Interviews

Search more than 1,000 interviews in more than a dozen oral history collections. Search by collection name or interviewee name.

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Ralph Martire - Public School Funding

Ralph Martire, Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, headquartered in Chicago, looks at the shortcomings of Illinois's former school funding model and how a new Evidence Based Funding Model was first presented in 2011. It was gradually accepted by lawmakers, educators, and think tank groups over a six year period and adopted in 2017. Martire discussed the inequities in school funding that were found in the previous funding formula, which led Illinois to be the worst of the fifty states in school funding equity.

Campaign Ads  - Governor Jim Thompson Project

Jim Thompson was new to politics when he launched his first campaign for governor in 1975. For those in the Chicago area, his was a familiar name. He was the U.S. Attorney who fought against public corruption, sending former Governor Otto Kerner to jail, along with scores of other public officials. As far as Thompson was concerned, it gave him the credentials to run for governor for a large and diverse state.

Political Cartoons  - Governor Jim Edgar Project

Jim Edgar was a frequent target for Mike Thompson, the political cartoonist for the Springfield