EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will host the 62nd Annual Lincoln Laureates Convocation and Investiture, where Governor JB Pritzker will confer the state’s highest civilian honor for professional achievement and public service to five distinguished Illinois residents. Hosted by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, the next cohort of Lincoln Laureates will receive the Order of Lincoln the evening of Saturday, April 11 at 5:30 p.m. in SIUE’s Dunham Hall Theater, followed by the Governor’s Reception and Celebratory Dinner in the Meridian Ballroom. There are five 2026 inductees:
- Larry Gies, Founder and CEO of Madison Industries
- The Honorable Valerie Jarrett, CEO and board member of The Obama Foundation
- Blair Kamin, architectural columnist, and critic
- Reginald Petty, civil-rights activist, and East St. Louis historian
- The Honorable Jesse White, the longest-serving Illinois’ 37th Secretary of State (1999 - 2023)
"SIUE is honored to host this prestigious celebration of Illinoisans who have demonstrated what it means to be a changemaker and who embody the very definition of an engaged citizen. This is only the fifth time in more than 60 years that an institution in southern Illinois has been selected to host the convocation. This will be a special occasion for SIUE and for the region,” said Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD.
The April 11 convocation will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. A ticketed reception and dinner will immediately follow the ceremony. Tickets must be purchased in advance through the Academy website.
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For additional ticket or sponsorship information, contact Lincoln Academy of Illinois Executive Director Leanne Barnhart at 217-606-1838 or visit www.LincolnAcademyIllinois.org.
Lincoln Academy of Illinois is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan, and self-perpetuating corporation established in 1964 to recognize the outstanding contributions made by living Illinois citizens, whether by birth or by residence, toward the social, cultural, and technological progress of mankind and thereby to encourage greater dedication to such progress by all citizens of Illinois.
SIUE and the Student Laureate Award
The Lincoln Academy annually honors one senior from each of Illinois’ four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities for demonstrating leadership and a desire to make a difference in the world through civic engagement. Student awardees receive a certificate signed by Governor JB Pritzker, a Lincoln medallion, a challenge coin and a $1,000 stipend.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high-quality education that powerfully transforms the lives of all individuals who seek something greater. A premier metropolitan university, SIUE is creating social and economic mobility for individuals while also powering the workforce of the future. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Home to a diverse student body, SIUE is situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis.
