Khalen Saunders – WIU Football Star & Two-Time NFL Super Bowl Champion
Khalen Saunders finished the 2018 WIU Leatherneck Football season as a two-time All-American (Associated Press and STATS FCS) as well as a First All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection. He capped his senior slate third on WIU‘s roster with 72 tackles – 13 for a loss, which ranked fifth in the MVFC – and concluded his…
Read MoreNeal Gamm ~ Governor of Forgottonia
Elected Governor at 25 years old, a young whippersnapper named Neal Gamm poised as the head of a rag-tag group of activists who would come to capture the attention of the nation. As Wikipedia notes, there has long been frustration with the lack of support for regional transportation projects. In 1971, the Republic of Forgottonia…
Read MoreRick Johnson – Journalist
As an illustrious contemporary and cohort at the fabled CREEM magazine of rock journalists Dave Marsh and the infamous Lester Bangs, Rick Johnson is a considered a legend, albeit almost completely unknown today to the general public. His fans were numerous, including Bangs himself and Dave Barry, the syndicated columnist and New York Times best-selling author…
Read MoreBenny Kim – Acclaimed Violinist
Macomb native, and internationally known and acclaimed violinist Benny Kim has performed as soloist with the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Boston, Saint Louis, Cincinnati, Hong Kong, and South Africa to name a few. In recital, he has performed in virtually every major city including two critically acclaimed recitals at the 92nd St. Y in New…
Read MoreElizabeth Tumulty – CBS Television Network President
After majoring in Mass Communication & Broadcast Engineering from Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL, Elizabeth Tumulty went on to become the president of CBS television network, and was in this role for six and a half years. Before joining CBS, Tumulty served as Executive Vice President, Network Distribution for The CW Network. She was the…
Read MorePreston Jackson – Artist / Sculptor
Preston Eugene Jackson has been called “one of the greatest black artists of our time.” Born in Decatur, IL Jackson attended Oakland Elementary School and Stephen Decatur High School, where he ran the one hundred yard dash in 9.7 seconds. Graduating in 1962, he attended Millikin University while working at Revere Copper. In 1967, Jackson enrolled…
Read MoreGeorge Francis Chase – Brigadier General U.S. Army
Brigadier General George Francis Chase (1848 -1925) was the commander of the 15th Cavalry Regiment and in 1907 he became the United States Army Inspector General for the Department of the East. He was born on July 29, 1848 in Macomb, Illinois to James Morris Chase and Salina Venable. He attended the United States Military Academy from July 1, 1867, to June 12, 1871. He…
Read MoreJames B. Fields – Preacher / Orator / Pioneering Businessman
James B. Fields (1850-1896) was a Baptist preacher and orator in Illinois and Denver, Colorado. He was known for his orations in opposition to agnostic, Robert G. Ingersoll. J. B. Fields was born a slave on March 1, 1850 in Prairieville, Missouri. His parents were Henry and Minnie Fields and had originated in Virginia. The family escaped slavery in…
Read MoreLawrence Yates Sherman – U.S. Senator
Lawrence Yates Sherman was born November 8, 1858 in Miami County, Ohio. His parents Nelson and Maria (Yates) Sherman, first moved to McDonough County, Illinois in 1859 and eventually settled in Jasper County in 1867. Sherman attended public school and the Lees Academy in Coles County. In order to pay for a college education he alternately…
Read MoreCyrus Walker – Pioneer Lawyer & Judge
Cyrus Walker (1791-1875) was a pioneer lawyer with a wide reputation, especially for success in criminal cases. He was a Virginian who moved to Macomb from Kentucky in 1832 and who’s uncles were veterans of the Revolutionary War. Walker was a colleague of Abraham Lincoln, and instrumental in helping to arrange two of Lincoln’s historic…
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