Leadership that Inspires and Transforms
Honoring the Great Citizens of Today.
Celebrating the Great Citizens for Tomorrow.
INTRODUCTION OF the 56th and 57th CONVOCATIONS:
- The 56th Convocation will be on the ISU campus on June 19, 2021. This year’s recipients are: Doug Collins, Robert Fraley, and Donald McHenry. Press Release →
- The 57th Convocation will be in Chicago at the History Museum on November 6, 2021. The Laureates to be honored are Captain Scott Altman, Carol Ross Barney, Major General John Borling, John Andrew McQuown, Dr. John Rogers, Tommy Shimoda, Dr. Joanne Smith, and Mavis Staples.
- Please consider joining us →
Excellence. Service. Honor.
The Lincoln Academy of Illinois partners with donors, members, and regents to advance the values exhibited in the life of Abraham Lincoln: Excellence, service, and honor.
We are committed to programs that:
- Honor distinguished Illinoisans’ contributions to society;
- Encourage public service; and
- Invest in developing principled leadership for the future.
We can all play a role in encouraging leadership in the spirit of Abraham Lincoln through the Lincoln Academy of Illinois.
Invest in leadership, in excellence, in the future of Illinois. Join us →
News
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Mourns the Passing of Joanne C. Smith, MD, President & CEO
The Lincoln Laureates Podcast Welcomes Ryne Sandberg
Executive Director Job Posting
Emmett Till’s Birthday July 25
56th Convocation Video Recording
The Lincoln Laureates Podcast Welcomes Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall
Lincoln Scholar Jonathon White
Congratulations to Laureate Mellody Hobson, named to Chair Starbucks Board
“The Lincoln Laureates” Podcast
UPCOMING
2020 LAUREATE CONVOCATION
May 29, 2021
Normal, IL on the campus of Illinois State University
– Civic Committee Chairs Mrs. Marlene & President Larry Dietz
Read the 2020 announcement →
In Memoriam
Judith Harvey Bartholf
1938 – 2021
Springfield, IL—Judith Harvey Bartholf, known as Fudy to her friends and family, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 3, 2021, at Memorial Medical Center.
Judy was born on August 18, 1938, in Springfield, Illinois, to Harry and Clascenna Hinton Harvey.
She was a graduate of Springfield High School and Brown’s Business College. Judy passionately served as the Executive Director of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois for 32 years. She also made noteworthy contributions to the Junior League of Springfield, the Boys and Girls Club, and Planned Parenthood. Judy was a proud mother and inspiring grandmother to her family. Her legacy of leadership, compassion, and etiquette carry on through the lives of those who were blessed to be in her presence.
Judy was preceded in death by her sister, Lois H. Carroll.
She is survived by her three children, Stephen P. (wife, Kelly) Bartholf, Jr. of Hollister, CA, Charles H. (wife, Tracy) Bartholf of Naples, FL, and Ann Hathaway of Travelers Rest, SC; and four grandchildren, Stephen A. Bartholf, Sarah J. Bartholf LaMana, Brenna P. Bartholf, and Charles H. Bartholf II.
Judy did not wish to have a funeral ceremony. We may individually choose to celebrate her life by engaging in philanthropic endeavors and living with intention as Judy exemplified throughout her lifetime.
Cremation was provided by Lincoln Land Cremation Society.
Frank Clark, Chancellor, and The Honorable Jay Robert “J.B.” Pritzker, President of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois
The Lincoln Academy of Illinois
MISSION STATEMENT
To honor individuals whose outstanding contributions to the betterment of mankind have been accomplished in or on behalf of the State of Illinois, or whose achievements have brought honor to the State because of their identity with it, whether by birth or residence, or by their dedication to those principles of democracy and humanity as exemplified by the great Illinoisan whose name we bear. These individuals, reflective of the diverse populace of the State of Illinois, are named Laureates of the Academy and receive the “Order of Lincoln,” the State of Illinois’ highest award, at an annual Convocation.
To honor one outstanding senior from each of the four year not-for-profit degree granting institutions and one outstanding senior from among all of the community college students who, in the spirit of Abraham Lincoln, demonstrated leadership and service in his or her campus or community and excellence in curricular and co-curricular programs, to be named Student Laureates and receive the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award and the Lincoln Medallion.
Today's Student Laureate Spotlight is Uchechi Okeke from Lake Forest College. Okeke - a native of Rockford, Illinois - majored in Economics and doubled minored in History and International Relations.
In her Lincoln Legacy statement, Okeke reflects on the importance of "service."
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Abraham Lincoln’s legacy is inspiring to me because of how people-minded he was. In his famous Gettysburg Address, he said: “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.”
I often think about how much better life would be if we paid more attention to history and the bloodshed, movements, and rallies that occurred all in the name of bettering our world. It is through service that we are able to understand the plight of our ancestors and empathize with one another. Through service we are able to work collectively for a better future, one in which everyone feels cared for, seen, and understood. President Lincoln led by tapping into his humanity and acknowledging the needs of the people he was serving. His life is an example of how leading with love, and a little empathy, can manifest a more equitable and just world. I serve because I am human, and in my humanity is a duty to advocate and take care of my community and the world around me, just as my ancestors so bravely did.
The Lincoln Academy of Illinois is saddened to pass along the news of the untimely passing of Dr. Joanne C. Smith. Dr. Smith died following treatment for cancer, which she battled privately while continuing to fully lead Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. She was 60 years old.
Dr. Smith was set to receive the Order of Lincoln, the highest award given by the State of Illinois, at a Ceremony on November 6th. The members have voted to honor Dr. Smith posthumously at the Ceremony.
Click on the link to read about Smith's remarkable contributions: www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shirley-ryan-abilitylab-mourns-the-passing-of-joanne-c-smith-md-...
With the Hall of Fame inductions taking place in Cooperstown this week, we thought there was no better time to release the podcast episode of our very own MLB Hall of Fame Lincoln Laureate, Ryne Sandberg.
Ryne Sandberg changed an unwritten baseball rule: "Second basemen don't hit home runs."
In the episode, Sandberg speculates on why he was inducted into the HOF, reflects on his decision to choose baseball over football, and tells the unusual story on how he found out about being drafted by the Philadephia Phillies. Additionally, Sandberg recounts his historic home runs during the 1984 game versus the St. Louis Cardinals famously known now as "The Sandberg Game."
Sandberg's #23 uniform was retired by the Chicago Cubs in 2005.
🎧 Listen to the episode now on these podcast services 🎧
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1cui355UPPEiDcKnO68kNC?si=lwH4jc7RTGW24heueowvLw&dl_branch=1
Simplecast: the-lincoln-laureates.simplecast.com/episodes/ryne-sandberg-the-hall-of-respect-m50FlQrm
Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/show/the-lincoln-laureates/episode/ryne-sandberg-the-hall-of-respect-86632594
Love him, a team player and a class act. Loved by the team and his fans. Awesome!❤
Love Love Love him!!
One of my all time faorite ball players! He is a class act!!💜💜💜
Funds raised at the Academy’s Order of Lincoln Convocation help provide the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement awards and the ‘Lincoln Medallion’ which will be presented by the Academy’s President to each of 57 Student Laureates at a separate ceremony held in Springfield later this year.
Thus, the Lincoln Academy honors the Great Citizens of Today and Celebrates the Great Citizens of Tomorrow — knowing that now, as always, our state and nation need what Vachel Lindsay called ‘Lincoln-hearted’ men and women.
Mr. Lincoln would be proud.