Former Gov. Jim Edgar honored at Illinois State Library

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar was honored Wednesday at the Illinois State Library.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias honored the legacy and impact of Edgar with the formal dedication of the Jim Edgar Reading Room at the Illinois State Library.

“It’s a privilege to honor the legacy of Governor Jim Edgar – an incredible statesman, advocate and friend – for his career of service to our state and its citizens,” Giannoulias said. “The Jim Edgar Reading Room enshrines the former Governor and Secretary of State’s legacy and indelible contributions to our state’s library, which continue to have a profound impact throughout our state.”

Giannoulias, who also serves as State Libarian, was joined by a bipartisan group of state officials, including Governor JB Pritzker and Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, to dedicate the Reading Room and celebrate Edgar’s vital contributions to Illinois’ library and literacy programs.

“Governor Jim Edgar has a relentless passion for upholding our political institutions, and a seemingly unlimited energy to continue bettering them,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “From the construction of the new Illinois State Library, to extensive rural library investments, to his nationally-renowned adult literacy program, Jim has connected so many across our state with new opportunities to learn, read, and grow. There is no more fitting tribute to him than the Illinois State Library Reading Room, a place that holds within its shelves the values that Jim has exemplified and fought for throughout his life: civic engagement, public good, and intellectual freedom.”

Edgar was raised in Charleston and served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1977 to 1979, as the 35th Illinois Secretary of State from 1981 to 1991 and as the 38th Governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999.