A U.S. Congressman was inducted into the Illinois College Congressional Hall of Fame this morning.
Republican Representative Rodney Davis took part in the unveiling of his portrait that will hang in the hallway of Whipple Hall prior to delivering a speech for the Phi Alpha Lecture Series at IC.
School president Dr. Barbara Farley introduced Davis.
“He is among those Illinois College alumni who, as national leaders, represent the core values of this great college,” says Farley.
“We are honored to dedicate this portrait of our newest member of congress from Illinois College and invite Congressman Davis to join an elite and historic group as one of 21 members of the Illinois College Congressional hall of fame.”
Davis, in his second term serving the 13th District, which includes Greene County, was a freshman at IC before graduating with a political science degree from Millikin University in 1992.
“Something that I learned here at Illinois College is how important it is to not only come to an institution of higher learning, but to try your best to succeed and exceed expectations,” he says.
Davis notes he has something in common with the Congresswoman who gave last year’s Phi Alpha Lecture.
“This is a conversation that took place on the floor of the House of Representatives when my colleague, Cheri Bustos and I, were both informed that we were both going to be inaugurated into the Illinois College Congressional Hall of Fame, and we both walked up to each other and said we didn’t know either went there,” Davis says.
“To see what Illinois College started in my life and in Cheri’s life, and also in so many [others] as you look at the portrait’s in the hallway, it’s a special place to be, and I’m forever grateful.”
Davis added that he had flashbacks to Illinois College when moving his daughter to her dorm as a freshman at Illinois State University. He thanked Congressman Paul Findley for all the work he has done before taking a tour of the Congressional Hall of Fame.