Kankakee in Kankakee County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Samuel Shapiro

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 30, 2026

1. Samuel Shapiro Marker

Inscription. Born April 25, 1907, in Estonia, moved to Kankakee as a child
Died March 16, 1987
Attorney
First Lady: Gertrude Adelman Shapiro

St. Viator College, University of Illinois and University of Illinois Law School
• President of local musicians union while still in high school
• Navy anti-submarine expert in World War II
• Elected Kankakee County States Attorney 1936
• Elected to seven terms in the Illinois House beginning in 1946
• Elected Lieutenant Governor 1960 and 1964
• Shapiro Developmental Center named in his honor
• Appointed 34th Governor of Illinois (1968-1969)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Government & Politics • War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is March 16, 1987.

Location. 41° 7.184′ N, 87° 51.658′ W. Marker is in Kankakee, Illinois, in Kankakee County. It is at the intersection of Court Street (Illinois Route 17) and Indiana Avenue ( Route 50), on the right when traveling east on Court Street. The marker is on the grounds of the Kankakee County Courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 388 East

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Court Street, Kankakee IL 60901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Illinois.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: George Ryan (here, next to this marker); Lennington Small (here, next to this marker); Kankakee County Civil War Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial Flag (within shouting distance of this marker); Gettysburg Address (within shouting distance of this marker); Memorial Day Order (within shouting distance of this marker); Kankakee County Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Last Camping Ground of the Potawatomie Indians (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kankakee.

More about this marker. The marker

Plaza for Kankakee men who served as Illinois governor image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 30, 2026

2. Plaza for Kankakee men who served as Illinois governor

The bench in front of the memorials was erected in 2003 in honor of Gov. George Ryan, who grew up in Kankakee and served as governor from 1999-2003.

is part of a plaza honoring the three Kankakee men who served as governor of Illinois; the other two are Len Small and George Ryan, both of whom are rather notorious: Len Small was tried but acquitted for embezzlement, but later was found liable in a civil court case; George Ryan served more than five years in jail after being found guilty of bribery. Plans for this memorial were approved in 2018 and the memorial was erected sometime before 2021.

Regarding Samuel Shapiro. Samuel Shapiro was born in Estonia in 1907 and emigrated to the United States as a child. After graduating from the University of Illinois's law school in 1929, he practiced law in Kankakee. His first elected position came in 1936 when he was chosen as Kankakee County's state's attorney. He later served 14 years as a Democrat in the Illinois House before being elected lieutenant governor in 1960 and again in 1964, under governor Otto Kerner Jr. In 1968, Kerner resigned to accept an appointment as a judge on the federal appellate court, and Shapiro took over, becoming Illinois's second Jewish governor. Shapiro ran for a full term in 1968 but lost the election to

Kankakee County Courthouse and grounds image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 30, 2026

3. Kankakee County Courthouse and grounds

Republican Richard Ogilvie. (Kerner, meanwhile, was convicted in 1973 of bribery, conspiracy and tax evasion, and was the first Illinois governor to face prison time, spending more than a year in a federal jail; George Ryan, also honored in this plaza, was the third governor to face prison time.)

Shapiro died in 1987 and is buried at Jewish Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois.

Also see . . .
1. Samuel Shapiro bio. From the National Governors Association. (Submitted on June 2, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. City plans monument to 3 Illinois governors; 1 jailed, another acquitted. From the Illinois News Network. (Submitted on June 2, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Photographed by State of Illinois, circa 1969

4. Samuel Shapiro Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on June 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 2, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 2, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.