History of the Illinois JCI Senate

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Thanks to memories of Dick Hiatt #7811, Jim O’Connell #5046, Leo Briere #9714 and others, we were able to present you details about the early year of the Illinois JCI Senate. It should be noted that these three gentlemen were involved in the formation of the U.S. JCI Senate organization twenty-five years ago. Jim O’Connell was elected the first President of the U.S. JCI Senate. Leo Briere is considered the Founder of the U.S. JCI Senate. They were instrumental in providing much of the information used in preparing the history of the U.S. JCI Senate. We are most fortunate to have these outstanding Senators still active in the Illinois JCI Senate.

Also contributing valuable information to our history were Chuck Fries #18344, Charlie Gouveia #18294, Bill Willett #17398, Fred Fischer #21307 and Jim Mammen #37122. Their dedication and giving of their time to make this history available to Senators throughout the world is greatly appreciated.

The Illinois JCI Senate was the fourth state organization formed and it remains the greatest and largest state organization in the U.S. JCI Senate. This history has been divided into five periods:

  • The Early Years (1967-1977)
  • The Middle Years (1977-1987)
  • Rounding Out the Century (1987-1999)
  • The New Millennium (1999-2018)
  • The Next 50 Years (2018- )

Enjoy your journey through the past activities and accomplishments of the Illinois JCI Senate.