The Famous of Illinois

Some time back, I picked up this Illinois history textbook at a resale shop:

At the end of each chapter (15 of them), the textbook features the story/biography of a famous Illinoisan.

If you were making the decisions of what 15 to feature, what persons would make your list?

Here's who the author (Roger Biles from Northern Illinois University) chose:

Marie Rouensa *

George Rogers Clark

Ninian Edwards *

Black Hawk

Stephen A. Douglas

John A. Logan

Joseph Glidden *

Jane Addams

Louis Sullivan *

Samuel Insull *

Red Grange

Robert McCormick

Adlai Stevenson

Phyllis Schlafly

Jesse Jackson

(* ones that were not familiar to me)

One of those names baffles me.......

Why was Jesse Jackson chosen?

Who knows?

Mr. MLK-wannabe was given a spot that is so much more well-deserved by.......

Ernest Hemmingway

Walt Disney

Ronald Reagan

Ulysses Grant

Aaron Montgomery Ward

Abe Lincoln

Richard Sears

Carl Sanders

How in the world did Jesse make the list and Carl didn't?

YEESH!!

Out for now........

Matt

p.s. Decatur is featured (in fairly good detail) starting on page 225