News

Ex-Senate president and Obama mentor donates papers to UIC

Posted November 19, 2016 6:00 am

The Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr., a mentor of Barack Obama when he was in the state Legislature, is donating his papers to the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The Chicago Democrat led the Senate from 2003 to 2009 as Obama rose to national prominence. Officials will formally announce the donation to the Special Collections and University Archives on Nov. 28, at the school's Richard J. Daley library.

Jones served in the Illinois House from 1973 until 1983, when he was elected to the Senate. He met Obama, then a community organizer, on Chicago's South Side in the 1980s and was Senate minority leader when Obama won a seat in 1996.

Jones says he decided to give his papers to UIC because it is Chicago's only public research university.

Article Comments

Article Categories
Chicago Content Providers News Region

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.