Jim Edgar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jim Edgar
Edgar in 2013
38th Governor of Illinois
In office January 14, 1991 – January 11, 1999
Lieutenant	Bob Kustra
Preceded by	James R. Thompson
Succeeded by	George Ryan
35th Secretary of State of Illinois
In office January 12, 1981 – January 14, 1991
Governor	James R. Thompson
Preceded by	Alan J. Dixon
Succeeded by	George Ryan
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 53rd district
In office 1977–1979 Serving with Charles M. "Chuck" Campbell, Larry Stuffle
Preceded by	Max E. Coffey Robert "Bob" Craig
Succeeded by	Harry Woodyard
Personal details
Born	(1946-07-22) July 22, 1946 (age 76) Vinita, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Brenda Smith
Education	Eastern Illinois University

James Edgar (born July 22, 1946) is an American politician who was the 38th governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999. Previously he served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1976 to 1979 and as Illinois Secretary of State from 1981 to 1991. Though still popular, he surprised many by retiring from elected office after his second term as governor, claiming that heart problems he had during his tenure as governor were not a factor in his decision.

Post governorship

Edgar is a distinguished fellow of the Institute of Government & Public Affairs at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois.

Edgar was named the honorary chairman of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration at Eureka College, President Reagan's alma mater. To open the Reagan Centennial year in January 2011, Governor Edgar delivered the keynote speech at the concluding dinner of the "Reagan and the Midwest" academic conference held at Eureka College. In September 2011, Edgar helped dedicate the Mark R. Shenkman Reagan Research Center housed in the Eureka College library.

As former chairman of the board of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, Edgar underwrote the costs of the traveling trophy for the annual Lincoln Bowl tradition started in 2012. The Lincoln Bowl celebrates the Lincoln connection with Knox College and Eureka College, two Illinois colleges where Lincoln spoke, and is awarded to the winning team each time the two schools play each other in football.

In July 2016, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Illinois Financing Partners, a firm for which Edgar served as chairman, won approval by the state to advance money to state vendors who had been waiting for payments by the state. In turn, the firm would get to keep late payment fees when Illinois finally pays.

Awards

Jim Edgar was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State's highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 1999 in the area of Government.