Longest-serving Illinois governor, known for zest
James Thompson, a Republican known as “Big Jim” who used his enthusiasm for campaigning and his canny understanding of state politics to become the longest-serving governor of Illinois, died Friday in Chicago. He was 84.
His daughter, Samantha Thompson, confirmed his death. She said Mr. Thompson had been recovering from an undisclosed illness at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab when his heart stopped.
On social media, Democrats and Republicans alike praised Mr. Thompson’s abilities as a politician who so enjoyed meeting with constituents that he would march parade routes twice, even in off-election years.
His relentless style of campaigning overwhelmed Democrats, who consistently failed to find an opponent who could beat Mr. Thompson, the first Republican endorsed for governor by the Illinois AFL-CIO.
He served from 1977 to 1991.
“Try as we might, we Democrats just could not beat Big Jim,” tweeted Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
Mr. Durbin said he and Mr. Thompson “were political adversaries yet personal friends back in the day when that was not uncommon.”
In a statement, current Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, said Mr. Thompson would “be remembered and revered as one of the titans in the history of state government.”
James Robert Thompson was born on the West Side of Chicago on May 8, 1936. His father, also named James Robert Thompson, worked as a morgue attendant while studying to become a doctor. His mother, Agnes Josephine Swanson, was a homemaker.
In addition to his daughter, he is survived by his wife, Jayne Carr Thompson, a retired lawyer; his son-in-law, Anastasios Tomazos; and a granddaughter, Persephone.
Mr. Thompson was politically ambitious from an early age and signed his high school yearbook, “Jim Thompson, Pres. of U.S. 1984-1992.”
At 6 feet 6 inches, Mr. Thompson was physically imposing and proud of his height, once boasting that he was “the tallest governor” in the country.
Any candidate who tried to oppose him was overwhelmed by Mr. Thompson’s preparedness. His staff always had an updated briefing book listing recent news events in any county he visited, the names of prominent local people and their birthdays, and his last visit there.
He would wear a different local team jacket each time on parade routes and would step out of the parade to sip a beer on an onlooker’s porch.
“He loved being governor,” said his daughter.
“God, did he love being governor.”
A moderate Republican, Mr. Thompson pushed for an ambitious, $2.3 billion project to rebuild the state’s infrastructure known as Build Illinois.
An avid art collector, he created the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and helped save the Dana-Thomas House in Springfield, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Mr. Thompson was also credited with helping keep the White Sox in Chicago. In 1988, he worked with lawmakers to put together a deal to get the team a new stadium, preventing a potential move to Florida.
After he left office, he served as chairman of Chicago law firm Winston & Strawn. He also served on the commission that investigated the 9/11 terror attacks.