Class Notes

and Brian Atlas May 24, 2020.

married Eric Koksie in Chicago on September 4, 2021.

a top debate team member and student journalist during his time at IC, went on to have a successful decades-long career in public service, leaving his mark on Chicago and on Illinois state government. Reilly was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of both Illinois College and the University of Chicago Law School. On the Hilltop, he became editor of The Rambler as a sophomore and was elected Student Forum President, in addition to being an active member and leader in Phi Alpha, Pi Kappa Delta forensic fraternity, Hilltopper drama group, IC’s Young Republicans chapter and being named in “Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges.” He was also on one of the most successful debate teams in College history. As a first-year, he was on a two-man team with John Betonte ’64 that, at a tournament, defeated debaters from Harvard University twice and won seven out of eight rounds against some of the largest universities in the country.

After graduating from the University of Chicago Law School in 1972, Reilly practiced law in Jacksonville and served as city attorney for three years. He was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1976 and went on to run three more times, serving in a number of important committee roles and sponsoring the Illinois Human Rights Act and Emergency Medical Services Act, among other legislative accomplishments. Reilly stepped down from his House duties in 1983 to serve as general counsel to Gov. James R. Thompson. Within a year, he became Thompson’s chief of staff and eventually, in 1987, was tapped to be Thompson’s deputy governor. He returned to Springfield in 1993 to serve as Gov. Jim Edgar’s chief of staff.

Outside of his career in state government, Reilly led multiple important Chicago organizations through expansions and challenges in the 1990s and 2000s. He served as chief executive of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which oversees McCormick Place and Navy Pier, and later became a trustee of the organization and a life trustee on Navy Pier’s Board of Directors; led the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau; was chairman of Chicago’s Regional Transportation Authority; and served as chairman of the Illinois Capital Development Board.

Reilly was involved in numerous civic and community organizations and had many philanthropic interests throughout his life, including his continued support for Illinois College and organizations serving the Jacksonville community. He was the first recipient of the College’s Young Alumnus Award in 1981 and was awarded a Distinguished Service Citation in 1987, and served as president-elect and president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Reilly is survived by his wife of 30 years, M. Veronica Lynch. He was 77 when he died April 4, 2022.