidency of the bank. The bank grew with the career of Mr. Etherton's father, who became one of the State's leading Democrats and who served in the State Legislature, and has continued to grow with the career of its present presi- dent. Mr. Etherton has continued his law work, chiefly in probate matters and in ad- visory capacities. His legal practice has, how- ever, been intermittent in character.
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From 1916 to 1918 Mr. Etherton was spe- cial prosecutor for the Illinois Pure Food Commission; from 1919 to 1920 he was super- visor of the census for the 17th District of Illinois; from 1920 to 1922 he was a member of the 52nd General Assembly, representing the 44th District, and from 1935 to 1945 he was a member of the Illinois State Board of Bar Examiners. He was chairman of Local Board No. 2, Selective Service System, Jack- son County, from its organization until its dissolution. He has also been a member and president of the local school boards, and is active in civic affairs in general.
Mr. Etherton married Julia Rachel Mitchell on October 21, 1918, and they have a son, William C. Etherton, and daughter, Annabel L. Etherton. The son, a graduate of the University of Illinois, was a Technical Ser- geant in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, serving in the Mediterra- nean Theater of Operations. He married Helen Morlock of Champaign, also a grad- uate of the University of Illinois.
The banker is a member of the American Bankers Association; the Illinois Bankers As- sociation, of which he is currently (1949- 1950) vice-chairman; the Illinois Bar Asso- ciation, the American Bar Association; the Missouri Athletic Club of St. Louis; The Car- bondale Business Men's Association, of which he was president in 1921-1923; the Lions Club, of which he is past president; and the Elks Lodge, of which he is past exalted ruler. He is a director of the Southern Illinois Uni- versity Foundation, the Carbondale Building and Loan Association and the Good Luck Company of Carbondale, Illinois. Through his hobby, civic work, and his other activi- ties he serves his community and State.
FLOYD PARKER BRACY
Acknowledged for many years as a leader in the insurance business of Illinois, especially in the southern region, Floyd Parker Bracy of Herrin has been identified with the prog- ress of ths State since the early 1920's. He is the founder and operator of the Floyd P. Bracy Insurance Agency and is district super- visor for the Sun Life Insurance Company of Canada, though he writes all types of insur- ance for many companies. He is the only Southern Illinois member of the Illinois De- velopment Committee, under appointment of both Governors Horner and Green, and has also served as City Treasurer of Herrin and member of the board of education and high
school board in Herrin. He is well known in church and organizational work.
Mr. Bracy was born in Williamson County, about three miles from Marion, on January 23, 1897, the son of Samuel L. Bracy, a farm- er, and Mae (Parker) Bracy. Both parents were also born in Illinois. Samuel Bracy was active in the Methodist Church and was a member of the school board for District 51 for twenty-one years. Floyd Bracy attended the rural schools of his native county and was graduated from the Marion Township High School in 1916. For a year he studied at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and then taught for two semesters in the Ma- rion school system. In the summer of 1918, he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station and at Norfolk, Virginia.
Discharged from the service in 1919, Mr. Bracy returned to Herrin, where he worked for the wholesale fruit and produce business of Harry W. Bracy. At first he was office manager, but later, upon acquiring an intei'- est in the enterprise, he was made vice-pres- ident. In 1926, he sold out his share of the business and entered the University of Illinois, where for a year he studied economics and insurance. In 1927, he formed a partnership with his father-in-law, Mark Woodley, and en- tered the insurance business. This partner- ship was dissolved in 1930 and since then Mr. Bracy has operated alone, under the firm name of Floyd P. Bracy Insurance Agency. He became district supervisor for Sun Life in 1940. He is active in the Life Underwrit- ers Association.
On December 30, 1922, Mr. Bracy married Ruth Woodley, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Woodley of Williamson County. Their children are: William Thomas, born June 3, 1927, a graduate of Southern Illinois Uni- versity and now associated in business with his father; James Richard, born November 4, 1930, now doing pre-medical work at the same university.
The family worships at the First Methodist Church of Herrin in which Mr. Bracy has served in various official capacities and is former Superintendent of the Sunday School.
Active in public affairs for years, Mr. Bra- cy became City Treasurer of Herrin in 1930. In 1940, Southern Illinois Incorporated was organized by a group of leading business men of Southern Illinois, to promote industry, ag- riculture and recreation in that part of the state. Mr. Bracy, one of the founders, was
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first Treasurer of the group which is still operating.
Active in Boy and Girl Scout work for the past ten years, Mr. Bracy was one of the group that organized the Egyptian Council, Boy Scouts of America. He is a member of the State Welfare Commission of William- son County. He was a leader in the sale of bonds in Williamson County during the late war, and is still Chairman of the bond selling group in 1950. He received several citations for his War Bond work as well as for his ac- tivities in the Defense Council for the County. Active in Red Cross work during the war, he is serving on the Board of Directors for Williamson County at the present time.
He is former president and secretary of the Lions Club of Herrin and former Deputy District Governor. He is now a Master Key Member of the organization. On the board of directors of the Herrin Chamber of Commerce several years, he is now chairman of its pub- lic relations committee. He also belongs to the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce. In Masonry he is a member of the Mississippi Valley Consistory of the Scottish Rite and Ainad Temple of the Shrine at East St. Louis. Fishing and boating are his chief recreations. The contribution he has made to the entire State is widely recognized.
FLOYD FLEMMING STABLES
"Believe you'ro right. Then go ahead with all your might." That is the motto Floyd Flemming Stables of Mount Vernon has fol- lowed all his life. It has brought him suc- cess and the respect of his fellow citizens. Well known for years as an educator, Mr. Stables is now in the lumber business. His firm is the Mount Vernon Lumber Company. He is also a leading figure in civic, fraternal and religious affairs, and an active worker on behalf of education.
Mr. Stables was born in Bethany, Moultrie County, on February 2G, 1890, the son of Thomas and Oriana (Crowder) Stables. Thomas Stables' father, a native of England, was Edward Stables, a farmer and harness maker who settled in Moultrie County in the 1860's. Thomas Stables was born in that county, near Bethany. He too became a har- ness maker, and operated harness stores in Bethany and Lexington. He lived at Lexing- ton from 1905 until his death in 1944, at the age of eighty-seven. Oriana Stables, born in Bethany, was the daughter of one of the early pioneers in the Bethany section, J. H. Crowd- er. Her father, who bought his land from the
Government, was a farmer. He served in the Union Army in the Civil War and for a time afterward was State Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. He is credited with having imported the first red polled cat- tle into the United States. Floyd F. Stables has one brother, Glenn C. Stables, a voice instructor at Converse College, Spartanburg, S. C. He received his training in New York and Paris.
Floyd F. Stables attended the public schools at Bethany and Decatur, completing his high school work at Lexington. At high school he was on the track, basketball and baseball teams, and also active in dramatics. For three and one-half years he was at James Millikin University, Decatur, majoring in industrial arts. At the university he was also active in athletics, and for one year he was captain of the basketball team. He was named the All- State Forward in 1911, 1912 and 1913. On leaving the university Mr. Stables became the teacher of industrial arts and athletic coach in the Centralia Township high school. He then moved to Mount Vernon, after a year in Centralia, and held the same faculty posi- tions until 1921. One basketball team he coached at Mount Vernon won the state championship in 192 0. He gave up coaching in 1921, but continued as a teacher until 194 4. Back in 1919 Mr. Stables had become financially interested in the Mount Vernon Lumber Company. When in 1944 he gave up pedagogy as a career, he took over active management of this lumber business.
On June 9, 1915, Mr. Stables married Laura Belle Howenstine, a native of Decatur. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. L. Howenstine of Decatur — was active in Church and social life. She died December 31, 1936. Two sons were born to the marriage — James G., a Certified Public Accountant at Hannibal, Missouri, he married Ruth Lee of Duquoin Illi- nois in 1941 — have 3 children; John Richard, James William, Peggy Lee; and John L., who is engaged in the lumber business with his father in Mount Vernon. Both sons are grad- uates of the University of Illinois. In 1938 Mr. Stables married Mrs. Helen M. P'ord of Peoria, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. P. Heald. Her father was a Harvard Law graduate and business man. Mrs. Stables was born in Kingston, Jamaica. Her parents were missionaries. Mrs. Stables majored in art at James Millikin University, Decatur, 111. She has a daughter by her first marriage, Artys Ford, a graduate of James Millikin University and also an artist. The daughter flew to Ger-
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many in 194 6 to be married to Captain Ray Galligar of the United States Army. They have one child, Vincent Robert.
Mr. and Mrs. Stables are both active in the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Stables, a former Sunday School superintendent, served for about twenty years as a trustee. He is now serving as building committee chairman of an attractive new church edifice. He is a former chancellor commander of the Mount Vernon Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and a former president of the Rotary Club of Mount Vernon, of which he is a charter member. He is a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fra- ternity and a member of the Masonic order and the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce. His many-sided contribution to progress and culture at Mount Vernon has brought him widespread recognition.
HAROLD ABBOTT WRIGHT
The possessor of a national reputation in the fields of industrial and labor relations, Harold Abbott Wright is now a partner in the management consulting firm of A. T. Kearney and Company, Chicago. He has done con- siderable research and writing in these fields and collaborated in the book, "Management and the Worker: An Account of a Research Program Conducted by the Western Electric Company, Hawthorne Works, Chicago."
Mr. Wright was born in Hopedale, Massa- chussetts, on May 5, 1901, the son of William C. and Florence (Smith) Wright. His father, a native of Sandgate, Vermont, was a consult- ing foundry engineer. His mother was born at Williamstown, Massachusetts. H. A. Wright was graduated from high school at Oak Park and then attended the University of Illinois, Urbana, for three years. He was elected to Chi Phi Fraternity.
Mr. Wright began his business career in 1923 in the industrial relations organization of the Western Electric Company at its Haw- thorne Works in Chicago. For twenty years he remained with that company having, at various times, charge of training, personnel research and the coordination of the com- pany's relations with the labor union. It was under his direction that the well-known Haw- thorne studies in employee relations devel- oped. "Management and the Worker," pre- pared by F. J. Roethlisberger and W. J. Dick- son, with Mr. Wright's collaboration, is a written report of these studies. It was pub- lished by the Harvard University Press in 1939, and immediately accepted by manage- ment, personnel authorities and professional
journals, has since been a part of the litera- ture of the field. In 1944, Mr. Wright became associated with McKinsey, Kearney and Com- pany, management consultants, the firm now called A. T. Kearney and Company. He be- came a partner on September 1, 1945. He is a director of the Herman Nelson Corpora- tion at Moline. Mr. Wright's work at Western Electric was reviewed by Stuart Chase in a Reader's Digest article called "What Makes the Worker Like to Work?" and appearing in February, 1941. Many of his discoveries in his Hawthorne researches were outlined in this article. He has himself written articles for various publications, among them a timely contribution called "Personal Adjustment in Industry," which appeared in Occupations, the Vocational Guidance Magazines, in May, 1940, just as Americans were preparing for a "national emergency" and were soon to be "all-out" for victory in World War II.
On September 18, 1926, in Chicago, Mr. Wright married Dorothy Dennett, the daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. O. M. Dennett and also a former student of the University of Illinois. She is active today in the West Suburban Auxiliary of the Cradle Society at Evanston. Mr. and Mrs. Wright have one son, Stephen A. Wright. Their home is at 4032 Ellington Avenue, Western Springs.
In World War II, Mr. Wright aided the war effort not only by his work at the Western Electric's Hawthorne Works but also his ac- tivities with his present firm, which speeded production at some of the nation's most im- portant war plants. In addition, he served on the rationing board at Western Springs. Another of his public activities has been serv- ice on the Zoning Appeal Board of that com- munity. He is a member of the Union League Club of Chicago and worships in the Con- gregational Church at Western Springs. His contribution to the understanding of indus- trial and employee problems has received widespread recognition, and he is himself a popular figure in the industrial world.
RYBURN ROBERT COLP
The Colp Wholesale Lumber Company, with headquarters in Carbondale and yards in Mis- souri and Kentucky, serves five States and is an outstanding enterprise in its field in the entire region. Its founder is Ryburn Robert Colp of Carbondale, a leading citizen of Downstate Illinois who is also known for his hobby, the buying and selling of cattle, and for his other agricultural pursuits and his civic work. He is a veteran of World War I
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who has taken a leading part in veterans' work, as well as in business men's organiza- tions.
Mr. Colp was born in Carterville, William- son County, on September 22, 1897, the son of Monroe D. and Calla (Vick) Colp, both al- so natives of Illinois. Monroe Colp was in the flour milling and wholesale grocery business. Graduated from high school in 1916, Mr. Colp attended the University of Illinois for a year and one-half. In January, 1918, he entered the United States Navy. Stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station as a radio electrician, he remained there until his dis- charge in 1919. Before he went into business, Mr. Colp spent some nine months at the Gem City Business College, in Quincy.
He then went to California, where he work- ed as a service station attendant for the Standard Oil Company. On his return to Illi- nois, he served as a salesman for the Black and White Milling Company for eighteen months. On October 23, 1923, Mr. Colp went into the retail lumber business in Carbondale. For a decade or so he operated six different businesses in as many cities. In June, 1938, he established the Colp Wholesale Lumber Com- pany in Carbondale, and now serves Southern Illinois, southeast Missouri and all of Arkan- sas, Kentucky and Tennessee, maintaining wholesale yards at S-ikeston, Missouri, and Fulton, Kentucky. He continues in the retail lumber business in Carbondale and Sikeston, Missouri. He is a member of the Southeast Missouri Lumber Dealers Association and the Illinois Lumber Dealers Association.
Mr. Colp married Eula Harris, the daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Harris of Carbon- dale, on June 22, 1920. The marriage took place in California. Mr. and Mrs. Colp have a son, Bill, who is in charge of sales in his father's business. He married Shirley Smith of Sikeston, Missouri and is the father of Robert Ryburn Colp. The entire family worships in the Missionary Baptist Church of Carbondale.
Buying and selling cattle is Mr. Colp's hob- by. He maintains an average herd of 500 head of cattle, and does an annual volume of business in his "hobby" running more than $100,000. He owns and operates three farms, with a total of 300 acres, and rents 1250 acres of pastureland from the Government in Jackson and Williamson Counties. As a side- line to his lumber business, Mr. Colp has de- veloped four subdivisions in Carbondale, named Randelman, Sprague, Etherton and
Oakland. Also, he has built more than one thousand homes. He has twice been presi- dent of the Carbondale Business Men's As- sociation and also headed the Lions Club of Carbondale and has been commander of the American Legion post in that city. He con- tributes further to the growth and welfare of the region through active membership in the Greater Egypt Association and Southern Illi- nois, Inc. Mr. Colp's philosophy is summed up in these words: "A man's ability to conduct business does not rest purely on his ability to do business but dots rest on his ability to handle the irregularities of business."
PAUL L. MATON
The roses grown by Paul L. Maton in Pana, Christian County, are known to hundreds of thousands of persons in the United States. His company, of which he is president, is the Pana Rose Company. Mr. Maton, a World War I veteran who is active and popular in Christian County, is known to retail mer- chants and flower men the nation over as the Eastern pioneer in the idea of prepacking roses for sale in five-and-ten-cent stores.
Mr. Maton was born in Belgium on April 17, 1894, and came to the United States at an early age. In 1923, Mr. Maton and his brother, the late Arthur L. Maton, built their first greenhouse in Pana. This was known as the Maton Brothers Greenhouse, and they grew roses only. They continued this busi- ness until 1932 when litigation with a gas company forced them to close up. This liti- gation arose out of the Maton Brothers' charge that the gas company's pipes were leaking enough gas into their greenhouses to kill their roses. The litigation lasted three years.
, Arthur L. Maton died in 1941. That same year Paul L. Maton re-acquired the same business. He renamed the business Pana Rose Company, Inc. In 1944, Mr. Maton also pur- chased the Webb Greenhouses in Pana. A few months later, his nephews, Arthur and Walter Maton, sons of his late brother, re- turned from military service and he gave this business to them.
Mr. Maton married Verma White in 19 36. By a former marriage the present Mrs. Maton has two children, Jack, born in 1928, and William, born in 1932. By the present mar- riage Mr. and Mrs. Maton have a son, Phillip Maton, who was born in 1941. Five children were born to Mr. Maton's first marriage — Paul L. Maton, Jr., in 1925; Donald B. Maton,
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PAUL L. MATON
in 1927; Robert M. Maton, in 1930; Jean L. Maton in 1931, and Carl Maton, in 1933.
Mr. Maton served in World War I as a member of the United States Army Band, with which he went overseas. He is today a member of the American Legion in Pana, as well as of the Pana Country Club. His green- houses occupy 280,000 square feet, this be- ing the growing area under glass. He em- ploys fifty persons and ships more than 3,000- 000 roses every year. His annual coal bill is $30,000 alone. Mr. Maton was the first big rose grower in the East to prepack roses for sale in the five-and-ten-cent stores and other retail outlets. The process includes the gass- ing of the flowers and their packing in sealed waterproof lead boxes. Under these condi- tions they maintain their freshness for about a week. Flowers sold in this form have proved exceedingly popular. Tall, well built and white-haired, and possessed of an attractive personality, Paul L. Maton is one of Christian County's and the flower world's leading citi- zens.
FRANK MERRILL LINDSAY, JR.
A dominant figure among broadcasting men in the State of Illinois, Frank Merrill Lindsay, Jr., is general manager of Radio Station WSOY in Decatur, as well as vice- president and treasurer of the Illinois Broad- casting Company, licensee of the station, and a director of WTAX, Inc., Springfield. In addition, he is treasurer of Decatur Newspa- pers, Inc., a director of East Shore Newspa- pers, Inc., publisher of the East St. Louis Journal, and business manager of the Deca- tur Herald and Review.
Mr. Lindsay was born in Decatur on Jan- uary 3, 1910, the son of Frank Merrill and Vivian (Simpson) Lindsay. His father is pres- ident of Decatur Newspapers, Inc., and East Shore Newspapers, Inc. Frank M. Lindsay, Jr., is a graduate of the Decatur grade and high schools, New Hampton (N.H.) School, Kenyon College, and the Harvard School of Business Administration.
Mr. Lindsay became general manager of Radio Station WSOY in 1939. Two years prior to that the newspaper interests with which he is affiliated purchased a substantial minority interest in the station and in 1939 acquired control. The station originally went on the air as WJBL, licensed to the William Gushard Co., at that time Decatur's largest department store. It later was licensed to Commodore Broadcasting, Inc. under the own- ership of Indiana interests. In 1949 the cor-
porate structure was modified and the Illinois Broadcasting Co. (Delaware) became the li- censee.
WSOY operates on a frequency of 1340 kilocycles and a power of 50 watts. WSOY- FM, its frequency modulation affiliate, was the pioneer fulltime FM station in downstate Illinois. It operates on a frequency of 102.1 megacycles with a power of 32 kilowatts. The stations are affiliated with the Columbia Broadcasting System. In the decade between 1939 and 1949 the station has been developed into one of the most influential stations of its size in the United States.
On October 19, 1940, Mr. Lindsay married Margery Crawford, who is active in the civic and social life of Decatur. They have two daughters, Lucy, who was born March 2, 1944, and Katherine Ann, who was born April 18, 1946. The Lindsays, whose home is at 538 Bradley Court, Decatur, are members of the First Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Lindsay, who early in his career in the field of radio established a reputation for leadership and progressive ideas, has served as President of the Illinois Broadcasters As- sociation for two years. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Asso- ciation of Broadcasters and is active in mem- bership in the Rotary Club, Country Club of Decatur, and the Decatur Club. In World War II he served with the United States Navy, leaving the service as a Lieutenant Commander in 1945. In the Navy he attended radar schools at Noroton Heights (Conn.), Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technol- ogy, and the Naval Air Technical Training Center at Corpus Christi, Texas. The last twenty-one months of service he was in charge of the radar maintenance section of the Bu- reau of Aeronautics. Golf is his favorite sport. Through his radio and newspaper work Mr. Lindsay has made himself invaluable to his fellow citizens and his state.
JAMES WESLEY HAYTON
When James Wesley Hayton opened the Hayton Theater at Carterville in Williamson County at the beginning of the depression in 1929, he established an admission price of ten cents, thus making available to persons of ev- ery circumstance the pleasures of motion pic- tures and other entertainment. From this beginning in show business Mr. Hayton has come to be known throughout Southern Illi- nois. Among his activities today is leadership in the operation of the Williamson County Fair at Marion.
ILLINOIS EDITION
953
Mr. Hayton was born in Carterville on July 1, 1885, the son of William and Cora (Fox) Hayton. He is a grandson of the late Dr. James Hayton, a native of England who practiced medicine in the Carterville area for years. James Hayton, the theater owner, was educated in the public schools of William- son County. He remained on his father's farm until he was twenty-one. In 1907, he entered the livery business, and for the next ten years operated the Hayton Livery Stable in Carterville. In 1912, he went into the au- tomobile business, operating as Hayton Mo- tor Sales. He left livery and automobile busi- ness behind him when, in 1929, he established the Hayton Theater. By 1939 he had pros- pered to such a degree as to build a new theater structure, seating six hundred per- sons, and it is in this building that he oper- ates today. Through a few years as theater man Mr. Hayton also had a farm, but he sold it.
On October 12, 1910, Mr. Hayton married Zella West, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. West of Carterville. In 1926 a son, Jacob William Hayton, was born to them. Following his early education in Carterville's elementary and high schools, the son went to Chicago to prepare for a career as a lawyer. Mr. and Mrs. Hayton worship in the Chris- tian Church.
Mr. Hayton was chairman of bond drives in both World Wars I and II and has also been active in Red Cross work. He is presi- dent of the Williamson County Fair Associa- tion and also active in Southern Illinois, Inc., of which he is a charter member. He was one of those who, through this regional promo- tion organization, helped establish such com- munity projects as Crab Orchard Lake. He is treasurer of the Century Club of Southern Illinois and is the only surviving charter mem- ber of the Lions Club of Carterville. A pro- found believer in education, he participates in all movements to improve the school sys- tems. In his promotion of the Williamson County Fair, Mr. Hayton brings to bear not only his experience as show man but also as one who in early life traded horses, mules, cattle and other livestock. He is generally recognized in Southern Illinois as among the leading figures in regional development and improvement activities.
KENNETH ALBERT PAUTLER
A man who has worked in a store since he was big enough to walk, Kenneth Albert Pautler of Chester is now the owner and op-
erator of the Pautler Super-Market in that community and is one of the outstanding food men of Southern Illinois. Mr. Pautler is prominent outside the food industry, being one of the leading figures in Catholic lay circles and in developmental and public af- fairs. He is one of the ten men credited with bi-inging about erection of the Mississippi River bridge at Chester.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 10, 1905, Mr. Pautler is the son of Albert John and Ida (Schnier) Pautler, and he is the oldest of eight children. His father, native of Evansville, another Randolph County commu- nity, was for a time in the meat business in St. Louis. Later, he moved to Ava, in Jackson County, where he also operated a meat mar- ket. Finally, in 1900, he established himself at Murphysboro, where he ran a grocery and meat market, and it was in this establishment that Kenneth Pautler virtually learned to walk and to sell at the same time. Mr. Pautler's paternal grandfather was P'aulus Pautler, a native of Alsace-Lorraine, who came to the United States in 1844 and died in 1918. Ida Schnier Pautler was a native of Washington, Missouri.
Kenneth Pautler was educated in the pub- lic and parochial schools of Murphysboro. He was graduated from high school in 1923. In that same year he established a window shade and radio business, known as the Pautler Shade Company. This he operated until 1927, when he went to Johnston City to manage the meat department of a Daniel Grocery Company store. In July, 1928, he was trans- ferred to Chester as manager of the grocery and meat departments of a Daniel store there. This position he retained until in 1937 he es- tablished his own retail grocery and meat business in Chester. He made this a self-serv- ice store in 1943 and in 1947 he remodeled and doubled the establishment in size, and it is now one of the biggest enterprises in the independent field in the area. In 1941 Mr. Pautler installed a locker plant in the base- ment of his store. It had 238 lockers for frozen meats and other foods and did a tre- mendous volume of business. In 1943 he in- creased the number of lockers to 454, and the business has kept pace with this increase. Mr. Pautler processes much of the meat he sells, curing and smoking hams and bacon.
On June 9, 1930, when he was still with the Daniel Grocery Company, Mr. Pautler married Lydia Decker, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Decker of Chester. Mr. and Mrs. Pautler have two children — Janice Ida,
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born June 21, 1931, and Donna Lois, born October 26, 1939. Mr. Pautler and the chil- dren are communicants of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church of Chester. Mrs. Pautler wor- ships in the Lutheran Church. Mr. Pautler is treasurer of the Holy Name Society.
He is also president of the Twin Rivers Club and is a member of the Chester Bridge Commission, in which he continues to look after the interests of the bridge across the Mississippi which he helped bring into ex- istence. He is a former member of the Ches- ter City Park Board and was president in 1948-49 and 1950 for the Chester Chamber of Commerce. He is a director of the Greater Egypt Association and active also in the Ches- ter Sportsman's Club, the Knights of Colum- bus, the Illinois Locker Association and the National Locker Association. His civic work being a hobby with him, Mr. Pautler rejoices in every opportunity to serve his fellow citi- zens in Southern Illinois.
HORACE BRYAN CARMAN, LL.B.
A national reputation as lawyer and worker for standards in the legal profession has been developed by Horace Bryan Garman of Deca- tur. He is a member of the law firm of Mc- Millen, McMillen and Garman, Decatur.
Mr. Garman was born in Decatur on July 19, 1897, and is the son of Isaac Henry and
Minnie B. (Garrison) Garman. He completed his education in the University of Illinois, taking the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1919 and that of Bachelor of Laws in 1922. From 1919 to 1922 he was assistant dean of men at the university. Admitted to the Illinois State Bar in 1922, he has since engaged in the prac- tice of law in Decatur. In 1927 he became a member of his present law firm, McMillen, McMillen and Garman, which maintains of- fices in the Millikin Building in Decatur. Mr. Garman's efforts to elevate standards in the profession brought him appointment as secre- tary-treasurer of the Illinois Board of Law Examiners and as a member of the executive committee of the National Conference of Bar Examiners. He is also president of the Play- ground and Recreation Board of Decatur. He is a member of the American Bar Associa- tion, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association and Phi Delta Phi Fraternity. His other organizations include the Lions Club of Decatur, Masonic bodies, University Club, Decatur Club and Decatur Country Club. He is a Democrat and a Meth- odist.
On February 1, 1930, he married Ethel Stuart. They reside at 2096 West William Street, Decatur.
Mr. Garman's is one of the most respected names in the legal profession.
ILLINOIS EDITION
955
HARRY N. PERLMUTTER
ILLINOIS
A GREAT INLAND EMPIRE
This is a brief story of the State of Illinois, truly an "Empire Within Itself." No similar area in all the world has such a diversity of wealth of rich farm lands, minerals, navigable rivers and industrial and recreational advantages. In agriculture, industry, mining, oil, trans- portation, trade — in all those economic elements that make a state or nation great — Illinois stands among the leaders.
Billions of dollars in manufactured products roll endlessly from the state's mighty industrial plants to markets all over the world. Car- rying these products of the field and the factory to neighboring states and faraway lands is a highly developed system of rivers, lakes, high- ways, railroads, canals and airports.
Illinois is rightfully proud of these economic advantages but its citizens are equally proud of their fine homes, their modern schools, the vast system of parks and memorials extending from one end of the state to the other; proud of their state government which is so deeply conscious of its obligations to all citizens.
FROM SLEEPING PRAIRIES TO RICH FERTILE FIELDS
When the signatures that give life and vitality to the Constitution of the United States were yet fresh and unblotted, the area that is now Illinois was but a wilderness. Although Pere Jaques Marquette and Louis Joliet discovered the Illinois country in 1673, it was not until 1818 that the state was formally admitted into the Union.
During the interim between the discovery of the Illinois territory and its admission to the Union as a state, the French and English each controlled the area for a period. Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, and his lieutenant and successor, Henry de Tonty, carried the standard for France. Fort de Crevecoeur was established near Peoria in 1680, followed in 1682 by Fort St. Louis on Starved Rock. One of the first white villages, Pimitoui, later called Peoria, was established in 1691. Cahokia was organized in 1699, and Kaskaskia four years later. Fort de Chartres was completed in 1720.
ILLINOIS EDITI a. N 957
Defeated by Great Britain in the Seven Years War, France ceded her American possessions east of the Mississippi to the victors in 1763. The British rule was short lived, however, as a handful of American militia led by George Rogers Clark in 1778 captured the villages of Kaskaskia, Cahokia and Vincennes and ended forever foreign rule in the Illinois country.
Established as a county of Virginia in 1778, the Illinois country remained so until 1782. During the next five years the area had no legally constituted government, but in 1787, it became part of the Northwest Territory, in which it remained until 1800. In 1800 the Ter- ritory of Indiana was established and Illinois, including the present state of Wisconsin, was made a territory in its own right. Kaskaskia was designated as the capital, and Ninian Edwards of Kentucky served as the first territorial governor. On December 3, 1818, Illinois, having a population of about 35,000 was admitted to statehood. Kaskaskia was selected as the state capitol and Shadrach Bond, the first governor, was inaugurated.
The last great Indian uprising in Illinois was the Black Hawk War in 1832. Chief Black Hawk and his Sauk and Fox Warriors defeated the white militia at Stillman's Run, but retreated into Wisconsin where the band was decisively defeated.
In 1839 the capital was moved to Springfield from Vandalia, which had succeeded Kaskaskia, the first capital, and soon the state was divided on the question of whether the territory farther west was to be slave or free. Abraham Lincoln emerged from political retirement in 1858 to challenge Stephen A. Douglas, United States Senator from Illinois, and the national policy on slavery which he advocated. The eyes of the nation focused on the state as the two men engaged in their historic series of debates on the question. There they remained until Lincoln left Springfield in 1861 for his inauguration as the first Repub- lican president of the United States.
Invention in 1837 by John Deere of the Prairie plow gave great impetus to Illinois agriculture and its broad prairies soon turned into rich farmlands which have made this state one of the leaders in agri- culture.
After the Civil War, Illinois turned to the development of its na- tural resources and to extension of its transportation system. By 1870 coal mining had become one of Illinois' largest industries. Improved
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transportation, an abundance of coal and the westward movement of industry combined to make Illinois a great industrial area.
By 1850 the state had a population of 850,000. By 1870 this figure had been tripled. In 1948 the population was estimated at 8,670,000.
Sprawling, vigorous Chicago was destined early in American industrial development to become the manufacturing center not only of Illinois, but of the entire midwestern inland empire. From its earliest days, the destiny of the village lay in its geographic setting on the southern shore of Lake Michigan; and, later, its position as the terminus of railroads from the east and subsequent extensions to the north, west and south; to its wide-spread hinterland of rich and varied natural resources and the favorable climate — all were potent factors in stimu- lating one of the greatest industrial developments in the world.
Illinois is distinguishd as a great industrial state, the third in the nation, the first in the midwest. From Pearl Harbor to V-J Day, Illinois produced about one-twelfth of all the weapons and materials of war- fare, valued at more than $27,000,000,000. According to the last census, Illinois ranked second in the value of wholesale trade — almost $5,000,- 000,000; fourth in the value of retail trade— $3,000,000,000; and third in banking assets — more than $9,000,000,000. Chicago's Union Stock- yards, the largest in the world, are an integral part of the greatest meat packing business in the nation.
Farm property in Illinois has a value of more than $3,000,000,- 000; no state surpasses it in modern farming. Agricultural experiment- ation and study at the University of Illinois has long been a major factor in the state's development.
Scientific farming in Illinois increases the corn yield per acre each year. In 1948 the average was 57 bushels per acre with top fields soar- ing above the 100 bushel mark. Increased acreage devoted in recent years to soybeans has developed a new major crop.
In the important field of production of hybrid seed corn, Illinois ranks first in the nation. It bows only to Iowa in total bushels of field corn produced annually, surpassing all other states. The production of corn is a major item in the state's economy.
Second in the nation in agricultural production, Illinois grows 43 different field crops on 19,000,000 acres. Since 1850, the state has ranked high in the production of corn and other crops, in livestock and
ILLINOISEDITION 959
poultry and in dairy products. Illinois also ranks high in the production of fruit, in an average year growing about 3,500,000 bushels of apples, 1,500,000 bushels of peaches.
Traffic moves in an almost continuous stream down Illinois water- ways to the ports of the world. Chicago is one of the greatest inland ports. First in heavy duty railroad mileage and second in total railroad mileage, Illinois is the transportation hub of the nation. Chicago is the greatest rail terminal. A network of 167 commercial airports serve the people of Illinois in the newest branch of transportation.
Chicago, the giant of the midwest, is secure in its position as the second city of the nation, the eighth city of the world ! Metropolitan in every aspect, Chicago is not only a center of trade, manufacturing, transportation and finance, but of education and culture. Its colleges and other educational activities are unsurpassed and in the fields of the theater and opera it has maintained high standards. Museums house treasures of art, science, industry, history and archaeology, while con- servatories, zoos and aquaria display exotic plants and strange animal and marine life for study or leisurely enjoyment.
Illinois is more than a state of rich agricultural fields and mighty industrial plants. Generously endowed by nature, Illinois is abundantly supplied with sources of recreation. Her numerous waterways and the broad expanse of Lake Michigan offer the finest kind of cruising and boating waters. The same waters, supplemented by the state's numerous lakes, furnish excellent fishing facilities for the state's anglers. On the broad plains and on the hills and in the river valleys, Illinois' hunters find many kinds of small game and waterfowl. The northeast section offers some of the finest pheasant shooting in the midwest; in the west- ern, central and southern sections are found the quail ranges. Along the Mississippi and Illinois waterways are located the finest waterfowl hunting grounds in the nation. Rabbits abound throughout the state.
KNOW YOUR ILLINOIS
The highest portion of Illinois lies in Jo Daviess county where the general surface has an elevation of 1,000 feet and the mounds rise more than 200 feet above this level. Charles Mound, near the Wisconsin border, is 1,241 feet above sea level. Highest point in southern Illinois is William Hill in Pope county, an extension of the Ozark Mountains.
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Lowest point in the state is at Cairo on the Ohio River, 268.58 feet above sea level.
About agriculture: 90 percent of Illinois' farms are electrified. Illi- nois has 27 rural electric cooperatives, serving 105,000 members . . . Grows in a normal fruit season over 1,494,000 bushels of peaches . . . Has a smaller percentage of waste land in proportion to total area than any other state . . . Chicago is the largest cut flower market in the world . . . Average investment per farm in Illinois is $18,000 . . . 20,- 030,571 acres are now included among the 88 soil conservation districts . . . Corn products of Illinois are marketed throughout the world.
Annual value of milk produced in Illinois is $162,000,000 . . . Illinois has 204,239 farms; 87,527 are operated by owners, 35,266 by part owners, 81,446 by tenants and hired managers . . . Three to six thousand acres of cotton are grown annually . . . Farm property is valued at 3.7 billion dollars . . . Forty-three different field crops are grown on an annual acreage of 19,000,000 acres . . . Illinois has 526 refrigeration plants; 1,727 rural routes serving 327,687 patrons.
No other state has so many important "firsts" as Illinois: First in soybean production . . . meat packing . . . cash receipts for feed grains . . . baby chicks . . . county corn yield . . . oleomargarine manufactur- ing . . . county hog production . . . railroads entering and leaving state . . . farm machinery . . . hybrid seed corn and wall paper production . . . manufacturing of railroad cars . . . airport construction . . . candy and confectionery products . . . food processing plants and kindred activ- ities . . . commercially grown flowers. . . .
MANUFACTURING
Third in the nation and first in the middle west in manufacturing, Illinois industry produces practically every known type of commercial product. In many of these products Illinois holds a commanding lead and in each of twenty industries produces 20 percent or more of the national total. Among these 20 leading groups are tractors, candy, con- fectionery products, tin cans, other tin ware, agricultural machinery, radios, tubes, phonographs, steam fittings, cars and equipment, electri- cal appliances, roofing, asphalt shingles, secondary smelting, non-fer- rous metals, iron and steel forgings, coin-operated machines, surgical supplies and equipment, orthopedic appliances, soybean oil, cake, meal,
ILLINOISEDITION 961
coal tar products, printing trades machinery, laundry equipment, print- ing ink, baking powder and yeast.
While the Chicago area dominates the state as well as the middle west with its enormous volume of industrial products, downstate manu- facturing has made enormous strides in recent years with new indus- trial centers expanding throughout the state.
POPULATION
Illinois' population is 73.6 percent urban and 26.4 rural. More than 50 percent of the state's population is located in Cook and adjoin- ing counties.
FORESTS, FISH AND GAME
Illinois today is operating a long-range, practical program of conservation. Millions of trees are being replanted, streams stocked with fish, and quail, pheasants and other wild life restored. The State Department of Conservation, the State Natural History Survey and the University of Illinois are all cooperating, as are many private agencies.
ELECTRICITY AND GAS
Illinois is unusually favored with basic requirements for the pro- duction of cheap elecetric power — extensive bituminous coal fields and an abundance of condensing water. Total capacity of the state's gener- ating plants is over 3,000,000 kilowatts. Natural gas pools are aug- mented by Mid-Continent pipe lines.
OILS AND MINERALS
Nearly two-thirds of Illinois is underlayed with coal veins. Largest coal shaft mine in the world is Orient No. 2 in Franklin county. Among other minerals produced in quantity are cement, silica, lime, stone and fluorspar. Vast oil deposits underlie the southern and southeastern part of the state with annual production around 140,000,000 barrels. The state has 326 active coal mines (1949) and 28,897 producing oil wells.
WATER
Illinois has an abundance of surface and underground water in nearly every portion of the state. On the west border is the mighty
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Mississippi, in the South the Ohio, the east the Wabash, and at the northeastern tip Lake Michigan. Through the heart of the state flows the Illinois river with its many tributaries. Numerous natural and artificial lakes abound.
AGRICULTURE
Since 1850 Illinois has been one of the top ranking agricultural states, leading all others in many products as well as in quality and variety of crops. Second only to Iowa in the annual production of corn, its land value per acre is the highest in the middle west. Chief among its grain crops are corn, oats, soybeans, wheat, barley, rye and cow peas. More than two million acres are devoted to hay crops of which red clover is the leader. Upwards of a million acres are planted annually in miscellaneous crops such as sweet corn, flax, pop corn, cotton, broom corn, truck and garden crops and sorghums. The state's 204,239 farms have a total acreage of 31,602,186 acres. Although general farming is prevalent throughout the state, southern Illinois has concentrated on fruits and vegetables.
MANUFACTURING
Third in the nation and first in the middle west in manufacturing, Illinois industry produces practically every known type of commercial product. In many of these products Illinois holds a commanding lead and in each of twenty industries produces 20 percent or more of the national total. Among these 20 leading groups are tractors, candy, con- fectionery products, tin cans, other tin ware, agricultural machinery, radios, tubes, phonographs, steam fittings, cars and equipment, electri- cal appliances, roofing, asphalt shingles, secondary smelting, non-fer- rous metals, iron and steel forgings, coin operated machines, surgical supplies and equipment, orthopedic appliances, soybean oil, cake, meal, coal tar products, printing trades machinery, laundry equipment, print- ing ink, baking powder and yeast.
While the Chicago area dominates the state as well as the middle west with its enormous volume of industrial products, downstate manu- facturing has made enormous strides in recent years with new industrial centers expanding throughout the state.
ILLINOIS EDITION 963
BANKING
With a total of 850 banks, Illinois ranks third in the nation in banking assets. Two Federal Reserve Districts bisect the state — one with its bank in Chicago and the other in St. Louis. These reserves, in addition to the funds stored up from local endeavors, are available for the encouragement of business and enterprise in the state and district.
TAX SYSTEM
Local governments in Illinois are financed almost wholly by prop- erty taxes. State government obtains its funds mostly from taxes on retail sales, motor fuel (shared with county and cities), motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, public utilities, corporations, insurance premiums and inheritances. There is no state income tax or property tax.
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE
In a normal year Illinois' wholesale trade amounts to better than five billion dollars, second in the nation. Of this amount $4,000,000,000 is handled in the city of Chicago. Retail trade represents sales valued at three billions with salaries and wages approximating $340,000,000. The food group ranks first in sales.
TRANSPORTATION
Illinois' exceptional facilities for commerce are due to its geog- raphical location, high degree of industrial development, level topo- graphy and unexcelled systems of transportation. By 1870 it was in first place in railroad mileage. Its vast system of heavy duty highways, 14,636 miles, exceeds that of any other state. Waterways, which con- tributed to the state's first development, now total 1,068 miles, internal and bordering. Chicago is one of the great air terminals of the world, and nearly every sizeable downstate city has access to a public or private airfield.
HISTORY OF ILLINOIS CAPITOLS
On December 3, 1818, Illinois became the twenty-first state to be admitted to the Federal Union and the more than a century and a
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quarter that has passed since that historic day has provided Illinois with three seats of government and six Capitols.
Illinois' first State Capitol was Kaskaskia, a thriving community of French origin, which had played a prominent role in early middle- west history. This little city and Shawneetown were in 1818 the most important settlements in the territory.
Situated on the Kaskasia River, in what was later to become Ran- dolph County, Kaskaskia was founded in 1703, when the Jesuits were transferred there from the Illinois Indian Mission at Des Peres (present St. Louis).
In 1778, George Rogers Clark and the little army of Virginians that accompanied him captured Kaskaskia from the British and made it a part of the County of Virginia.
When Illinois territory was created by Act of Congress in 1809, Kaskaskia became the territorial Capital and nearly a decade later on January 16, 1818, Nathaniel Pope petitioned Congress for Statehood for his adopted territory. The Congressional Enabling Act admitting Illinois to the select company of States was duly passed and Illinois be- came a part of the Union on December 3, 1818.
FIRST CAPITOL WAS RENTED
The first Capitol or State House was a rented two-story limestone building. The lower floor was occupied by the House of Representatives and the chamber above by the Senate. Appropriations made to cover the rent of this building for the first two sessions of the First General Assembly of the State as well as the Constitutional Convention of 1818 were as follows:
"To George Fisher for use of three rooms of his house during the present and preceding session, $4.00 per day; also for the use of one room during the sitting of the Convention, $2.00 per day."
Meeting in this small building, the first General Assembly com- posed of 13 Senators and 27 Representatives petitioned Congress for a grant of land to serve as a site for a new Capital. This request was granted and a committee of five was named to choose a site. They selected Reeves Bluff, later to be known as Vandalia, which was then
I L L I N O I S E D I T I O N 965
a heavily wooded tract 80 miles northeast, up the Kaskaskia River from Kaskaskia.
Removal of the Capitol to Vandalia was caused by land specu- lators who thought they might profit by starting a land boom in some new location.
KASKASKIA DETERIORATES
After Vandalia became the Capital in 1820, Kaskaskia deterior- ated, gradually disappearing under the waters of the Mississippi River which lapped its shores. In 1881 the river went on one of its many rampages, changed its course, moving eastward and then southwest to find its old channel. This action created an island and washed away a considerable portion of the ancient capital. Each recurring spring- flood encroached further upon the site until the last vestige of Kaskas- kia slipped into the Mississippi.
On the remaining portion of the island is a farming community of about 131 persons and it still bears the name of Kaskaskia, perhaps to perpetuate in memory the little Capitol which lies beneath the murky Mississippi.
FIRST VANDALIA CAPITOL OF WOOD
The original Capitol at Vandalia was a two-story wooden build- ing, with one big room on the ground floor for the House of Represent- atives, and two rooms on the second floor which were used by the Senate and the Council of Revision. The Secretary of State, Auditor and Treasurer occupied rented offices detached from the Capitol.
The first session of the Second General Assembly met in the first Capitol owned by Illinois on December 4, 1820, and during its sitting passed an act making Vandalia the seat of government for the next 20 years.
On December 9, 1823 fire destroyed this first State-owned Capitol. During the summer of 1824 a new building was constructed of wood and cost $15,000. Soon thereafter agitation was started for the removal of the Capital to a site nearer the geographical center of the State. This sentiment caused the General Assembly to pass an act in 1833 whereby the voters at the following general election could decide the location for a new Capitol city.
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The sites on which the vote was to be taken were Vandalia, Jack- sonville, Springfield, Peoria, Alton, and the State's Geographical cen- ter. Alton received the greatest number of votes but the margin was so small as to be inconclusive, and the vote was not announced officially as it would undoubtedly have been rejected by the next General As- sembly. So the suggested removal from Vandalia was dropped until the 1836-'37 session revived the question.
LINCOLN SUGGESTS SPRINGFIELD
Matters then took a very different turn for the proposal was inter- esting a rising young lawyer known as Abraham Lincoln who repre- sented Sangamon County. Lincoln introduced a bill providing for re- moval of the Capital of Illinois to Springfield, and he was backed by eight fellow members who with him were known as the Long Nine because their aggregate height was 54 feet.
Residents of Vandalia were determined that they should retain the capitol so in the summer of 1836, without authorization, and while the legislature was recessed, they tore down the old Capitol. In its stead they erected a State House costing $16,000. This gesture, however, was in vain for with the return of the General Assembly Lincoln was success- ful in having Springfield named as Illinois' new Capitol.
On February 25, 1837, the Assembly passed a bill providing that the Capitol be moved from Vandalia to some place nearer the center of the State and three days later — February 28, 1837 — Springfield was chosen as the new Capitol City. Because of the Act of the Assembly in 1820, Vandalia was to continue as the Capital until December 1, 1840, but on June 20, 1839, Governor Thomas Carlin issued a pro- clamation that all State records be removed to Springfield by July 4, 1839. However, the State Government did not actually function in Springfield until December, 1839.
The Eleventh General Assembly returned the Vandalia Capitol to the county of Fayette and the city of Vandalia, and the old State House still stands, but once again is State property.
The cornerstone of the State's fourth Capitol was laid at Spring- field on July 4, 1837. After many delays the building was finally com- pleted in 1853 at a total cost of $260,000 double its original estimate.
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The building occupied the center of the square nearly three acres in extent, and was constructed of cut stone brought from a quarry six miles away. The building took 15 years to complete but was considered one of the architectural wonders of the State.
SPRINGFIELD SITE OF FAMOUS SPEECH
This building is rich in Lincoln associations. After Lincoln became a resident of Springfield in 1837 he was, of course, one of the regular frequenters of the State House. In addition to serving in the legislature he appeared and argued cases befor the Supreme Court, located in the edifice, and made frequent use of the State and Supreme Court libraries. In this building he first took public issue with Douglas, here he made his famous "House divided against itself" speech, here were his head- quarters during his 1860 campaign for the Presidency, and here finally his remains rested on May 4, 1865 before burial at Oak Ridge Ceme- tery.
PRESENT STATE HOUSE PLANNED IN 1867
Illinois continued to prosper and gain in population and soon it was apparent that a much larger Capitol would be needed. The en- abling act was passed by the 25th General Assembly on February 24, 1867. This was the fifth of the buildings owned by the State and the one in use today.
When the new Capitol was completed, the old Capitol was sold to Sangamon County for $200,000. Certain alterations were made to this old building, the most remarkable one being that of raising the massive two-story structure off the ground and building under it, while it was suspended, what now is the ground floor of the Sangamon Coun- ty Court House.
Ground was broken for the present Capitol, March 11, 1868. Formal laying of the cornerstone took place October 5th of the same year. Still unfiinished, the building was first occupied in 1876. Twenty- one years after the Legislature first authorized its construction, the building finally was completed. Originally construction costs were limited to $3,000,000, but before completion expenditures amounted to more than $4,500,000.
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RICH COAL VEIN UNDER CAPITOL
The present Capitol, situated on a nine acre plot, is in the form of a Latin Cross. The circular foundation, 92/2 feet in diameter, upon which the vast dome rests, is 25 /2 feet below the grade line, based on solid rock. It is interesting to know that many feet below runs one of the richest veins of Illinois coal.
The walls supporting the dome are 1 7 feet thick from the founda- tion to the first story. They are built of granular magnesian limestone from the sonora quarries of Hancock County.
The outer walls of the superstructure are of Niagara limestone, that of the lower stories from the quarries of Jolict and that of the upper stories from Lemont.
The extreme length of the building from north to south is 379 feet, and from east to west 268 feet. The height from the ground line to the top of the dome is 361 feet, and to the tip of the flagstaff 405 feet, the highest building in central Illinois. This led to the choice of the State House dome for the installation of the red beacon which glows throughout the night as a guidance for aviators. In 1949 the beacon was equipped with an electronic "eye" which turns the lights on when visibility reaches a certain low — day or night. It used to operate on a clock device which turned the lights on in the evening and off in the morning, making no provision for foggy or overcast days.
ILLINOIS STATE PARKS AND MEMORIALS
Apple River Canyon State Park. In Jo Daviess County, south and west of Warren near State Route 78. 157.1 Acres. Here in the hilly northern part of Illinois is a beautiful canyon which has been formed by the action of the waters of winding Apple River. Footpaths along its bank take visitors to vantage points affording close-up views of the colorful canyon walls dotted with mosses, lichens and bushes. Other footpaths lead to the tops of hills, from which Charles Mound, the highest point in Illinois, 1,241 feet above sea level, can be seen ten miles to the northwest.
Bishop Hill State Park. In Henry County at Bishop Hill, north of U.S. Highway 34. 4.3 Acres. Principal point of interest in this State Park is the Old Colony Church which was built in 1848 by the group
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of Swedish immigrants led by Eric Jensen who settled in Henry Coun- ty in 1846. In the church building are many relics dealing with this pioneer Swedish settlement.
Black Hawk State Park. In Rock Island County on State Route 2 at the south edge of Rock Island. 207.3 Acres. The hilly, wooded terrain included within the boundaries of Black Hawk State Park is the oldest recreational area in the Middle West if not in the entire country. It has never been devoted to any other use except recreation or ceremonial rites from times immemorial. One of the principal settle- ments of the Sac and Fox Indian tribes was in the flat Rock River Val- ley beneath the bluffs. It was here that the famed Chief Black Hawk was born and raised. The most commanding point in the park has been known for generations as Black Hawk's Watch Tower and according to legend, it was there that he stood to watch for the approach of ene- mies. Today, beautiful stone Watch Tower Inn and the museum hous- ing the famed Hauberg Indian collection occupy this spot.
Bryant Cottage. In Piatt County at Bement on State Route 105 east of Decatur. The tiny frame cottage, home of Francis E. Bryant, where Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas met the evening of July 29, 1858, to make arrangements for their famous series of seven debates.
Buffalo Rock State Park. Near Ottawa in LaSalle County. 43 Acres. Seen from across the Illinois River, Buffalo Rock resembles a sleeping bison if one's imagination is reasonably active. The top of the rock is a plateau-like level area with foot trails leading to cliff brinks which afford delightful views of the Illinois River. A shelter house and an enclosure with a herd of Buffalo adjoin the parking area atop the rock.
Cahokia Court House. In St. Clair County, south of East St. Louis, State Route 157. 1.5 Acres. The Cahokia Court House, with many of the original timbers, is the oldest house in Illinois and most certainly the elder of all court houses west of the Allegheny Mountains. Thought to have been built shortly after 1737, it was the home of Captain Jean Baptistc Saucier, builder of Fort de Chartres, and was sold by his son, Francois, in 1 793 for a court house and jail, as which it served until 1814 when Belleville displaced Cahokia as county seat.
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Cahokia Mounds State Park. In St. Clair and Madison Counties, northeast of East St. Louis on U.S. Highway 40. 144.6. The famed Cahokia Indian mounds are relics of an ancient Indian race living here a century or more before Columbus. There are twelve mounds in the park, the largest of which is huge Monk's Mound a few steps away from busy Highway 40. This mound, which represents a greater expenditure of human labor than the construction of the Great Pyramid of Egypt, is covered with trees and shrubbery that have grown up on it through the passage of years, but natural though the hill appears, it actually is man-made. At the base of Monk's Mound is a museum in which may be seen Indian relics and artifacts.
Cave-In-Rock State Park. In Hardin County near Cave-In-Rock, State Route 1. 64.5 Acres. Cave-In-Rock, extending 108 feet back into the cliff on the Illinois shore of the Ohio River, was once the lair of blood-thirsty river pirates who preyed upon the thriving Ohio river traffic. Later the notorious Harpe brothers used Cave-In-Rock as head- quarters for their outlaw band which held the surrounding country in a grip of terror. Federal troops eventually captured the survivors of the gang in 1834 and the bloody history of Cave-In-Rock ended at that time.
Dickson Mounds State Park. In Fulton County northwest of Ha- vana, near State Routes 78 and 97. 24.5 Acres. Here is one of the most important archeological discoveries ever made in Illinois, an Indian mound that has been excavated, revealing over two hundred and thirty skeletons which have been left in their original postures together with their possessions such as pottery, weapons and oraments. A museum houses artifacts and other material taken from the excavation.
Dixon Springs State Park. In Pope County between Vienna and Golconda between State Routes 145 and 146. 391.4 Acres. The rugged- ness of the region around Golconda, situated on the southern slope of the Illinois Ozarks, is due in part to earth movements. Dixon Springs State Park is located on a giant block of rock which was dropped down two hundred feet along a fault line that extends across Pope County just to the northwest. Rapid erosion has produced fantastic rock forma- tions, with rivulets everywhere cascading down the hillsides, forming more than 1,500 waterfalls of varying size and height.
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Fort Armstrong Blockhouse. On Rock Island in the Mississippi River between Illinois and Iowa near U.S. Highway 150. This is an authentic reproduction of one of the buildings of old Fort Armstrong on the northwest tip of the island.
Fort Chartres State Park. In Randolph County near Prairie du Rocher at the end of State Route 155. 19.6. At Fort Chartres, another of the early French and English fortresses guarding the farthest frontier in the 18th century, a unique method has been utilized to convey to the visitor a true impression of the appearance of the original Fort. In addition to the reconstruction of the massive gateway and faithful re- production of some of the barracks buildings to serve as custodian quar- ters and museum, the parade ground has been excavated to a depth of several feet to expose the foundations of the original buildings. It re- quires but little stretch of the imagination to project those foundations to walls the height of the other buildings and to visualize the way Fort Chartres appeared over two centuries ago when it housed French troops, and a little later British Redcoats. The oldest building in the Middle West, the original powder house, dating back over two centu- ries, is still preserved to intrigue the imagination of visitors.
Fort Creve Coeur State Memorial. In Tazewell County on State Route 29, southeast of Peoria. The site of a temporary fort built by LaSalle in 1680. It was destroyed by mutinous French troops after the departure of LaSalle and Tonti to explore Starved Rock as a site for a permanent fort.
Fort Kaskaskia State Park. In Randolph County on State Route 3, north of Chester. 201 Acres. In 1778, two years after the start of the Revolutionary War, George Rogers Clark and his band of "Kentucky Long Knives" undertook their history-making expedition to wrest Illi- nois from the hands of the British, and it was at Fort Kaskaskia that the decisive encounter in this expedition took place. Fort Kaskaskia occupied the summit of the hill overlooking the town of Kaskaskia which had been founded in 1703 by a group of French traders. It re- mained under French control until 1765 when the British took over the territory only to lose it a few years later to George Rogers Clark. The log stockades have long since rotted away but the earthen ramparts of the Fort can still be easily seen by visitors to the State Park. Adjoining the site of the fort is Garrison Hill Cemetery, burial place of pioneer
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residents of Kaskaskia. At the foot of the hill is the white frame Home- stead of Pierre Menard, first Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, complete with its original furnishings and slave house at the rear. Shortly before the turn of the century, flood waters of the Mississippi River broke through the narrow strip of land separating it from the Kaskaskia River a few miles upstream and the Mississippi changed its course, washing away the last vestiges of the old town, the first capital of Illinois, on the plain below.
Fort Massac State Park. In Massac County adjoining Metropolis on U. S. Highway 45. 456 Acres. Here in June, 1778 Clark and his "Kentucky Long Knives" hid their canoes up Massac Creek, east of the then abandoned fort, setting out by foot for Kaskaskia. The spot occupied by the original wood stockade fort has been excavated by State archaeologists and many interesting and informative relics have been uncovered. Posts outline the compound and buildings, and the sur- rounding moat has been restored.
Fox Ridge State Park. In Coles County near Charleston, west of State Route 130. 690.3 Acres. In sharp contrast to the flat prairies of the central eastern part of Illinois is the area included in Fox Ridge State Park, a heavily wooded tract on rolling hills rising from the banks of the Embarras River. The Natural History Survey maintains an ex- perimental area in Ridge Lake for the study of fish and aquatic life.
Giant City State Park. In Jackson and Union Counties south of Carbondale, east of U. S. Highway 51. 1,522.6 Acres. It is not surprising that this area was christened with such an imaginative name as "Giant City," for here in the Illinois Ozarks is found one of the most amazing rock formations in the nation. The ridge to the west of the Lodge is a maze of huge blocks of stone with walls as vertical as the sides of a sky- scraper aligned along "streets" as straight as though laid out by a sur- veyor's transit, the result of some upheaval in the dim and distant past which caused a bed of sandstone to slip over a deposit of shale. Other strange formations are "Natural Amphitheater" and "Devil's Stand Table." All of this is surrounded by the great natural beauty that is found in the Ozark Mountains, where flourish many southern species of plants and animals. A beautiful stone lodge contains a comfortable lounge and a very attractive dining room and is located atop the highest hill within the park, with comfortable guest houses nearby.
ILLINOISEDITION 973
Grand Marais State Park. In St. Clair County east of East St. Louis between U. S. Highways 50 and 460. 1,125 Acres. Serving the large populace of the East St. Louis region is one of the most popular and complete recreational parks of the State. Its facilities include lakes for boating and fishing, an 18-hole golf course, horseback riding, picnic facilities and playgrounds.
Grant Home. At Galena, in Jo Daviess County on U. S. Highway 20. Shortly before the Civil War a tanner named Ulysses S. Grant brought his family to live in Galena. With the start of hostilities, he donned the uniform of his country and became the most successful general in the Union Armies. When he returned home at the close of the war, grateful citizens gave him a new home as a token of their gratitude and esteem. This square brick house is now preserved as a State Memorial to General U. S. Grant. It contains many of the orig- inal furnishings and military trophies.
Illinois and Michigan Canal State Parkway. In Grundy and La- Salle Counties extending from Channahon to Utica, paralleling U. S. Highway 6. More than a century ago one of the principal arteries of trade was the newly constructed Illinois-Michigan Canal, the forerunner of the present Illinois Waterway. At Channahon, in the center of a very attractive State Park, is one of the original locks of the old canal, re- stored to working condition. It appears almost toy-like today by com- parison with the tremendous locks and dams of the Illinois Waterway. Across from the park entrance, a narrow one-way road branches off south from the highway. This is one of the most interesting and beauti- ful drives to be found anywhere in the State, the "Towpath Drive" which follows the original towpath along the top of the dike separating the old canal and the Illinois River. The Illinois-Michigan Canal State Parkway also includes Illini State Park across the river from Marseilles, the Aux Sable and Split Rock areas, and Gebhard Woods.
Illinois Beach State Park. In Lake County between Waukegan and Zion, east of State Route 42. 1,114.5 Acres. A summer playground easily accessible to more than half of the population of the State is Illi- nois Beach State Park with its clean sandy beach stretching 3-and-a- half miles along the shore of Lake Michigan. When development of this park has been completed there will be ten separate sections each with its own beach house, parking facilities, refreshment stands and
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guard service stations, connected by a 40-foot wide boardwalk. On the inland side of the boardwalk, between parking areas, will be recreational areas, and a nature preserve, with a profusion of flowers, shrubs, and trees, many rare, and birds and small animals. Beach house, picnic tables and adequate parking areas are already provided.
Jubilee College State Park. In Peoria County northwest of Peoria, near U. S. Highway 150. 96 Acres. In Jubilee College State Park is preserved a building of one of the earliest educational institutions to be established in Illinois. Founded by the Right Reverend Philander Chase, first Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Illinois, the College was char- tered in 1847 and continued to function until the Bishop's death in 1852. After that time the College fell into financial straits and was abandoned during the Civil War. In the small graveyard nearby, the grave of Bishop Chase is marked by a stone lectern.
Kankakee River State Park. In Kankakee County near Kankakee, State Route 1 13. 266 Acres. The Kankakee River, with its facilities for boating and fishing, is a focal point for the area along its banks which has been acquired by the State for park purposes. It is planned as a purely recreational park with a minimum of artificial facilities.
Kickapoo State Park. In Vermilion County near Danville, State Route 10. 1,578.7 Acres. Kickapoo State Park is not only a source of much enjoyment to the outdoor lover for its beautiful scenery and its boating, fishing, picnic, camping, hiking and riding facilities, but it is also a striking demonstration of reclamation. Strip-mining operations left the area a veritable "bad lands," with bare ridges of sub-soil separated by deep gullies. Nature's efforts to camouflage this were aided by the State and the result is an area of remarkable beauty with many lakes.
Lincoln Home. The Lincoln Home at Eighth and Jackson Streets, Springfield, the only home that Abraham Lincoln ever owned, is an un- pretentious white frame two-story building where he spent the early years of his marriage, where three of his children were born and whence he left to go to Washington to assume the Presidential chair. Visitors see many of the original furnishings of the home as they are conducted through the rooms in which the Lincoln family actually lived.
Lincoln Log Cabin State Park. In Coles County, south of Charles- ton, near State Route 16. 86 Acres. Here is another Lincoln shrine, the reproduction of the last home built and occupied by Abraham Lincoln's
ILLINOISEDITION 975
father, constructed in 1837, where Thomas Lincoln lived until his death in 1851. The present reproduction has been so faithfully constructed that to all intents and purposes, it seems to have endured a century of withstanding the elements. Surrounding the park is a rail fence of the exact type which Abraham Lincoln built to earn for himself the nick- name, "The Rail Splitter." Three miles from the park is the cemetery where Lincoln's father and step-mother are buried.
Lincoln National Memorial Highway. The approximately 250 miles of highways designated as the Lincoln National Memorial High- way extend from the Illinois-Indiana border east of Lawrenceville, west and north over U. S. Highways 50 and 36 and State Routes 33, 1, 121, 97, and connecting county roads to Beardstown. This route takes the tourist to many Lincoln Shrines, including the Lincoln Trail Monu- ment, Lincoln Log Cabin State Park, the Moore Home, Lincoln Home, Lincoln Tomb and New Salem State Park.
Lincoln Tomb. The Lincoln Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Spring- field, is visited annually by many thousands of men, women and chil- dren, including many visitors from foreign countries. As they stand be- fore the huge marble sarcophagus none can fail to feel the tremendous surge of reverence which comes over one upon beholding the resting place of the Great Emancipator.
Lincoln Trail Monument. Nine miles east of Lawrenceville on U. S. Highway 50. In a small roadside park at the approach to the Illinois end of the Lincoln Memorial Bridge, stands the impressive Lin- coln Trail Monument. This, the work of sculptress Nellie Walker, de- picts the youthful Abraham Lincoln walking beside the covered wagon carrying the worldly possessions of the Lincoln family when they en- tered Illinois at this point in March, 1830. This is the starting point of the Lincoln National Memorial Highway.
Lowden Memorial State Park. In Ogle County on the east bank of the Rock River near Oregon, north of State Route 64. 274.2 Acres. As the motorist drives north or south on Highway 2 between Dixon and Rockford, at a point just north of Oregon his eyes are caught by a tremendous concrete statue towering 250 feet above Rock River on a high hilltop on the opposite bank. This is the so-called "Black Hawk Statue," created by the famous American sculptor Lorado Taft to typify the Redman who once roamed this area. A close-up view of the
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statue is afforded by visiting Lowden Memorial State Park which sur- rounds it.
Matthiessen State Park. In LaSalle County near Oglesby, south of State Route 71. 174.6 Acres. In Matthiessen State Park, one of the more recently acquired State Park properties, the visitor sees a rare combination of scenic beauties and plant, animal and bird life. Over fifty varieties of birds may be counted in the park and found here also are many small animals such as rabbits, raccoons, opossums, muskrats, and a herd of deer. The natural beauties are similar to those of nearby Starved Rock State Park. Another point of interest is a reconstruction of a block house of the type which was common on the frontier a century and more ago.
Metamora Court House. In Woodford County on State Route 116, northeast of Peoria. Preserved here as one of the many Lincoln Memo- rials, is one of the court houses on the old Eighth Circuit where Abra- ham Lincoln practiced law.
Mississippi Palisades State Park. In Carroll County on State Route 80 north of Savanna. 895.9 Acres. The east bank of the Mississippi River in the northern part of Illinois is a series of lofty bluffs with vertical out-croppings of limestone which give this area its name. The most beautiful part of this entire stretch of scenic grandeur has been set aside as a State Park. Well-marked foot trails lead the visitors along paths once worn smooth by the moccasined feet of Indians to the very tops of high palisades and sweeping views of the mighty "Father of Waters" and the distant Iowa shore. Most striking of the strange rock formations are "Indian Head Rock" and "Twin Sisters." Bob Upton's Cave is a tiny fissure in the high wall in which the white youth lay con- cealed while marauding Indians sought him to complete their grim work of wiping out the population of his nearby village.
Mt. Pulaski Court House. In Logan County on U. S. Highway 54, 26 miles northeast of Springfield. One of the court houses on the old Eighth Circuit where Abraham Lincoln practiced law, preserved as a State Memorial.
Nauvoo State Park. In Hancock County on State Route 96. In this town of some 1,000 population are preserved memories of its former glory, when as home of the Mormons, from 1839 to 1846, it attained a population of nearly 20,000 . . . then the largest city in Illinois. Points
ILLINOIS EDITION 977
of interest are the Orient Hotel, home of Joseph Smith, founder of Mor- monism, site of the Mormon Temple and other buildings relating to the Mormons.
New Salem State Park, "The Lincoln Village." In Menard County on State Routes 123 and 97, 20 miles northwest of Springfield. 280.4 Acres. Most impressive of all Lincoln Memorials is New Salem State Park. Here, reproduced in flawless authenticity, is the village where Abraham Lincoln studied law by the light of the burning shavings in the fireplace of Henry Onstott's cooperage, where he clerked in a store, embarked upon his own ill-fated business venture as a storekeeper, served as postmaster, where he met and loved Ann Rutledge. It was from New Salem that he was first elected to public office as a Repre- sentative in the State Legislature. The visitor seems to step back a cen- tury in time as he enters the village of log buildings. From dwelling to dwelling, from cooperage to store to doctor's office to tavern to carding mill and to grist mill, the visitor makes his way through New Salem, pausing to view the interiors of all these buildings. Each has been fur- nished exactly as it appeared during the years that Lincoln lived there. In the Lincoln-Berry store and the Hill-McNeil store are the actual type of wares that the storekeepers dealt in. At the foot of the hill, away from the village itself, and just off the highway, is a delightful rustic restaurant, The Wagon Wheel, where luncheons and dinners are served daily throughout most of the year.
Pere Marquette State Park. In Jersey County on State Route 100, 6 miles west of Grafton. 5,179.9 Acres. Largest of all Illinois State Parks is the one named for Father Jacques Marquette, whose journal records the first entrance of white men into Illinois. A simple but maj- estic cross marks the point where Father Marquette, Louis Joliet and five companions turned their canoes up the Illinois River one autumn day in 1673. In the nature museum within the park can be seen animal and bird life indigenous to the region. The roadway leading into the park winds up to the tops of many of the hills from which vantage points the Illinois River Valley spreads out before the beholder. Com- plete facilities for vacationers are provided at Pere Marquette State Park. These include a fine lodge with guest rooms, lounge and splendid restaurant and delightful stone rustic guest houses.
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Red Hills State Park. In Lawrence County between Sumner and Lawrenceville near U. S. Highway 50. 797.7 Acres. One of the newest State Parks, this wooded, rolling area is one of wild natural beauty. The northwestern boundary of the historic "Vincennes Tract," ceded by the Indians in 1795 to Gen. "Mad Anthony" Wayne at Greenville, Ohio, crosses the park.
Shawneetown State Memorial. In Gallatin County at Shawnee- town, State Route 13. 40 Acres. Shawneetown, settled in the early part of the 19th century, was the gateway to the Illinois country. The teem- ing traffic of the Ohio River bringing freight and passengers to settle the Midwest, passed through Shawneetown on the way to the great Middle Border. The memorial occupying the site of the original village preserves many of the landmarks, such as the Bank Building and the historic Posey Building.
Siloam Springs State Park. In Adams and Brown Counties near Kellerville, north of State Route 104. 2,047 Acres. This newly-acquired tract of land in west-central Illinois occupies a beautifully-wooded area of rolling country mid-way between the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers east of Quincy. Plans for developing recreational and other facilities are under way.
Spitler Woods State Park. In Macon County near Mt. Zion, State Route 121. 202.5 Acres. Deeply shaded ravines and towering trees in a true "forest primeval" are the lures which attract city dwellers of Illi- nois to Spitler Woods State Park, one of the most beautiful areas of its kind in the State.
Springfield. In Sangamon County, on U. S. Highways 66, 36 and 54. Springfield, in addition to being the seat of government for all of Illinois, is a tourist objective with many points of interest. Dominating the entire city is the dome of the Capitol Building. On the second floor around the circular well beneath the dome are statues of numerous Governors of the State, and below the dome the interior is a circular bas relief frieze depicting scenes in the lives of pioneer settlers of Illi- nois. The State House grounds are dotted with the statues of men famous in Illinois history. The Centennial Building, south of the State House, commemorates the centenary of the admission of Illinois into the Union in 1818. On the first floor is magnificent Memorial Hall on each side of which are displayed the flags of the Illinois Regiments, and
ILLINOISEDITION 979
the Gold Star Mothers Memorial. The Illinois State Museum on the fifth floor is one of the most interesting places to visitors. The San- gamon County Court House, in the center of the business district, was the building started in 1837, which served as the fifth Capitol of the State. It was here that Lincoln made his famous "house divided against itself" speech. Numerous markers in the downtown section commemo- rate events in Lincoln's life.
Starved Rock State Park. In LaSalle County between Ottawa and LaSalle on State Route 71. 1,436.65 Acres. Throughout this park, reached by inviting foot-trails or by boat trips from the river, are amaz- ing rock formations and canyons filled with a profusion of plant life and exhibiting nature's imaginative handiwork formed in sandstone by water, minerals and unceasing wind. When Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet first visited here in 1673 they found a tremendous en- campment of the Kaskaskias in the shadows of Starved Rock. It was on the very top of Starved Rock that Robert Cavalier Sieur de LaSalle ordered the construction of Fort St. Louis du Rocher. The name Starved Rock is derived, according to tradition, from the incident in 1769 when a band of Illinois Indians, besieged on its top by the Pottawatomies, and unable to secure food or water, perished rather than surrender. Facilities at Starved Rock are complete. The rustic lodge offers de- lightful accommodations for overnight stays, weekends or complete vacations. The restaurant is open to the public throughout the year. Ample parking facilities, a camping ground with modern conveniences, children's playground, and rest rooms are provided.
Vandalia State House. In Fayette County, on U. S. Highways 40 and 51. Here is preserved the fourth State Capitol of Illinois, erected in
1836. Abraham Lincoln served here as one of Sangamon County's Rep- resentatives in the State Legislature. He was instrumental in having Springfield designated as the new State Capital in the 1837 session. In this building also was issued the city charter of Chicago, on March 4,
1837. In front of the building stands the magnificent "Madonna of the Trail" Monument, honoring the pioneer women who accompanied their husbands to the Middle Border.
White Pines Forest State Park. In Ogle County, 9 miles west of Oregon, between State Route 2 and U. S. Highway 52. 385 Acres. In this beautiful State Park is preserved the southernmost large stand of
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White Pines in the United States. The terrain which lends so much beauty to White Pines Forest also served to protect the timber from the ravages of the woodsman's axe. Entering the park, the roadway leads first into a broad sheltered valley almost completely surrounded by majestic bluffs rising sheer from the surface of winding Pine Creek. High atop the bluffs rise the mighty white pines, towering as high as 90 to 100 feet, many with diameters of 2-and-one-half feet. Parking areas are provided at intervals along the highway within the park, and inviting footpaths lead up to the tops of the bluffs. In the center of a level hilltop area, there is a clearing upon which faces the rustic lodge which houses a lounge and dining room. Surrounding it are modern overnight cottages of the same rustic construction to harmonize with their setting.
Chicago, "Wonder City of the World." The early history of Chi- cago is a record of overcoming difficulties and doubts about the future. When Illinois was admitted to the Union in 1818 and many downstate towns were already well established, only a few traders and settlers had located in the vicinity of the new Fort Dearborn, built on the site of the earlier fort which had been burned by the Indians after the bloody massacre of August 15, 1812. In fact it took a second Indian War — the Black Hawk War of 1832 — to open northern Illinois to settlement and bring Chicago to the attention of large numbers of people. After that its destiny was not to be denied. By 1833 it had enough settlers to be incorporated as a town, and in 1837 it received its charter from the State as a city. From then until 1870 was a period of steady growth. Then in October, 1871 came the fire that leveled the entire business district and much of the best residntial section, taking 300 lives and leaving 90,000 people homeless. From these ashes rose the new Chicago, bigger and greater than ever before. Today Chicago is the second city of the nation, famed as a center of meat packing, indus- try, trade, manufacturing, culture and transportation. To the visitor its more interesting aspects are its many recreational facilities and its countless points of interest . . . the twenty-two miles of beaches that line the lake front and such famed museums as the Chicago Natural History Museum (formerly known as the Field Museum of Natural History), the Museum of Science and Industry, the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute of Chicago and, in Lincoln Park,
ILLINOIS EDITION 981
the Chicago Historical Society and the Chicago Academy of Sciences. In addition to the museums named above which are in Jackson, Grant and Lincoln Parks, are the famed Lincoln Park Zoo and the huge Con- servatory in Garfield Park, one of the world's greatest collections of floral and plant life. Surrounding Chicago are bands of wooded areas in the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. Southwest of the city is the Chicago Zoological Gardens, more familiarly known as the Brookfield Zoo, one of the finest zoological gardens in the world.
COUNTY NAMES AND THEIR ORIGINS
Six counties of Illinois, Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Adams, and Jackson, were named for Presidents of the United States; Adams for John Quincy Adams, sixth President, and not for John Adams, second President, as is sometimes stated.
Four counties, Bond, Coles, Edwards, and Ford, were named, res- pectively for the first, second, third and seventh Governors of Illinois. Bond received its name the year before the election of the first Governor of the State.
Sixteen counties were named for other citizens of the State, promi- nent in different walks of life.
Alexander, for William M. Alexander, an early settler of the county bearing his name and Senator in the second and third General Assemblies of the State.
Cook, for Daniel P. Cook, a pioneer lawyer, first Attorney General of the State and Representative in Congress from 1819 to 1827.
Douglas, for Stephen A. Douglas, an eminent lawyer, brilliant pol- itical orator, Secretary of State (1840), Representative in Congress (1843-1847), United States Senator (1847-1861), and candidate for the Presidency in 1860.
Edgar, for John Edgar, a pioneer merchant, politician and land speculator.
Kane, for Elias Kent Kane, a pioneer lawyer, Territorial judge,, prominent member of the Constitutional Convention of 1818, first Sec- retary of the State of Illinois, and later United States Senator.
Logan, for Dr. John Logan, a pioneer physician, father of General John A. Logan.
982 LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
McHenry, for William McHenry, a pioneer of White County, soldier of the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk war, Representative in the first, fourth, fifth and ninth General Assemblies, and Senator in the sixth.
McLean, for John McLean, a pioneer lawyer, Territorial judge, first Representative in Congress from Illinois (1818), and United States Senator (1824-1825).
Menard, for Pierre Menard, a pioneer Indian trader, Colonel of Territorial militia, and first Lieutenant Governor of the State.
Ogle, for Joseph Ogle, pioneer politician and Lieutenant of Terri- torial militia.
Piatt, for Benjamin Piatt, a pioneer lawyer and Attorney General of the Territory (1810-1813).
Pope, for Nathaniel Pope, first Territorial Secretary of State (1809-1816), and last Territorial Delegate to Congress from Illinois.
Stephenson, for Benjamin Stephenson, prominent pioneer, a Colo- nel, Territorial militia, and Adjutant General of the Territory (1813- 1814).
White, for Leonard White, pioneer of Gallatin County, Major of Territorial militia, member of Constitutional Convention of 1818, State Senator in second and third General Assemblies, and killed at battle of Tippecanoe, Nov. 7, 1811.
Whiteside, for Samuel Whiteside, a Colonel of Territorial militia, Representative in the First General Assembly, and Brigadier General of militia during Black Hawk War.
Will, for Conrad Will, a pioneer politician, Territorial Recorder of Jackson County, member of the Constitutional Convention of 1818, and member of the General Assemblies of the State from the first to ninth inclusive.
Twenty-two counties were named in honor of military heroes, generally of the Revolution, but some of later wars.
McDonough, for Thomas McDonough, a Commodore of the United States Navy, who commanded the fleet on Lake Champlain in a successful engagement with the British fleet, near Plattsburg, 1814.
Perry, for Oliver Hazard Perry, a Commodore of the United States Navy, who won distinction as Commander of the fleet in the battle of Lake Erie, in 1813.
ILLINOISEDITION 983
Twenty-one counties were named for statesmen and politicians, not citizens of Illinois some of whom had distinguished themselves in military as well as civilian life.
Calhoun, for John C. Calhoun, a lawyer and statesman, Repre- sentative in Congress and United States Senator from South Carolina, Secretary of War under Monroe, Vice-President of the United States, and Secretary of State under Tyler, and was recognized as the "Father of Nullification."
Carroll, for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a statesman of the Revolutionary period, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and United States Senator from Maryland.
Cass, for Lewis Cass, a soldier as well as statesman, Territorial Governor of Michigan, Minister to France, United States Senator from Michigan, Secretary of War under Jackson, Secretary of State under Buchanan, and at one time a prominent candidate for the Presidency.
Clay, for Henry Clay, a statesman and political orator, Repre- sentative in Congress and United States Senator from Kentucky, three times Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, famous as the author of the political measures known as the "Missouri Com- promise," and a prominent candidate for the Presidency.
Clinton, for DeWitt Clinton, a distinguished lawyer, financier and statesman, Mayor of the city and Governor of the State of New York, United States Senator and chief promoter of the Erie Canal.
Crawford, for William H. Crawford of Georgia, United States Senator, Minister of France, Secretary of War, Secretary of the Treas- ury, and a prominent candidate for the Presidency in 1824.
Franklin, for Benjamin Franklin, philosopher, statesman, diplomat- ist, author, printer, a member of the Continental Congress, Ambassador to France, and (before the Revolution) Deputy Postmaster General of the British Colonies in America.
Gallatin, for Albert Gallatin, a statesman and financier, Repre- sentative in Congress from Pennsylvania, Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, and Minister to PVance and England.
Grundy, for Felix Grundy, a lawyer and politician, United States Senator from Tennessee, and Attorney General of the United States.
Hamilton, for Alexander Hamilton, a soldier, statesman, author and financier, aid to the staff of Washington during the Revolution,
984 LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
a member of the Continental Congress, first Secretary of the Treasury (1789-1795), and Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army in 1799.
Hancock, for John Hancock, a prominent figure of the Revolution- ary period, a Major General of militia, President of the Continental Congress, first signer of the Declaration, and first Governor of the State of Massachusetts.
Henry, for Patrick Henry, a lawyer, orator and statesman of the Revolutionary period, a member of the Continental Congress, and Governor of Virginia.
Kendall, for Amos Kendall, a successful politician and journalist, Postmaster General under Jackson, and as partner of S. F. B. Morse, the inventor of the electric telegraph, he contributed largely to the com- mercial success of that invention.
Lee, for Richard Henry Lee, an orator and statesman of the Rev- olutionary period, a member of the Continental Congress, a Represent- ative in Congress and United States Senator from Virginia.
Livingston, for Edward Livingston, a lawyer and statesman, Mayor of New York City, Representative in Congress from New York and later from Louisiana, United States Senator from the latter state, Sec- retary of State under Jackson, and United States Minister to France.
Macon, for Nathaniel Macon, a Colonel during the Revolution and later a Representative and United States Senator in Congress from North Carolina. He strenuously opposed the adoption of the United States Constitution as conferring powers on the Federal government which should be reserved to the States.
Marshall, for John Marshall, a soldier of the Revolution, states- man, author and jurist, Ambassador to France, Representative in Con- gress from Virginia, Secretary of State and Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
Randolph, for Edmund Randolph, a soldier of the Revolution, a lawyer and statesman, member of the Continental Congress, Attorney General and Governor of Virginia, Secretary of State of the United States and Attorney General under Washington.
Shelby, for Isaac Shelby, a soldier of the Revolution and Indian wars, Governor of Kentucky (1792-1796) and again ( 1812-1816). He
ILL1NOISEDITION 985
commanded the Kentucky troops in the battle of the Thames in the War of 1812.
Tazewell, for Lyttleton W. Tazewell, an eminent lawyer, Gover- nor, Representative in Congress, and United States Senator from Vir- ginia.
Nine counties of Illinois adopted the names of counties of other states through the influence of immigrants from the counties whose names were thus adopted: Champaign and Richland from Ohio; Chris- tian, Hardin, Henderson, Mason, Scott, and Woodford from Kentucky; and Williamson from Tennessee.
Seven counties bear Indian names, given originally, as a general rule, to a creek, river or lake, and afterward transferred to the county. These named are Iroquois, Kankakee, Macoupin, Peoria, Sangamon,
Fourteen other counties derive their names from sources so diverse that they cannot easily be classified under any special head.
Boone, for Daniel Boone, a pioneer hunter, Indian fighter and pathfinder of the early days.
Bureau, for Pierre Buero, a French trader with the Indians.
Cumberland, from the Cumberland road, named in its turn from the town of Cumberland, Maryland, which derived its name from the mountain range of the same name adopted, presumably, from the Cum- berland mountains of Great Britain.
DuPage, from a small river of the same name said to have derived its name from a French trapper and trader of that region.
Effingham, for Lord Edward Effingham, who resigned his com- mission as general in the British army, 1775, refusing to serve in the war against the colonies.
Fulton, for Robert Fulton, the first successful builder of steam- boats on American waters.
Jersey, for the State of New Jersey, which derived its name from the Isle of Jersey, Great Britain.
Lake, for Lake Michigan.
LaSalle, for Robert de LaSalle, the French explorer who effected the first white settlements in Illinois and explored the Mississippi to the Gulf.
Massac, from Fort Massac, a corruption of a French surname, Massiac.
986 LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
Rock Island, from the rock island of that name in the Mississippi.
Saline, from Saline creek, so called on account of numerous salt springs in that locality.
Union, from the federal union of the American States.
Vermilion, from the river of that name, the principal branches of which flow through the county.
A REPORT ON THE ECONOMIC PROSPECTS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
By Richardson Wood & Company, Chicago
THE GIFTS OF NATURE
Southern Illinois is at the very heart and center of an enormously rich continent still being actively developed. The winters in this heart- land are mild, the summers tolerable. Here, two great navigable rivers join, one tapping the wheat and corn of the northern plains, the other tapping the iron and coal from Pittsburgh and Wheeling. Together, they form a stream that is a highway for cotton, lumber and oil, and an outlet to the oceans of the world. Here, many railways pass, seeking all points of the compass. Here, a highway network converges on two great bridges spanning the rivers. Transcontinental pipelines carrying natural gas and petroleum products furrow the fields. Within a few hundred miles, a number of large cities are located. Bursting out of the earth right across the area are thick seams of coal. A few miles northeast of them, hundreds of wells pump crude oil to the surface. Small wonder that such a scene has given rise to visions of Empire. But the visions have failed to materialize for the most part. Instead of Empire, there is a dwindling population and a rising relief load. Hence this brief outlining the situation and suggesting certain efforts to remedy it.
A "ONE-CROP^ ECONOMY
A hundred years of modern technology and energetic enterprise have swept through Southern Illinois and passed on, leaving little more than a desperately struggling coal industry. For coal is the one natural resource of Southern Illinois that has invited exploitation on a relatively
ILLINOISEDITION 987
large scale. The area has for many years been a convenient mid-con- tinent fueling station for the country's railroads. The thick seams that outcrop along the east-west line running through Harrisburg, Marion and Carbondale were first dug in a series of small claims. Many of the remaining mines here are still small. As one goes north, the seams lie deeper and the scale of the operation required to mine them becomes larger. Finally the seams dip too deep for economical mining and are no longer sought until they rise nearer to the surface in Central Illinois.
. . . FINDS A LIMIT
There will, in all probability, be an important coal mining business in Southern Illinois for many years to come, since the reserves are enormous. However, the area can no longer safely look to coal as the economic mainstay of its existence, and this for several reasons. The market for coal is sharply limited by competitive power sources. The railroads are resorting increasingly to Diesel locomotives. Industries and homes are using more oil and natural gas. To combat this process of market attrition and to meet the wage requirements of labor, the coal industry has devised ways and means of mining coal with fewer men. Mechanization of the mines has virtually doubled man-hour out- put. The industry is constantly seeking new and better ways of using coal, but these efforts often result in a net diminution of coal demand, since each pound of coal is made to render more energy. The high sul- phur content of Illinois coal precludes, or at best sharply restricts, its use for metallurgical coke except when blended with other coals, and impairs its usefulness as a source of raw chemicals.
OTHER RESOURCES MARGINAL
Besides coal, Nature gave Southern Illinois very little, and what few small gifts were offered, notably forests and some rich bottom lands, have claimed relatively little attention. Just south of the coal outcropping, a line of low hills rises, almost filling the entire tip of the State. These hills, sometimes called the "Illinois Ozarks," are an eastward extension of the Ozark Plateau of Arkansas and Southern Missouri. They will grow trees, and they provide, here and there where the slopes are not too steep, some pasture. In the center are many apple and peach orchards. Flanking them and running to the bluffs over-
988 LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
looking either river are forest lands. Below the bluffs lie strips of bottom land, for the most part drained and protected by levees from floods, and capable of growing many crops.
North of the line of hills, above the coal measures, an almost im- permeable hardpan reaches up to the shallow grass roots. Here and there it is cultivated, but the yield scarcley repays the effort. Heavy rains falling on this surface often make flash floods in the low-lying spots. Surface water such as this is impounded in Crab Orchard Lake and other smaller ponds. It runs off to either river in a number of smaller creeks. Impounded surface water is about all that is available for use. Sub-surface water is rare, and where it is found, it is often polluted with sulphur from the coal. River water along the banks of the Ohio and the Mississippi is, of course, abundant, but usually requires treatment for industrial or municipal use.
The oil fields lie to the north of the coal area and extend into Central Illinois. They bring in a satisfactory income, but, as oil fields go, they are small producers and provide no such base for refining and chemical operations as do the great fields along the Gulf Coast.
A GEOGRAPHICAL PARADOX
It is surprising that an area bounded by the confluences of the Missouri, the Mississippi, the Tennessee and the Ohio should be short of water. Yet, such is the case!
It is surprising that land in the center of a continental river basin should be for the most part too poor to support normal crops. But Southern Illinois, despite its popular nick-name of "Egypt," is no valley of the Nile, no Mesopotamia.
It is surprising that a land rich in coal, the bed-rock of the Indus- trial Revolution, should have been passed by in the race for indus- trialization. But, as in many another place where Nature has placed coal, other more common gifts have been withheld or have seemed too meager to exploit.
THE HAND OF MAN
The five or six principal coal mining counties of Southern Illinois offer an ethnographic feature that may be unique in the U. S. In a belt that stretches approximately seventy miles east and west and is
ILLINOISEDITION 989
about fifty miles across at its widest, there are many small towns, only two of them just exceeding ten thousand in population. Yet the popu- lation of this belt approaches 250,000, nearly half of whom live out- side of the towns — very few of them full-time farmers. The belt has properly been called a "dispersed city." It is a city of miners, many now employed intermittently and all of them accustomed to drive as far as twenty-five miles to the pithead that calls for their labor.
The highways of this section are the avenues of the Dispersed City, and the back roads are its residential streets. Automobiles run to and fro at all hours of the day and night. Traffic counts show far higher densities than are customary in country districts between towns of the size found here. The automobile business has flourished in spite of, perhaps partly because of, the irregularities of coal mining.
IMPROVED REAL ESTATE— AN ASSET IN DANGER
The dollar value of the social plant in this area — the homes, high- ways, stores, schools and other buildings and utilities necessary to the residents— is of the order of $200,000,000 to $300,000,000. Unemploy- ment has caused the premature obsolescence of part of this investment and threatens the obsolescence of much more. The burden of this loss is concentrated in the area for the reason that mortgage lenders from outside avoid loans in the area. They shun the area not only because of its economic condition, but because many houses and buildings are undermined.
Just what the annual loss may be from accelerated obsolescence is not closely calcluable, but it must be at least $10,000,000 a year in ex- cess of normal obsolescence. In addition to this intangible depreciation there is a direct cost to government in relief. The amount of relief in Southern Illinois that can be traced to abnormal unemployment re- quires a direct annual expenditure by the State alone well in excess of $6,000,000.
Under such circumstances it is often asked whether emigration may not be the only answer. Many people have left the area to find jobs in more flourishing parts of the country. Should not more people be en- couraged to follow them? The question may be considered on a dollars- and-cents basis and on the basis of human attitudes.
990 LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
As to dollars and cents, the investment in the social plant of an area — the houses, stores, schools and roads — normally is three to five times as great as the investment in the direct productive capacity that supports the social plant. Since the social plant is indispensable to pro- duction and must be provided if it does not already exist, the tendency is wherever possible to bring the jobs to the people rather than move the people to the job. There are familiar exceptions. A war-time ship- yard, a valley newly opened by irrigation, a boom anywhere will draw population and justify the building of new homes and stores and utili- ties. A played-out mine in remote mountains will leave a ghost town that is seldom worth salvaging. But in most times and in most places the existance to people and their homes can be made to attract jobs.
Southern Illinois is obviously such a place. It is reasonably near to many large cities. It has good transportation. It has proved its case already by attracting such well-established firms as Norge, Sangamo Electric and Hoosier-Cardinal Corporation, and by inducing Pickens, Roberts and Mayor, a lively young team of Free Enterprisers who came to strip coal, to remain to start a couple of spirited new ventures.
THE COUNTRYSIDE— AN ASSET STILL UNDERDEVELOPED
There are a few minor assets that might well be developed some- what further than they have been. They are: Land along the river bot- toms suitable for growing truck crops; land in the hills and north of them suitable for pasturage; timber lands now ready for cutting in two national forests and on farmers' lots; orchards whose produce might bring more income to the area if it were processed before shipping.
Not one of these assets is strictly first class in current commercial terms. There is better developed country for canning and freezing operations in Indiana, New Jersey and Minnesota. There is better pasturage in parts of Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. There are better forests in Louisiana, Oregon and even present-day Maine. There are better apple orchards in New York and Washington, and better peach orchards in Georgia. Commercial firms interested in resources such as these will look in many places for them before they look any further here. Although the commercial principle may no longer be
ILLINOISEDITION 991
the "mine-and-move-on" of the frontier, no commercial firm seeks a marginal source of supply if it can find anything better.
Since the minor assets of Southern Illinois are marginal, their further development calls for a modest and cautious approach, in a European spirit of conservation, patience, and making the best one can of what is there. For this reason, we have shown in one of our exhibits the minimum in a timber collecting, cutting and grading operation. Such an operation could grow into a small wood fabricating and pro- cessing center. Other such operations could be started in other parts of the area as the national forests in this part of Illinois reach a continu- ous yield basis. The total value of all timber now standing in Southern Illinois, if cut and sawed, exceeds $100,000,000. There is a chance that income from wood can reach a sustained yield of $50 per acre per year over a large area. This might not be a bonanza, but it would not be destitution either.
The opportunities in pasturage arise from the fact that much of the land adaptable to pasture is so poor that it can be acquired for around $15 an acre. Expenditure of another $30 to $40 per acre can bring it to the point at which it will produce a value of $60 to $80 in cattle per year at the end of the fifth year and lesser returns somewhat sooner. Similarly, a part of the fallow bottom lands along the rivers can be quickly brought back into use by heavy harrowing at a cost of $10 to $15 per acre. Further cultivation can fit this land for canning and freezing crops. Planting of these crops might be stimulated by the ex- istence of nearby processing facilities, such as we have suggested in another exhibit forming a part of this report.
THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE
The natural inclinations of the people of the area reinforce the conclusion that the existing social plant and the resources of the coun- tryside should be used to the full rather than gradually abandoned in part. The people like the place. It has been observed in many other coal mining districts less pleasant to live in than this one that miners are reluctant to move away when the mines can no longer support them. Whatever that tendency may be, it is strengthened in this area by the agreeableness of the surroundings. Unlike many other coal mining dis- tricts, the climate is mild. Unlike many other mining districts, the land
992 LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
is flat and easy to come by. With care it will grow a few vegetables and support a few chickens. The people are devoted to it. The slightest rumor that a mine may be opening up will bring hundreds native sons back from the northern cities to which they have migrated. They re- turn often for vacations and regularly inquire whether is any work for them locally. A recent call for tool and die makers issued from the area on behalf of a prospective metal working operation brought out five hundred applications from qualified men. Most of them were located in Detroit, Toledo, Chicago or Milwaukee, but they had all been raised in Southern Illinois and they all wanted to get back there. There is no question but what the greatest asset of the area is its people — those who are there now and those who wish they could come back.
The economic resources of a region are largely determined by human attitudes towards the gifts of nature. To the American Indians economic resources were deer and buffalo. To the nineteenth century empire builders economic resources were stands of virgin timber, de- posits of high-grade ores and coal, prime plowlands, low-cost hydro sites, and gusher oil wells. In modern communities concerned with their own survival and progress, economic resources are found increas- ing in the ingenuity and efforts of their own members. In the insepara- ble union of people and things that constitutes an economic resource the emphasis is shifting from the quality and suantity of the fortuitious gifts of nature to the acquired skills of men's hands and to the deliberate imagination of the heads that guide them.
Insofar as the people of Southern Illinois accept this shift and make the most of it, they can pull themselves out of their recent troubles. Their attitude, as well as we have been able to observe it, is one of determination to do all they can for the land they love, and to accept outside help in their tasks only as a supplement to their own efforts and initiative.
AN OPERATING AGENCY
Resolution to make the best of the situation as it stands is a begin- ning. But resolution alone will not solve the intricate problems of eco- nomic development. Some skilled agency must shape up the economic projects that seem to make sense and keep after them until they are established as going concerns, or else abandoned as hopeless.
ILLINOISEDITION 993
Southern Illinois already has such an agency. Its name is "South- ern Illinois Incorporated." Its office is at Carterville. Its directors and supporters are local businessmen and Chambers of Commerce. Its staff is a graduate engineer and a secretary. Its disbursements this year have been at an annual rate of $12,000.
Under the circumstances the achievement of Southern Illinois Inc. has been remarkable. It has had a hand, along with others, in the establishment in the area of several manufacturing plants. It has built up contacts with about a hundred manufacturing concerns that have from time to time considered a location in the area. It has prepared plans for the conversion of a portion of the Crab Orchard Lake Arsenal property into a modern industrial estate. But all of this has not been enough to meet adequately the unemployment situation that Southern Illinois Inc. was created to meet. The funds available have been too meagre to maintain a minimum rounded job of economic development, even after allowing for all the services such an organization can com- mand free of charge.
ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES
A minimum job of economic development, as we see it, has the following elements:
1. a continuous survey of specific employment opportunities;
2. a staff competent to shape up as projects the opportunities re- vealed from time to time by the survey;
3. a staff capable of securing capital and/or management for the worthwhile projects not provided with these essentials.
The survey requires one or two men at least, traveling almost con- stantly. They call on corporations, on banks, and on scientific centers, seeking to find out what branch plants are under consideration and what new processes and new products may require manufacturing faci- lities. It will take them many months to make the rounds the economic picture will have changed enough so that another round will produce different results. This is the reason why the survey should be continu- ous.
When the survey men make their calls, they seek to match up the resources of their home area with the requirements of the new plants
994 LIBRARY OF AMERICAN LIVES
under consideration. If there seems to be any possibility of a successful matching up, then the survey man marks down a prospect and goes on with his calls. A project manager takes over the prospect and begins to collect the detailed facts on sites, utilities, labor supply and so on that are required before any decision can be reached to locate a plant. Each prospect calls for a separate study, and this study may extend over a period of months. Because of the intensity of the study required and the length of time it lasts, no one man can do the survey work and the project study at the same time. No one man can handle adequately more than a very limited number of active projects.
To the extent that the prospects uncovered can supply all of their own capital, the operation so far outlined should be enough. But many worthwhile prospects may be found where capital is lacking or restrict- ed. For instance, it may not be possible to find any large outside com- mercial operator to take on either the wood collecting project or the fruit processing project described in our exhibits. To get either project going it may be necessary to locate management and get capital to back it. One would have to put the pieces together for each business. This takes more time, and a special skill on the part of the staff charged with economic development.
There are other instances where a desirable manufacturer from outside wants to come into an area, but expects the community to build a plant, which he will then rent with option to buy. Such cases require a local campaign to raise funds for the plant. Again, the job calls for a great deal of staff time and skill to set up the deal and raise the money.
UNIVERSITIES CAN SUPPLEMENT LOCAL ORGANIZATION
The skills and manpower needed to staff such an economic develop- ment program are not often found in any one place, but a large part of them may be assembled through the facilities offered by a university. Presumably a university faculty either knows something about almost any common technical or sociological problem or can readily find the people who do know. It also knows how to do report work, and must teach that important art. A co-ordinating officer within a university can call on faculty, on students, and on outside experts as needed, and can thus offer all-around support for an economic development pro- gram.
ILLINOISEDITION 995
In Southern Illinois this channel seems particularly fitting. The University of Southern Illinois has only recently achieved university status and is still in the process of shaping its program. Those respon- sible for it are interested in making the University a truly regional in- stitution with an active relation to the communities it serves. The busi- ness education provided by work on local projects would be invaluable to both faculty and students.
Aid along many lines of special knowledge can be secured from the University of Illinois. Close and harmonious working relations can doubtless be established between the University of Southern Illinois, the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois Inc., especially since the executive of the latter organization is a one-time faculty member of the University of Illinois. Southern Illinois Inc. can handle those parts of the program that are more appropriate to a business organization, such as traveling and selling. The Universities can handle the specific research projects.
In order to do a proper industrial survey and selling job, Southern Illinois Inc. will have to secure considerably more money than it is now getting from its backers. The allocation of State funds to research pro- jects supplementing the work of Southern Illinois Inc. might be made contingent upon the support given to Southern Illinois Inc. by local busiessmen. In any event, a program that is ( 1 ) paced by a local non- profit organization broadly representing an area, (2) closely supported by a local educational and research institution, and (3) backed by the broad facilities of the big State University as they are required — can, in our opinion, most quickly and effectively help the people of Southern Illinois to help themselves. In addition, it may set a pattern for other parts of the State, and for other States as well. A grant from the State to the Universities can bring such a program into being.
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INDEX
A
Abbott, Robert L 415
Abbott, St. Clair C 415
Adams, Thurmond Ingram 295
Adrian, Roy L 221
Ahlenius, Rudolph 0 796
Albon, George Nelson, Jr 801
Alderman, Mrs. Eileen 541
Alexander, Rufus C 308
Alfred, Russell W 500
Allen, George WoodrufF 125
Amrhein, Carl 766
Amsbary, Frank Clifford, Jr 162
Anderson, Hon. Benjamin F 610
Anderson, George Harold 42
Ansley, James Roland, D. C 930
Arterburn, Rev. Marion W 633
Arterburn, Mrs. Marion W 632
Austin, Jack, B.Ed., LL.B 105
Avis, Edmond Jewell 126
Ayers, Robert Brent 760
15
Bailey, Captain Edward 210
Bailey, Fred S 215
Bailey, Hon. Virgil Trammell 851
Barham, LeRoy 765
Barrett, Hon. Edward J 929
Batchelor, Horace, D.D 427
Bauer, Eugene C 499
Baumgart, Carl II 652
Bayer, Kenneth M 166
Bean, Ferrel M 883
Becken, Albert Charles, Jr 717
Becker, Walter John 615
Behrend, Martin F 496
Beich, Paul Frank 58
Belinson, Louis, M.D 189
Bell, Clarence William 357
Bell, Mrs. Lucleda 356
Bennis, Steve L 556
Benoist, Leroy Louis 766
Benoist, Raymond Emil 66
Benoit, Raymond Joseph 74
Bergeron, Edwin Philip 789
Bertram, Peter Andreas, Sr 27
Bills, Robert Daniel 36
Bills, Robert Daniel, Jr 39
Bisch, Charles T 286
Bitterman, Norman George 663
Blades, Francis Raymond 664
Blaine, Shields Adams 242
Blake, Hon. Frank E 537
Bloom, Frederick E 700
Bolen, Major General Harry Lynn 511
Bond, Hon. Rufus Jeremiah 479
Bower, Arthur Oliver 169
Bower, Irvin J 712
Boyd, John Lee 147
Bracy, Floyd Parker 947
Braden, Hon. Glen William 250
Bray, Hon. Alvin Alfred 181
Bretscher, Carl Eduard, A.I.A 129
Brookby, Raymond French 158
Browder, Olin Lorraine, A.B., LL.B 301
Brown, Clyde A 376
Brown, Gilbert B 15
Brown, William Carroll 129
Brundage, Avery 890
Bryant, Loton Elisha 178
Buchanan, Hon. William Paul, A.B., LL.B. .712 Bucher, Clarence Sylvester,
D.V.M., M.D., F.A.C.A 351
Buckley, Homer John 616
Buford, John Lester, LL.D 257
Burgett, Hon. Burley S 394
Burnett, Hal L 158
Burnett, Hon. Henry Bruce 538
Burns, Byron Benoit 400
Burns, Hon. John Milton (Brother) 381
Burns, William Walker (Bill) 313
Busey, Charles Bowen 241
Busey, Hon. Samuel Thompson 908
Bush Brothers 457
Bush, Henry Charles 457
Bush, John William 458
Bush, Robert James 461
C
Cain, Sidney Vincent 610
Caldwell, Harlan Lee 895
Campbell, Theodore F 20
Capps, Robert Miner 940
Carpenter, Hon. C. Dale 490
Carr, George Russell 741
Carr, George Wallace, A.I.A 846
Carter, Hon. Clyde A 633
Case, J. Borries 562
Center, Hon. Virgil Harvey 549
Chambers, H. L 95
Chambers, Robert Lawrence 94
Champion, Hon. Horace Edward 369
Chapin, T. A 884
Chapman, Harold H 754
Charleston National Bank 462
Cherry, James Albert 699
Chicago & Illinois Midland Railway Co. ... 81
Clancy, Joseph Thomas 376
Clark, Horace Wesley 140
Clarke, John Earl 265
Clesson, Marion Sylvester 370
Cole, Austin 541
997
Coleman, Fletcher Bennett 16
Colp, Harrison E 687
Colp, Ryburn Robert 949
Comte, Eugene August 533
Conley, James Henry 86
Connor, John Maurice, A.B., LL.B 93
Cook, Joseph Edward, Sr. 363
Coolley, Hon. Isaac N., Sr 597
Cornell, F. Shepard 154
Corrington, John William 822
Cote, Ulyssess A 148
Courtney, Robert Gordon 550
Covington, Charles J 503
Crisp, Hon. Harry Lee 516
Cullin, Victor 816
Curry, Harold Ellsworth 21
D
Dallenbach, John Christian, M.D 218
Daniels, Richard 547
Danks, George I 338
Darmstaedter, George William 474
Davis, Carl E 230
Davis, Chester R., LL.D 901
Davis, Griffith 1 669
Day, Harry Warren 676
Decatur, Warren Linell 442
Deem, Kate Sargent Wilmeth 269
Deem, Max E 266
Degler, G. F 233
Dewein, Victor Charles 864
DeWitt, Lyle Vinson, A.I.A 840
Dirks, Edward 277
Dixon, Hon. Sherwood 929
Dodson, Virgil Ivan 364
Doerr, Hon. Charles C 868
Dole, Stephen Dexter 344
Doll, Clarence Warren, A.I.A 28
Dooley, Edward J 909
Dooley, James B 909
Dooley, Richard Anthony 908
Doran, John 296
Douglas, Hon. Paul H 928
Driscoll, Hon. John Edward 409
Dunlap, Leonard Eugene 676
Duvall, Hon. R. E 771
E
Eastern Illinois Clay Co 278
Ebersold, Frederick Henry 934
Ellison, Hon. Richard Earl 217
Engelhard, Eugene Field 585
Engelhard, Paul R 584
Engelhard, Willard Paul 580
Enloe, Roy Everett, Ph.G 237
Erickson, Louis Hyland 621
Etherton, James Everett 946
Evans, J. Clyde 69'
Ewing, James Tillman 229
F
Farr, Newton Camp 561
Farris, Hon. Joseph 97
Feldman, Hon. Alois M 254
Fetzer, Wade 640
Fetzer, Wade, Jr 645
Flanigon, James Steven 627
Flewelling, Carrel Wesley, D.D 216
Frank, Raymond W 706
Frazier, James William, II 320
Frazier, James William, III 325
Frazier, Roy Estee, Sr 939
Freiman, Samuel 118
Frick, Hon. Gottlib James 580
Frisina. Domenic 230
Fuller, Morris Greenleaf 16
Fullerton, Leslie Frank 772
Fulton, Lawrence Irving 98
Funk, Hon. Donald Shores 143
Funk, Eugene Duncan, Jr 694
G
Gaerdner, Pete, Jr 828
Gailey, Watson, M.D 945
Gaines, John Donald 173
Gallagher, Warren White 776
Garbe, Martin T 274
Garman, Horace Bryan, LL.B 955
Garrison, Ernie L 546
Gebhardt, Richard Karl 693
Gentry, Hon. J. Wes 902
Giles, William Spargo 57
Gipson, Robert Williams 777
Goble, George Washington 161
Gordon, Allan Thomas, D.D 31
Gothard, Ralph W 174
Gray, Frank S 121
Great Central Insurance Co., Peoria 622
Green, Kenneth Annin, LL.B 45
Greider, Harvey David 177
Griffith, Will Lester 927
Grimm, Melbourne William, O.D 507
Grob, Harold William 845
H
Hall, Andy, M.D 806
Hall, Charles Wesley, Jr 174
Hall, Ruel Elden, M.A 621
Halliday, Norman Remington 447
Hamel, William Bryan 670
Hamilton, Roy McGuire 253
Handlin, William Clyde, M.A 205
Hanft, John Frank 717
Hannah, Harry Ingalls, A.B., J.D 49
998
Hansen, Carl Nicolai 363
Harrington, Edward Patrick 270
Harry, Mark C 422
Hart, Troy Edwin 144
Hattenburg, Hon. Albert Frederick 50
Hausmann, Edwin L 889
Hayes, James Burton 154
Hayes, Orville Joseph 723
Hays, Okley 41
Hayton, James Wesley 953
Heberling, George Clyde 574
Hedrick, Hon. James Arthur 879
Heineke, Henry L 512
Heineke, Martin Louis 513
Helm, Hon. Grover Cleveland 35
Helmle, Henry Richardson, A.I. A 924
Herbert, Hon. Fred Bross, LL.B 742
Hewitt, Francis Marion, Jr 834
Higgins, Norman France 169
Hill, Donald Watson 273
Hindman, Wayne R 281
Hirschfeld, Julius James, LL.B 609
Hoag, Francis August 496
Hoag, Hon. Harry Earl 394
Holbert, James Ransom, Ph.D 113
Holt, Ruby Witters 62
Holton, Campbell 70
Holzweg, Edward G 23
Horsley, Jack Everett, A.B., LL.B 480
Hott, Maxwell Rhoades 519
Horstman, Carl Henry, D.V.M 815
Houde, Thomas P 579
Houghten, Charles Thomas 845
Howard and Kirkpatrick 589
Howard-Kirkpatrick House Furnishing Co. 590
Hudson, Alfred Eugene 628
Hudgens, William Charlie 65
Huffman, George Nyle 933
Huxtable, Delos Lloyd 352
I
Icenogle, Hon. Carus Stanley, LL.B 499
Ichkowsky, Harry 118
Illinois Commercial Telephone Co 89
Illinois Odd Fellows Children's Home 26
Impey, Frank J 603
Irions, Jacob Henry 711
J
Jachino, Peter 130
Johnson, John Luke 106
Johnston, George Seely 473
Johnston, Wayne Andrew 863
Jones, Fred Mitchell, M.S., Ph.D 805
Jones, Hon. Fred Monroe 202
Jones, Harold Clyde, LL.B 110
Jones, John Willard 480
Jones, Ruth Berneice Smith 806
Jorgensen, Frederick A 202
Joseph, Oliver C 134
K
Kaufman, Lt. Col. Stanley Louis 206
Keller, Oliver J 89
Kelly, Fred Hanford, LL.B 24
Kemper, Howard K 277
Kendall, Harry Frederick 592
Kennedy, George Robert 693
Kent, Everett Frank 62
Kidwell, William Kenneth 54
Kielsmeier, Karl F 814
Kielsmeier, Otto A 810
Kimmel, Philip Milster 918
Kimmel, Roger Q 634
Kirkpatrick, Charles S 590
Kirkpatrick, Edward R 590
Kirkpatrick, Colonel J. H 586
Kizer Oil Co., Mattoon 201
Kizer, Hon. George Andrew 447
Klein, Adolf E 664
Klein, Ernest S., M.D 568
Klinke, Harold P 489
Koeneman, Bruno William 555
Kroehler, Clarence B 523
Kuehne, Fred Oren, Jr 85
Kull, Adolph Franklin 523
Kull, Frederick Jacob 523
Kull, Joseph Albert 523
Kull, Robert Carl John 523
Kull, Rudolph Charles 523
Kull, William Christian 523
Kull, William Frederick 520
Kurth, Verner Wallace 833
Kurz, Armin C 534
L,
Lang, Gordon 932
Larson, Carl Clarence, M.S 24
Lashbrook, Orla Vivian 827
Laughlin, Robert Neil 682
Laughlin, Hon. William Martin 681
Lecas, George H 688
Lemna, James F., LL.B 189
Lindsay, Frank Merrill, Jr 953
Link, Edward Xavier, M.D 542
Linn, William H 261
Litoborski, Edmond Frank 741
Lively, Rev. James Marion, M.A., B.D., D.D. 851
Livesay, James Ray 375
Livingston, Hon. Park 833
Lockwood, William Frederick 22
Loeb, Hamilton Moritz 675
Lone Elm, The 348
Long, John Earle 441
Long, Wallace 530
999
Lovejoy, Charles Ernest, Jr 941
Lucas, Hon. William Watson 245
Luehrs, Hon. George Ernest 724
Lutz, John A., Sr 598
Lutz, John A., Jr 598
Lynn, Hon. William Wyman 134
Mc
McClelland, Clarence Paul,
D.D., LL.D., Litt.D 873
McClerren, Bennie Frank 687
McConnell, Harry J 77
McConnell, Robert G 77
McCormick, John Floyd 358
McCrory, Frank 889
McDougal, Robert Davis, Jr 436
McGehee, Dennis Burdette 226
McGrath, James W 348
McMillan, Robert Charles 880
McRoy, Paul Furgeson 923
M
MacKay, William Thomas 858
Mackey, Harry Joseph 549
Mackin, Henry Joseph 573
Madden, George Bowman 181
Malone, John Walter, Jr., D.D 296
Martin, Samuel L 772
Maton, Paul L 950
Mattoon, The National Bank of 493
Mayer, Oscar F 784
Mayer, Oscar G 784
Mecherle, George Ermond 10
Mecherle, George Jacob, LL.D 4
Mecherle, Ramond Perry 9
Meek, Edward Henry Joshua, Jr 857
Meier, Albert F 278
Meier, Arnold 278
Meier, Byron 278
Meier, Earl 278
Meier, Louis G 278
Messick, Harry Hill 165
Meyer, Edward H 896
Meyer, H. Edward 515
Miller, James Samuel 257
Miller, Leonard Samuel 254
Mitchell, Harry Arthur 454
Mitchell, John Franklin 234
Mitchell, Orvall Oran 209
Modahl, Adolph Carl 289
Modert, Alson W., M.D 110
Mohr, Albert, Jr. 933
Montgomery, Robert DuFay 534
Moore, Kenneth W 884
Morgan, Kent H 646
Moroff, Edward Henry 73
Morris, Lossie E., A.B., B.D 591
Morrison, Frank Eugene 61
Morrow, George William, M.D 122
Motel Marion, Marion, Illinois 432
Mueller, Charles A 262
Mueller, Eda 841
Mueller, Frederick 839
Mueller, Victor James 658
Mugge, George Hudson 486
Munson, Irving, M.A 197
Myers, Harold Henry 201
N
Neisewander, Ray H 700
Nelch, Franklyn C 242
Nelson, Lewen Russell 669
Newhouse, Durward Martin 114
Nichols, Eolyne Yvette 936
Nichols, Ira Goodsell, Sr., D.D.S., Sc.D. . . .935
Nichols, Ira Goodsell, Jr., M.D 937
Nickell, Hon. Vernon L., Ed.D 724
Niesing, Hon. John Charles 416
Nordheden, Carl, M.A 170
O
Oblinger, Daniel Harry 347
O'Brien, Martin J 50
O'Hair, Hon. Karl R 639
O'Hair, Zollie P 399
O'Hern, Charles Vincent, Sr., LL.B 759
O'Keefe, John Francis 942
Osgood, Harold M 185
Ozee, Carl Harding 102
P
Parker, Lloyd Lee 326
Parkhill, Theodore Dennis 137
Parris, Ace C 215
Parsons, James Henry 21
Partlow, Henry 409
Pattison, Clarence A 748
Patton, William James 735
Pautler, Kenneth Albert 954
Peers, George William 821
Perlmutter, Harry N 956
Peters, Walter C 369
Pflanz, Karl V 512
Phillips, Enos Leslie 302
Phipps, Harvey Otis 498
Pike, Harry Wardell 90
Pinnell, Hon. Charles R 282
Pocklington Brothers 249
Pocklington, Truman James 834
Pollitz, Hiram C 519
Poor, Fred Arthur 754
Poorman, Hon. John W 319
Poorman, Hon. Paul W 382
Pope, Harry Odell 343
1000
Poston, Emmett Vincent 77
Powell, Rev. George Harold, S.T.B 226
Preble, Robert Curtis, Sr 736
R
Rardin, Bruce 468
Rardin, Hon. Harrold Pierson 748
Reasor, Walter Henry, Jr 942
Reed, Harold W., A.B., M.S., Th.D 555
Reif steck, Fred 651
Reinhard, Eugene Philip 941
Reisch, Carl M 286
Reynolds, Charles William 467
Robinson, Ben Dwight 421
Robinson, John William 435
Roche, Frank Louis 101
Rodgers, I. Walter 912
Rohweder, Claus 615
Roth, Franklin Waldo 46
Roth, Hon. Richard Pettis 864
Routson, Charles William 73
Rowatt, Paul 783
Rowatt, Walter, Jr 53
Russell, John Walker 524
Rust, Adlai H., LL.B 9
Ryan, Willis Pierce, A.B., LL.B 57
S
Sanner, Truman Judson 453
St. Patrick's Church, Decatur, Illinois 225
Schafale, Henry Peter Oscar 778
Scheef , Victor Melvin 393
Schlitt, Frederick Philip, Sr 285
Schmale, John H 816
Schmoeger, Harry John 901
Schrader, Fred L 82
Schrader, Hon. Henry C. G 705
Schriver, Hon. Lester Osburne, LL.D 270
Schwartz, Hon. Chester Ray 314
Schwartz, Walker 778
Schwemm, Earl M 730
Scofield, Leo 497
Scruggs, William R 261
Seek, Joseph A 157
Shalla, Dominick 567
Shanafelt, James Oliver 939
Sheeks, John William 497
Shelby, Mervin Russell 290
Shoff, Frank Joseph 473
Sholem, Jerome J 485
Short, Herbert Dwight 250
Simmons, Elwyn LeRoy 867
Skinner, Fred Edwin 314
Smith, The A. O. Corporation 154
Smith, Hon. George William 879
Smith, Robert G 421
Smith, Robert 1 420
Snell, Clarence Eastlake 657
Solomon, Robert C 343
Sommer, Henry Getz 718
Sperry, Floyde D 31
Springman, John Joseph 858
Stables, Floyd Flemming 948
Stalcup, Murl 182
Staley, William Converse 147
Starr, Lester Eli 387
State Farm Fire Insurance Company,
Bloomington 3
State Farm Life Insurance Company,
Bloomington 3
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance
Company, Bloomington 3
Steiger, Hon. William A 218
Stephens, Edgar Monroe, Jr 907
Stetson, Joseph W 85
Stevenson, Hon. Adlai Ewing 928
Stewart, Medf ord 337
Stewart, Winfred E 332
Stoltey, Raymond W 185
Storme, Albert Graves 729
Stotlar, Val 222
Stout, Robert Carl 307
Stubblefield, Ivan Reual 117
Suddes, Ralph Edward, LL.B 78
Sullivan, William Edward '. 337
Sunderland, Joseph Lawrence 32
Suttelle, Miss Leona 144
Sweney, Jack Charles 474
Swickard, Clinton Daniel, M.D. 238
Swickard, Mrs. Ruth Elizabeth 239
Swords, Hon. Charles Lester 760
T
Tawney, Guy Allan, M.A., Ph.D 911
Taylor, Guy Clifton, Ph.G 410
Thatcher, John Thomas 45
Thomas, Simeon E., B.Ph., M.A 462
Thompson, Charles Manfred IV
Thornton, James Franklin 26
Thrasher, Jesse William 209
Throgmorton, Earl 944
Thurmond, Ralph 428
Tick, Jean Q 186
Tompkins, Arthur W 19
Trettin, Walter 0 93
Tucker, Joseph Townsley 194
Tumbleson, Gene 827
Turner, Oscar Lee 258
Twenhoefel, Edmund William 747
U
Upchurch, Hon. John David 504
Underfanger, Charles 198
1001
V
Van Meter, Hon. James Craig, LL.B 130
Van Praag, Alex, III 795
Van Praag, Sol., Sr 790
Van Praag, Sol, Jr 794
Vaughn, James Howard 101
Vaught, Gilbert Reinhardt, D.D.S 524
Vollmer, Edward William 495
W
Wagner, Harold Eugene 730
Wagner, Robert Christian Herman 193
Wagner, William Andrew, B.S 193
Wahlfeld, Otto William Henry 652
Walker, Adriel Joseph 331
Walker, Chester Evert 545
Walker, Clegg 25
Walker, Jo Vincent 753
Walkup, W. E 658
Wallace, Herman H 923
Wangelin, Hon. Herman Grover 917
Wanless, Hon. Fred W 931
Wanless, Gail Montgomery 427
Wanless, Paul F 931
Ward, Herbert William 874
Ward, James Walter 723
Ward, Richard Wendell 874
Wareham, Darrell E 699
Wareham, Orville F 698
Wasson, Fred Harold 529
Watson, Calvin Earl 387
Wegener, Otto William 122
Weir, Benjamin 404
Weis, Joseph Stanley 494
Welsh, 0. Lloyd 109
Wenthe, Hon. Fred Christopher 153
White, Frederick Webster 448
White, Glynn William 568
Whiting, Albert Lemuel, B.Sc, M.Sc, Ph.D. 190
Whittenberg, Harry Allen 868
Wilkins, Charles Lincoln 537
Will, John Albert 35
Williams, Delbert 0 441
Wilson, George Worth 246
Wilson, Llewellyn James 97
Wilton, Ralph Eugene 562
Winkelmann, Roland E., LL.B 508
Wohlwend, Lawrence John 307
Wollrab, Louis Edward 646
Wood, Hon. F. W. "Bo" 388
Wood, Gen. Robert Elkington 943
Wright, Harold Abbott 949
Wright, Hugh T 545
Wrisley, George Alfred 249
Y
Yaffe, Saul (Red) 106
Z
Zarbuck, Gwain R., D.C 604
1002