Richard B. Ogilvie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard B. Ogilvie
35th Governor of Illinois
In office January 13, 1969 – January 8, 1973
Lieutenant	Paul Simon
Preceded by	Samuel H. Shapiro
Succeeded by	Daniel Walker
President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners
In office 1966–1969
Preceded by	Seymour Simon
Succeeded by	George Dunne
Sheriff of Cook County
In office 1962–1966
Preceded by	Frank G. Sain
Succeeded by	Joseph I. Woods
Personal details
Born	February 22, 1923 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Died	May 10, 1988 (aged 65) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Dorothy Shriver
Profession	Attorney Politician Law enforcement officer
Religion	Presbyterian
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1942–1945
Rank	Tank Commander
Battles/wars	World War II

Richard Buell Ogilvie (February 22, 1923 – May 10, 1988) was the 35th governor of Illinois. He served as governor from 1969 to 1973. Before becoming governor, he was a soldier who was hurt in World War II. He also became known as a sheriff who fought crime in Cook County, Illinois, during the 1960s.

Early Life and Military Service

Richard Ogilvie finished high school in Port Chester, New York, in 1940. He joined the United States Army in 1942 while studying at Yale University. During World War II, he was a tank commander in France. He was wounded in battle and received the Purple Heart medal. He also earned two Battle Stars for his service.

After leaving the army in 1945, he went back to Yale. In 1947, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American history. He then studied law and received his law degree (Juris Doctor) from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1949. From 1950 to 1954, he worked as a lawyer in Chicago. He also served as an assistant United States Attorney from 1954 to 1955. Later, from 1958 to 1961, he worked for the United States Attorney General. In this role, he led an office that worked to fight organized crime in Chicago.

Political Career Before Becoming Governor

In 1962, Richard Ogilvie was elected sheriff of Cook County, Illinois. This is the county with the most people in Illinois. He served as sheriff until 1966. While he was sheriff, he also became the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. He held this position from 1966 until 1969. He left this role when he was elected Governor of Illinois.

As sheriff, Ogilvie became known for fighting crime. His office conducted about 1,800 police actions during his time. This included a notable event called the Fun Lounge police raid. This raid led to 109 arrests.

Serving as Governor of Illinois

In 1968, Richard Ogilvie was elected governor as a Republican. He won with 51.2% of the votes. He narrowly beat the current Democrat governor, Sam Shapiro. His lieutenant governor was Paul Simon, a Democrat who later became a U.S. Senator. This was the only time Illinois elected a governor and lieutenant governor from different political parties.

Modernizing State Government

With many Republicans in the state house, Governor Ogilvie worked to make the state government more modern. He successfully pushed for a state constitutional convention. This meeting helped create a new state constitution. He also increased spending on social programs. A big change he made was getting Illinois' first state income tax approved. This tax was not very popular with voters. Because of this, Ogilvie lost a close election in 1972 to Daniel Walker. This ended his time in elected office.

Key Achievements as Governor

Governor Ogilvie achieved many things during his time in office. He proposed and passed the Illinois state income tax. This tax was very important to help the state avoid a financial crisis. He created the Bureau of the Budget to give the governor more control over how the state's money was spent. He also got the Illinois General Assembly to approve a record increase in state funding for public schools.

Ogilvie strongly supported the new Illinois Constitution of 1970. He campaigned for it, and voters approved it. He also improved how the Illinois State Fair was managed. This helped stop problems with contracts for fair vendors.

He created the Illinois Department of Corrections to make the state's prison system better. He also gave more power to the Illinois Housing Development Authority. This agency was important for improving cities. He set up the Illinois Department of Local Government Affairs. This department helped and advised county and city officials.

In addition, Ogilvie created the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement. This department was set up to improve the state's policing. It included the Illinois Bureau of Investigation, which was like a "Little FBI" for the state. He also allowed TV and radio news to join print reporters at his press conferences. This made the governor's news more open to everyone.

Ogilvie also established the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. This agency was created to protect the state's air and water. It was one of the first complete environmental protection agencies in the country. It even became a model for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He also set up the Illinois Department of Transportation. He got approval to improve the state's highway system. He also built the East-West toll road, connecting Chicago to western Illinois.

At Governor Ogilvie's request, the General Assembly approved an experimental junior college in East St. Louis. This college, called the State Community College, did not need a local tax to run. Ogilvie also helped pass a bi-state airport authority with the City of St. Louis. He greatly improved the Illinois Information Service, which was the state's news agency. He also made the state General Services Agency stronger.

After Being Governor

After his time as governor, President Richard Nixon thought about appointing Ogilvie to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In 1979, Governor Ogilvie was appointed as a Trustee for the Milwaukee Road. This was a railroad company that had gone bankrupt. He managed its sale to the Soo Line Railroad. This railroad was part of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Ogilvie also became the publisher of a new version of the Chicago Daily News in 1979. The newspaper had stopped printing in 1978.

In 1987, Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole asked him to lead a committee. This committee studied whether the federal government should stop funding Amtrak, the national passenger rail service.

Until his death in 1988, he was a partner at a well-known law firm in Chicago called Isham Lincoln & Beale. One of the founders of this firm was Robert Todd Lincoln, who was Abraham Lincoln's son.

Death and Lasting Impact

Richard B. Ogilvie passed away in Chicago on May 10, 1988. He was cremated and buried in Rosehill Mausoleum at Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago.

In 1997, the Chicago & North Western Station was renamed the Ogilvie Transportation Center in his honor. This station is a major hub for commuter trains in Chicago. The station uses the old train shed from the Chicago & North Western railroad. A train company called Wisconsin Central Ltd. also named a locomotive (WC 7513) after him. Ogilvie had always supported rail transport. He created the Regional Transportation Authority, which is the parent agency for Metra commuter trains.

Awards and Recognition

In 1973, Richard B. Ogilvie was honored by The Lincoln Academy of Illinois. He was given the Order of Lincoln, which is the highest award in the State of Illinois. He received this award for his work in government.