William Stratton
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William G. Stratton | |
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32nd Governor of Illinois | |
In office January 12, 1953 – January 9, 1961 | |
Lieutenant | John William Chapman |
Preceded by | Adlai Stevenson |
Succeeded by | Otto Kerner Jr. |
Chair of the National Governors Association | |
In office June 23, 1957 – May 18, 1958 | |
Preceded by | Thomas B. Stanley |
Succeeded by | LeRoy Collins |
52nd & 56th Treasurer of Illinois | |
In office January 8, 1951 – January 12, 1953 | |
Governor | Adlai Stevenson |
Preceded by | Ora Smith |
Succeeded by | Elmer J. Hoffman |
In office January 11, 1943 – January 8, 1945 | |
Governor | Dwight H. Green |
Preceded by | Warren Wright |
Succeeded by | Conrad F. Becker |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's at-large district | |
In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 | |
Preceded by | Emily Taft Douglas |
Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
In office January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1943 | |
Preceded by | John Martin Thomas Smith |
Succeeded by | Stephen A. Day |
Personal details | |
Born | Ingleside, Illinois, U.S. | February 26, 1914
Died | March 2, 2001 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | (aged 87)
Resting place | Rosehill Cemetery |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Shirley Stratton |
Education | University of Arizona (BA) |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Navy |
Years of service | 1945–1946 |
Rank | Lieutenant |
Battles/wars | World War II |
William Grant Stratton (February 26, 1914 – March 2, 2001),[1][2] known as "Billy the Kid", was the 32nd Governor of Illinois from 1953 to 1961, succeeding Adlai Stevenson II in that office.[3]
Born February 26, 1914 in Ingleside, Lake County, Illinois, the son of William J. Stratton, an Illinois politician, and Zula Van Wormer Stratton, he served two non-consecutive terms as an at-large Congressman from Illinois, elected in 1940 and 1946.[citation needed] He was elected State Treasurer in 1942 and 1950. He won the Republican nomination for governor in 1952, then defeated Lt. Governor Sherwood Dixon to become the youngest governor in America at that time.[citation needed] Stratton was re-elected governor in 1956. In 1960 he ran for an unprecedented third consecutive term, but was defeated by Democrat Otto Kerner, Jr.[citation needed]
Stratton was acquitted on charges of tax evasion in 1965.[4] In 1968, he ran in the Republican primary for Governor and was defeated by Richard B. Ogilvie. Stratton finished a distant third, with only about seven percent of the primary vote.[5]
In 1934, he married Marion Hook. They had two children, Sandra (born 1936) and Diana (born 1939). Stratton and his wife spent most of their time apart due to his hectic political schedule, and Marion became dissatisfied with the marriage. Additionally, Marion despised the political arena and expressed distaste at her husband's relatively meager salary.[6] Although Stratten did not want a divorce, his wife Marion insisted that they end the marriage. He obtained a divorce from her on the grounds of desertion in 1949. Although Marion was granted custody of the children, they nevertheless lived with primarily with Stratton until 1952.[7] In 1950, Stratton married Shirley Breckenridge (born 1923). They have a daughter, Nancy.[8] His second marriage was a very happy one, and Shirley actively campaigned for her husband. The two remained married until his death.[9]
In retirement, Stratton resided in Chicago. At the time of his death, he was a member of the Illinois Civil Service Commission.[citation needed]
Death
He died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago on March 2, 2001, aged 87. Among his pallbearers were his successors as governor, James R. Thompson, Jim Edgar, and George Ryan.[citation needed]
The following are named in his honor:
- Stratton Lock and Dam on the Fox River near McHenry, Illinois.[10]
- William G. Stratton State Park on the Illinois River in Morris, Illinois.[11]
- The William G. Stratton Building (formerly the State Office Building) in the Illinois State Capitol complex, which houses offices of many state legislators and other state agencies and was completed during his first term as governor.[12]
- Stratton Quadrangle at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, in recognition of his position as governor at the time of the university's founding. He was also the speaker at SIUE's first commencement in 1960.
References
- ^ "William G. Stratton, 87, Illinois' 32nd governor ..." Chicago Tribune. March 11, 2001. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ^ "William Stratton; Illinois Governor, 87". The New York Times. March 5, 2001. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ^ Illinois Blue Book 1959–60. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois Secretary of State.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - IL Governor". ourcampaigns.com. June 11, 1968.
- ^ Kenney, David (1990). A Political Passage: The Career of Stratton of Illinois. SIU Press. ISBN 9780809315499.
- ^ "STRATTON v. COMMISSIONER | 54 T.C. 255 (1970) | 4wtc2551287 | Leagle.com". Leagle. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
- ^ "STRATTON v. COMMISSIONER | 54 T.C. 255 (1970) | 4wtc2551287 | Leagle.com". Leagle. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
- ^ Kenney, David (1990). A Political Passage: The Career of Stratton of Illinois. SIU Press. ISBN 9780809315499.
- ^ "Water Resources". www.dnr.illinois.gov.
- ^ "William G. Stratton State Park, Illinois DNR". state.il.us.
- ^ Cavanagh, Bob (July 15, 2004). "The Stratton Building's midlife crisis". Illinois Times. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
U.S. House of Representatives | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by John Martin Thomas Smith |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's at-large congressional district 1941–1943 Served alongside: Stephen A. Day |
Succeeded by Stephen A. Day |
Preceded by Emily Taft Douglas |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's at-large congressional district 1947–1949 |
Constituency abolished |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by Warren Wright |
Treasurer of Illinois 1943–1945 |
Succeeded by Conrad F. Becker |
Preceded by Ora Smith |
Treasurer of Illinois 1951–1953 |
Succeeded by Elmer J. Hoffman |
Preceded by Adlai Stevenson |
Governor of Illinois 1953–1961 |
Succeeded by Otto Kerner Jr. |
Preceded by Thomas B. Stanley |
Chair of the National Governors Association 1957–1958 |
Succeeded by LeRoy Collins |
Party political offices | ||
Preceded by Dwight H. Green |
Republican nominee for Governor of Illinois 1952, 1956, 1960 |
Succeeded by Charles H. Percy |
- 1914 births
- 2001 deaths
- 20th-century American politicians
- American Methodists
- American naval personnel of World War II
- Burials at Rosehill Cemetery
- Governors of Illinois
- Illinois Republicans
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois
- People from Lake County, Illinois
- Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- Republican Party state governors of the United States
- State treasurers of Illinois
- United States Navy officers
- University of Arizona alumni