HR0624 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0624 LRB103 39595 LAW 69882 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Lewis Collens on the occasion of being named a 2024 Lincoln Laureate of the Order of Lincoln; and

WHEREAS, Established in 1964, the Order of Lincoln is the State's highest civilian honor for professional achievement and public service, honoring Illinois residents whose work uplifts every community in the State; and

WHEREAS, Lewis Collens, a lifelong resident of Illinois, is a highly respected and recognized leader in higher education, credited with the strategic revitalization and transformation of two major Chicago institutions, the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and its Chicago-Kent College of Law; and

WHEREAS, Lewis Collens received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and his Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; he earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School, where he served on the University of Chicago Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif; and

WHEREAS, Lewis Collens practiced law in Chicago and Washington, D.C. before joining IIT's Chicago-Kent College of Law as a law professor in 1970, teaching corporate and securities law; while serving as a Law and Humanities Fellow at Harvard Law School, he was named dean of the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1974; under his leadership, the law school became widely known for its innovative programs, distinguished faculty, and outstanding student body; and

WHEREAS, Lewis Collens then served as president of IIT from 1990 to 2007, during which the institution saw dramatic improvements in student quality and enrollment, the creation of a number of significant research centers and institutes, and an endowment that grew from $50 million to $300 million; and

WHEREAS, Lewis Collens also co-founded the bar review company now known as BARBRI to help adequately prepare the next generation of lawyers to pass the bar, especially those who lack financial resources, and his company has become a nationwide industry leader; and

WHEREAS, During his career, Lewis Collens has served on more than 30 corporate, civic, and nonprofit boards and committees, often in leadership positions, including the Alion Science & Technology Corporation, AMSTED Industries, the Chicago Council on Science & Technology, the Civic Federation of Illinois, the Colson Group, the Cook County Health and Hospitals System, Dean Foods Company, the Economic Club of Chicago, the Mayor's Council of Technology Advisors, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, The Partnership for New Communities, and Rush University; and

WHEREAS, Lewis Collens and his fellow 2024 Lincoln Laureates join more than 350 distinguished Illinois residents of the Order of Lincoln since its inception, and they will be honored at the 60th annual Convocation and Investiture at the Chicago History Museum on April 13, 2024; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Lewis Collens on being named a 2024 Lincoln Laureate of the Order of Lincoln, and we recognize his service and dedication to the residents of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Lewis Collens as an expression of our esteem and respect.