by brad mcmillan
Since 1957, a succession of three outstanding Bradley alumni from Peoria have held the same seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. All were present in January for the swearing-in of Aaron Schock ’02. There must be something in the water on the campus of Bradley University that produces outstanding congressional leadership. For 52 years and counting, an alumnus of Bradley University has represented the 18th Congressional District in Illinois. On January 6, Aaron Schock ’02 was sworn in as the youngest member in the 111th Congress. Schock, age 27, succeeded Ray LaHood ’71 who served the 18th District for 14 years. Before him, Bob Michel ’48 HON ’81 served the heartland for 38 years with great distinction in Congress. U.S. Rep. Schock’s swearing-in reception and dinner celebration was held in the Member’s Room in the Library of Congress, one of the most beautiful and stunning public buildings in all of America. More than 100 family, friends, supporters, and dignitaries attended. Schock welcomed everyone to the celebration and spoke of previous Illinois representatives in Congress — from Abraham Lincoln to Everett Dirksen to Bob Michel to Ray LaHood. He acknowledged how the responsibility of representing this legacy with integrity weighed heavy on him, thanked Bob Michel for joining him on the House Floor for his swearing-in, and then invited him to say a few words. To enthusiastic applause, Bob Michel, who served with 10 Presidents and had a front-row seat to the last 50 years of U.S. history, approached the podium. With deep emotion, he said that the “experiences of the day and evening brought exuberance to my heart…over 50 years ago, I took my first oath as a new member of Congress.” He joked that he holds the record for losing the most elections for Speaker of the House (seven times). Bob Michel was the longest-standing Minority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving in that capacity with the highest integrity and honor for 14 years. He then spoke of the great qualities he sees in Aaron Schock, including the ability to work well with others across party lines and his obvious ability to connect with people. “Shoot, Ray and I never had so many folks from central Illinois
18
bradley.edu/hilltopics