Categories: Chicago

Former Congressman LaHood appointed as Head of Lincoln Library

JB Pritzker appointed a former Republican congressman, Ray LaHood, as the head of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. LaHood is chosen by the governor to smooth over turmoil. The Lincoln Library and Museum of Springfield are embattling at the moment and LaHood is expected to smooth the road. He will be the chairman of the library and board of directors of the museum.

LaHood has an experience of 36-year in the public service and he has built a strong reputation. He was selected as the US secretary of transportation by President Barrack Obama. He served in the office of transportation during the first term of Obama. LaHood brought a bill before the subcommittee of the state Senate. The bill was related to the major capital spending for infrastructure. The General Assembly passed the bill of $45 billion as a capital plan.

Pritzker removed Alan Lowe from his position of executive director of the facility and brought LaHood as head of the board. The museum bought a collection which included Lincoln’s gloves which he wore the night of his assassination and a stovepipe hat in 2007. It took a loan of $25 million and it has almost $10 million outstanding on that loan. The authenticity of the collection has been questioned as well.

The library and museum board has been reshaped by Pritzker on Thursday. Joan Brodsky has been appointed as a historic-preservation expert on the board. Gary Johnson, Eunice Santos, and Kathryn Harris are appointed as library and museum expert on the board. The next executive director will be selected by the board, according to the press office of the governor.

There are lots of controversies associated with the library and museum. The Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that George Ryan, a former governor, tried to hire his chief of staff as director of the museum in 2001. Ryan went to prison later on the charges of corruption. The library is a research facility while the museum is focused on attracting more visitors. LaHood is expected smooth over the turmoil of the facilities.

Gabriella Remillard

Staff writer for the Chicago Morning Star

Recent Posts

Senate Democrats mock Biden for selling weapons to Israel

Some of President Biden's strongest Senate allies are calling on Israelis to end months of fierce fighting and criticizing the…

10 months ago

The biggest cities in Ukraine are struck by Russian missiles, leaving at least 4 dead and over 100 injured

Ukraine's KYIV — At least four people were killed and nearly 100 injured when Russian hypersonic ballistic missiles attacked Ukraine's…

10 months ago

Good News That’s Much Needed for Biden

The economy is making Americans feel a little more upbeat, especially when it comes to jobs and incomes, which could…

11 months ago

College Ventilation System Reveals Missing Man

The discovery of a decaying body inside a college ventilation system marked the tragic and unexplained end to a missing…

11 months ago

Following three Palestinian shots, a Vermont man was arrested

Following the shooting deaths of three 20-year-old Palestinian-American students in Vermont, authorities have detained a man. According to a news…

11 months ago

China is told to cease “COVID deception” due to the pneumonia outbreak by the US envoy

The United States ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, urged Chinese authorities "to abandon COVID deception" and demanded that China be…

12 months ago

This website uses cookies.