Samuel H. Shapiro
Encyclopedia
Samuel Harvey Shapiro (April 25, 1907 - March 16, 1987) was the 34th Governor
of Illinois
, serving from 1968 to 1969. He was a member of the Democratic
Party.
Born in 1907 in the Governorate of Estonia
of the Russian Empire
, he emigrated to the United States
at an early age. He graduated from the University of Illinois
College of Law. As a lawyer, Shapiro practiced in Kankakee, Illinois
. Turning to public service, he was elected state's attorney
(county prosecutor) of Kankakee County.
Shapiro was elected the 38th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
in 1960 and again in 1964, and took office as governor when the previous governor Otto Kerner, Jr.
resigned to accept appointment to the federal appellate court
. Shapiro thus became the second Jewish governor of Illinois (Henry Horner
being the first). Illinois thereby became the first state to have had two Jewish governors; New York
, Oregon
, Pennsylvania
and Rhode Island
have each since elected at least a second governor of the faith.
Upon becoming governor, Shapiro ran at once for a full term of his own, but was narrowly defeated by Republican
Richard B. Ogilvie
in the 1968 election. He then returned to private life.
Shapiro was an alumnus of the Alpha Epsilon Pi
fraternity. From 1984 until his death, he led the effort to establish a permanent headquarters for the fraternity's national offices.
He died in 1987 in Kankakee, Illinois
and he is buried in Jewish Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois
. The state renamed the Kankakee Mental Health Center
in his honor.
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, serving from 1968 to 1969. He was a member of the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Party.
Born in 1907 in the Governorate of Estonia
Governorate of Estonia
The Governorate of Estonia or Estland, also known as the Government of Estonia or Province of Estonia, was a governorate of the Russian Empire in what is now northern Estonia.-Historical overview:...
of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, he emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at an early age. He graduated from the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
College of Law. As a lawyer, Shapiro practiced in Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,561, and 26,840 as of a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Kankakee County...
. Turning to public service, he was elected state's attorney
State's Attorney
In the United States, the State's Attorney is, most commonly, an elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit...
(county prosecutor) of Kankakee County.
Shapiro was elected the 38th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
The Lieutenant Governor of Illinois is the second highest executive of the State of Illinois. In Illinois, the lieutenant governor and governor run on a joint ticket, and are directly elected by popular vote. Candidates for lieutenant governor run separately in the primary from candidates for...
in 1960 and again in 1964, and took office as governor when the previous governor Otto Kerner, Jr.
Otto Kerner, Jr.
Otto Kerner, Jr. was the 33rd Governor of Illinois from 1961 to 1968. He is best known for chairing the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders and for accepting bribes....
resigned to accept appointment to the federal appellate court
Appellate court
An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...
. Shapiro thus became the second Jewish governor of Illinois (Henry Horner
Henry Horner
Henry Horner was the 28th Governor of Illinois, serving from 1933 to 1940, when he died in office. Horner was the first Jewish governor of Illinois.- Political biography :...
being the first). Illinois thereby became the first state to have had two Jewish governors; New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
have each since elected at least a second governor of the faith.
Upon becoming governor, Shapiro ran at once for a full term of his own, but was narrowly defeated by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Richard B. Ogilvie
Richard B. Ogilvie
Richard Buell Ogilvie was the 35th Governor of Illinois from 1969 to 1973. A wounded combat veteran of World War II, he achieved fame as the mafia-fighting Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois in the 1960s....
in the 1968 election. He then returned to private life.
Shapiro was an alumnus of the Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates...
fraternity. From 1984 until his death, he led the effort to establish a permanent headquarters for the fraternity's national offices.
He died in 1987 in Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,561, and 26,840 as of a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Kankakee County...
and he is buried in Jewish Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois
Forest Park, Illinois
Forest Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in the United States. The population was 15,688 at the 2000 census...
. The state renamed the Kankakee Mental Health Center
Kankakee Mental Health Center
Samuel H. Shapiro Developmental Center formerly named Kankakee State Hospital, is a psychiatric hospital located in Kankakee County, Illinois on the banks of the Kankakee River...
in his honor.