Henry Horner
Encyclopedia
Henry Horner was the 28th Governor of Illinois
, serving from 1933 to 1940, when he died in office. Horner was the first Jewish governor of Illinois.
. He assumed the surname Horner after his parents divorced in 1883. He attended the University of Chicago
. He was a lawyer and served as a probate judge from 1915 to 1931.
First elected governor in 1932, Horner served during the difficult years of the Great Depression
. Because of a fiscal crisis facing Illinois during his first term in office, he was forced to ask the General Assembly for new tax
revenue. In 1933, he signed Illinois's first permanent sales tax
law into effect with an inaugural rate of 2.0%. Horner also signed a bill in 1935 increasing the Illinois sales tax rate to 3.0%.
His administration was marked by integrity and a strong commitment to both conservative fiscal management and the needs of the indigent and those in state institutions. His insistence on stopping graft and keeping state payrolls free of non-working patronage appointees put him at odds with the Democratic political organization of Chicago run by Patrick Nash and Mayor Ed Kelly
. They backed a rival candidate in the 1936 primary, whom Horner defeated with the help of a large downstate vote.
Horner went on to win re-election in November, 1936, whereupon he became determined to defeat the Kelly-Nash machine. He supported the election of Scott Lucas
to the Senate in 1938 to succeed retiring incumbent William H. Dieterich, who had proven to be anti-Semitic and somewhat pro-German. Horner suffered a stroke two days before the November election, and spent five months recovering in Florida before returning to Illinois, too late to mount the campaign he had wanted to lead against the re-election of Mayor Kelly.
The Governor's health wavered over the next year until a collapse in the summer of 1940. He convalesced in Winnetka and Highland Park, Illinois
from June, 1940 until his death in October. Horner was succeeded by Lt. Governor John Stelle, who had been one of his greatest political enemies.
in Ingleside, a suburb of Chicago, is named Camp Henry Horner after him. This camp serves hundreds of kids each summer. It is a camp with a little twist. It hosts a large day camp, an overnight camp and a special needs camp (Camp Red Leaf) on the same facility. It also features a year-round conference center and outdoor adventures program. The site director is Kenley Perry, who has been with the camp since 1996. The camp is part of the Jewish Council for Youth Services.
Horner, a lifelong bachelor, collected Lincoln-related memorabilia and bequeathed it to the people of Illinois. The Horner Collection is now stored and partly displayed in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
in Springfield, Illinois.
Horner Park, located in Chicago, is a 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) facility bordered by Montrose Avenue to the north, Irving Park Road to the south, California Avenue to the west, and the north branch of the Chicago River
to the east. The Governor Horner State Memorial
is located in Horner Park.
The Chicago Housing Authority's now demolised Henry Horner Homes
complex on Chicago's near-west side was named in honor of Governor Horner.
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
, serving from 1933 to 1940, when he died in office. Horner was the first Jewish governor of Illinois.
Political biography
Horner was born Henry Levy to Solomon Abraham Levy and Dilah Horner in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. He assumed the surname Horner after his parents divorced in 1883. He attended the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He was a lawyer and served as a probate judge from 1915 to 1931.
First elected governor in 1932, Horner served during the difficult years of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Because of a fiscal crisis facing Illinois during his first term in office, he was forced to ask the General Assembly for new tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
revenue. In 1933, he signed Illinois's first permanent sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
law into effect with an inaugural rate of 2.0%. Horner also signed a bill in 1935 increasing the Illinois sales tax rate to 3.0%.
His administration was marked by integrity and a strong commitment to both conservative fiscal management and the needs of the indigent and those in state institutions. His insistence on stopping graft and keeping state payrolls free of non-working patronage appointees put him at odds with the Democratic political organization of Chicago run by Patrick Nash and Mayor Ed Kelly
Edward Joseph Kelly
Edward Joseph Kelly served as chief engineer of the Chicago sanitary district in the 1920s, and later as mayor of Chicago, Illinois for the Democratic Party....
. They backed a rival candidate in the 1936 primary, whom Horner defeated with the help of a large downstate vote.
Horner went on to win re-election in November, 1936, whereupon he became determined to defeat the Kelly-Nash machine. He supported the election of Scott Lucas
Scott W. Lucas
Scott Wike Lucas was a two-term Democratic United States Senator from Illinois, and the United States Senate Majority Leader from 1948 to 1950....
to the Senate in 1938 to succeed retiring incumbent William H. Dieterich, who had proven to be anti-Semitic and somewhat pro-German. Horner suffered a stroke two days before the November election, and spent five months recovering in Florida before returning to Illinois, too late to mount the campaign he had wanted to lead against the re-election of Mayor Kelly.
The Governor's health wavered over the next year until a collapse in the summer of 1940. He convalesced in Winnetka and Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park is a suburban municipality in Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. As of 2009, the population is 33,492. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located on the North Shore of the Chicago Metropolitan Area.-Overview:Highland Park was founded...
from June, 1940 until his death in October. Horner was succeeded by Lt. Governor John Stelle, who had been one of his greatest political enemies.
Legacies
Horner is interred at Mt. Mayriv Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery in Chicago. A Jewish summer campSummer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
in Ingleside, a suburb of Chicago, is named Camp Henry Horner after him. This camp serves hundreds of kids each summer. It is a camp with a little twist. It hosts a large day camp, an overnight camp and a special needs camp (Camp Red Leaf) on the same facility. It also features a year-round conference center and outdoor adventures program. The site director is Kenley Perry, who has been with the camp since 1996. The camp is part of the Jewish Council for Youth Services.
Horner, a lifelong bachelor, collected Lincoln-related memorabilia and bequeathed it to the people of Illinois. The Horner Collection is now stored and partly displayed in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum documents the life of the 16th U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln, and the course of the American Civil War. Combining traditional scholarship with 21st century showmanship techniques, the popular museum continues to rank as one of the most visited...
in Springfield, Illinois.
Horner Park, located in Chicago, is a 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) facility bordered by Montrose Avenue to the north, Irving Park Road to the south, California Avenue to the west, and the north branch of the Chicago River
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
to the east. The Governor Horner State Memorial
Governor Horner State Memorial
Governor Horner State Memorial is a granite monument dedicated to Henry Horner, a the thirtieth governor of Illinois who served from 1933 to 1940. The memorial stands in Horner Park in Chicago, Illinois at the corner of Montrose Avenue and California Avenue. It is maintained by the Illinois...
is located in Horner Park.
The Chicago Housing Authority's now demolised Henry Horner Homes
Henry Horner Homes
Henry Horner Homes was a Chicago Housing Authority public housing development. The development is located in Chicago's Near West Side at Damen Avenue and Lake Street near the United Center. The homes are named after former Illinois Governor Henry Horner...
complex on Chicago's near-west side was named in honor of Governor Horner.
Books
- (1969) Thomas B. Littlewood, Horner of Illinois. Northwestern University Press.
- (2007) Charles J. Masters, Governor Henry Horner, Chicago Politics, And The Great Depression. Southern Illinois University Press. ISBN 0-8093-2739-2.