Illinois Governors V: Dan Walker, Jim Thompson, and Jim Edgar

Daniel Walker (1973-1979), Democrat

convicted, sentenced to 7 years

Dan Walker was born in 1922 in Washington, DC, and grew up in San Diego, CA.  He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1945 and served in the Navy during World War II and in Korea.  He graduated from Northwestern University with a law degree in 1950.  He served as a law clerk for US Supreme Court Justice Vinson, an aide to
Governor Stevenson, served as a deputy commissioner in the US Court of Military appeals.

In 1968 he served as head of a study team for the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence, looking into the messy violence surrounding the 1968 Democratic National Convention.    His report was critical of the Chicago Police Department and earned him the lasting enmity of Mayor Daley.  Later as candidate for governor in 1972 he won the Democratic nomination over the Daley and the Chicago Machine favorite, Lt. Gov. Paul Simon.  During his campaign he hit upon the gimmick of walking around the state, covering over 1000 miles during his campaign.  He was elected governor, defeating Richard B. Ogilvie by 51 to 49%. 

 As Governor he clashed with both the Chicago Democratic machine and Republicans in the state.  Nevertheless he instituted some reforms against certain corrupt practices and passed a campaign finance disclosure law.  He was defeated in the state primary in 1976, and left office in 1977. 

In 1980 he started a chain of oil change shops and bought two troubled Savings and Loans Associations.  As owner of one of these banks, he committed bank fraud by borrowing $45,000 from a borrower from his bank. He subsequently pleaded guilty to bank fraud, perjury, and filing false financial statements and was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison in 1987.   After 18 months Walker was released from prison in 1989.

He later went on to become an author, writing about early Church history, San Diego History, and his memoirs of his time in Illinois state politics.  He now lives in Rosarito, Baja California in Mexico.  
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James Robert Thompson, Jr. (1977-1991) Republican

Thompson was born in 1936 in Chicago.  He attended the University of Illinois-Chicago, and Washington University in St. Louis.  He earned his law degree from Northwestern in 1959.    He served for the Cook County state's attorney, taught at Northwestern Law School, and became a US attorney for the Northern District of Illinois in the early 1970s. It was as a federal prosecutor that he succeeded in convicting former Governor Otto Kerner Jr. for influence peddling in connection with the racetrack industry.  He also succeeded in gaining convictions of some of Mayor Richard J. Daley's top aides as well as some prominent Republicans in Cook County.  

In 1976 Thompson was elected governor with an overwhelming plurality.  At this time the terms of governor were adjusted to fall on non-Presidential election years, so his first term was only for two years.  He beat Michael Bakalis two years later for a second full 4 year term, and then defeated former senator Adlai Stevenson iii, son of the former governor twice in 1980 and 1984.  

After leaving office in 1991 he joined and later headed the law firm of Winston and Strawn.  As part of that law firm he has focused on corporate law and government relations, as well as  defending former Governor George Ryan in the "licenses for bribes" scandal. 

He served on the 9/11 Commission in from 2002-2004, when the commission released its report.  
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James Edgar (1991-1999), Republican

called to testify

Edgar was born in Vinita, OK in 1946 and grew up in Charleston, IL.  He attended Wabash College and graduated from Eastern Illinois University circa 1968.     In 1976 he was elected to the Illinois House from someplace in the state, and was reelected in1978.  Governor Jim Thompson appointed Edgar as his legislative liaison, and when Alan Dixon left to become US Senator, he was appointed by Thompson to fill his term as Secretary of State.  He was subsequently reelected at Secretary of State before being elected as governor of Illinois in 1990.  He served two terms as governor before leaving office in 1999.   While he was called to testify in his role in the Management Systems of Illinois scandal, he was not charged, while a number of Illinois state employees were convicted.

Citing health problems, specifically his heart surgery, he has stayed out of politics since leaving office as governor.   For example, although he was thought to have been a strong candidate for US Senator he chose not to run for the seat that Barack Obama won in 2006.
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