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

George Ryan

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 30, 2026

1. George Ryan Marker

Inscription. Born February 24, 1934, Maquoketa, Iowa, moved to Kankakee as a child

Pharmacist
First Lady: Lura Lynn Lowe Ryan

Ferris State College. Korean War veteran
• Elected Kankakee County Board 1968, rose to be County Board Chair
• Elected to Illinois House in 1972, rose to be Speaker of the House
• Elected Lieutenant Governor 1982 and 1986
• Elected Secretary of State 1990 and 1994
• George H. Ryan Activities Center at Kankakee Community College named in his honor
• Elected 39th Governor of Illinois (1999-2003)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & Politics • Science & Medicine • War, Korean. A significant historical date for this entry is February 24, 1934.

Location. 41° 7.185′ N, 87° 51.657′ 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: 450 East Court Street, Kankakee IL 60901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

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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: Samuel Shapiro (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 is part of a plaza honoring the three Kankakee men who served as governor of Illinois;

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.

the other two are Samuel Shapiro and Len Small, the latter of whom 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.

A small sculpture featuring a bench and two young people playing is directly in front of this plaza; a plaque says it was erected in honor of Ryan and his wife in 2003.

Regarding George Ryan. George Ryan was born in Iowa and raised in Kankakee, where his father was a pharmacist. George was also a pharmacist by trade, serving in a pharmacy in the Korean War, receiving a pharmacy degree from Ferris State College in Michigan, and working in his father's pharmacy after returning home. George's brother Tom was mayor of Kankakee from 1965 until 1985.

George Ryan served on the Kankakee County Board for five years before being elected for the first of five terms as a state representative in 1972. After becoming the Republican Party leader of the house in 1976, he became Speaker of the House in 1981

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

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 30, 2026

3. Kankakee County Courthouse and grounds

after the party won a majority. In 1982, Ryan was elected lieutenant governor under Gov. James Thompson, and served in that role until being elected Secretary of State in 1990.

In 1998, Ryan was elected as the state's 39th governor. His most notable act as governor came in 2000, when he announced a moratorium on the death penalty in the state, arguing that capital punishment could not be administered fairly. In his final week in office, he commuted the sentences of every person on death row in Illinois — 167 people — to life sentences.

However, he is likely best known today as third of four Illinois governors to face jail time for corruption. Ryan was convicted in 2006 after a long trial of federal bribery charges for a "licenses for bribes" scheme that began while he was secretary of state. Ryan spent more than five years in jail. He died in 2025 at age 91.

Also see . . .
1. Former Gov. George Ryan dead at 91; remembered for corruption conviction, halting death penalty. From Capitol News Illinois.

Excerpt: "But Ryan’s time as governor — and his entire 35-year career in politics — was ultimately overshadowed by his time
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, circa 2000

4. George Ryan (1934-2025)
George Ryan (right) is pictured with long-time Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley (left) and Phil Crane (middle), who represented Illinois's 8th U.S. Congressional District for 36 years.
as secretary of state in the 1990s. During his two terms leading that office, Ryan oversaw a license-for-bribes scheme that led to the deaths of six children in a fiery vehicle explosion and 79 federal indictments, including his own."

(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.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 9, 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.