2026 Order of Lincoln Laureates to be Honored Saturday 

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Five distinguished Illinoisans will receive the state’s highest honor for professional achievement and public service, The Order of Lincoln, during a special ceremony conducted by The Lincoln Academy of Illinois on Saturday, April 11 at 5:30 p.m. at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Dunham Hall.

The five recipients join more than 350 distinguished Illinois residents who have received The Order of Lincoln over the last five decades. They are:

• Larry Gies of Chicago, founder and CEO of Madison Industries, one of the largest and most successful privately-held companies in the world.

• Valerie Jarrett from Chicago, a civic leader, lawyer, New York Times best-selling author, and political advisor to former President Barack Obama who is now overseeing the development of the Obama Presidential Center.

• Blair Kamin, Pulitzer Prize-winning architectural columnist, lecturer, and author, best known for his long tenure as the architecture critic for the Chicago Tribune from 1992 to 2021.

• Reginald Petty from East St. Louis, an educator, historian and civil-rights activist who organized voter registration efforts in the south and worked alongside civil rights icons including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Congressman John Lewis.

• Jesse White, who served as Illinois’ 37th Secretary of State from 1999 to 2023, becoming the state’s longest-serving and one of its most trusted public officials. White also dedicated more than six decades to youth mentorship through the Jesse White Tumbling Team and Foundation, serving more than 20,000 young people and awarding more than $1 million in scholarships.

Established in 1964, the Order of Lincoln recognizes individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the betterment of humanity in or on behalf of the State of Illinois. Saturday’s ceremony marks The Lincoln Academy’s 62^nd Annual Convocation.