JAMES R. THOMPSON

:''For the NASA official, see James R. Thompson, Jr.''
'James Robert Thompson III' (born May 8, 1936), also known as "Big Jim Thompson", was the longest-serving Governor of the U.S. state of Illinois. A Republican, Elected to four consecutive terms (the first of which was a transitional two-year term, as Illinois changed to an off-Presidential year gubernatorial election), he held the office for 14 years. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Thompson studied at the University of Illinois at Chicago Navy Pier campus, and received his A.B. from Washington University. He received his J.D. from Northwestern University in 1959. Many years after leaving public office, he re-entered the spotlight as a member of the The 9-11 Commission, gaining notoriety for his strong disagreements with former counter terrorism czar Dick Clarke.
Prior to becoming governor, he worked in the Cook County state's attorney's office, taught at Northwestern University's law school and served as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. As a federal prosecutor in the early 1970s, he obtained a conviction against former Governor Otto Kerner, Jr., for his use of improper influence on behalf of the racetrack industry. He also tried and convicted many of Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley's top aides, most notably Alderman Tom Keane, on various corruption charges. These high-profile cases gave Thompson the celebrity which fueled his run for governor in 1976. During this period, Thompson was criticized for only prosecuting aging Democrats (more high-profile, than influential), while ignoring Republican and organized-crime suspects (even though Illinois was enduring the worst era of organized crime since the 1920's/Al Capone era).
In the 1976 election, he won 65 percent of the vote over Democratic Secretary of State Michael Howlett, for a two-year term. Thompson was re-elected in 1978 with 60 percent of the vote, defeating State Superintendent Michael Bakalis. Thompson was very narrowly re-elected in 1982 over former U.S. Senator Adlai E. Stevenson III; Thompson decisively defeated him in their re-match four years later. Thompson was accused of hiding the sad shape that Illinois' economy and budget were in while campaigning, but once elected, calling for an emergency session of the Illinois Legislature to address the crisis.
From 2003 to 2004 he served on the 9/11 Commission, where he aggressively questioned Richard Clarke.
He is also a director and head of the Audit Committee for Hollinger International, the media company founded by Conrad Black (it is also now the subject of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation).
Thompson, along with his gubernatorial successor Jim Edgar and state treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, have been criticized by some in the Illinois Republican Party for being too "liberal." Such criticism is representative of a debate within the national Republican Party regarding how liberal Republican candidates and office-holders should be (see also Republican in Name Only). In 2005, he donated $1000 to the Hillary Clinton PAC "Friends of Hillary."
Since 1993, Thompson has served as chairman and CEO of Winston & Strawn LLP, a prestigious Chicago law firm. In 2003, he received the Justice John Paul Stevens Award for a "career that exemplifies the highest standards of the legal profession." As chairman and CEO of Winston & Strawn, Thompson practices in the area of government relations and regulatory affairs as well as in international and domestic corporate and litigation matters. The firm has lobbied for American Airlines, and he has previously represented United Airlines. In 1997 and 2000, The ''National Law Journal'' named Thompson as one of the nation's 100 most influential lawyers.
Winston & Strawn is the same firm that represented former Illinois Governor George Ryan pro bono against federal charges relating to the "Licenses-for-Bribes" scandal during Ryan's tenure as Illinois Governor and Secretary of State. On April 17, 2006, George Ryan was convicted on all 18 counts, which included racketeering, misusing state resources for political gain, and fraud. He was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in federal prison, but currently remains free while appealing the court's original verdict.
In 1993, the State of Illinois Center in Chicago was renamed the James R. Thompson Center to honor the former governor.
Ironically, Thompson was both the Prosecutor of former Governor Otto Kerner, who was convicted of official corruption, and subsequently defense counsel for former Governor George Ryan, likewise convicted of official corruption.
Recently, Thompson came out in support of former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani's quest for the 2008 Republican nomination. He stressed that Giuliani was the only Republican in the field that could win Illinois.

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Scholarly Secondary Source

References

External links

★ Thompson's biography from the 9/11 Commission

★ Thompson's biography from Northwestern University

★ Receipt for Thompson's contribution for Friends of Hillary

★ [1]

Scholarly Secondary Source

★ Hartley, Robert E. ''Big Jim Thompson of Illinois'' (1979).