James R. Thompson

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Born May 8, 1936, Thompson is a Chicago native and has spent all of his professional life in Illinois. He was educated at University of Illinois and Washington University and went on to Northwestern University School of Law, where he received his JD degree in 1959. He served as an Associate Professor at the School of Law from 1959-1964. After working as a prosecutor for the Cook County State Attorney's Office, and then as assistant and United States Attorney (1970-1975), he made history by serving as the only four-term Governor of Illinois (1977-1991). Currently, Thompson is a partner with the Chicago law firm of Winston & Strawn in Chicago. He is on the boards of many businesses and is a trustee of the Illinois Academy of Fine Arts.