HR0624LRB103 39595 LAW 69882 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate Lewis Collens on the
4occasion of being named a 2024 Lincoln Laureate of the Order of
5Lincoln; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Established in 1964, the Order of Lincoln is the
7State's highest civilian honor for professional achievement
8and public service, honoring Illinois residents whose work
9uplifts every community in the State; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Lewis Collens, a lifelong resident of Illinois,
11is a highly respected and recognized leader in higher
12education, credited with the strategic revitalization and
13transformation of two major Chicago institutions, the Illinois
14Institute of Technology (IIT) and its Chicago-Kent College of
15Law; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Lewis Collens received his Bachelor of Science in
17Accounting and his Master of Arts in Philosophy from the
18University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; he earned his Juris
19Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School, where he
20served on the University of Chicago Law Review and was elected
21to the Order of the Coif; and
 

 

 

HR0624- 2 -LRB103 39595 LAW 69882 r

1    WHEREAS, Lewis Collens practiced law in Chicago and
2Washington, D.C. before joining IIT's Chicago-Kent College of
3Law as a law professor in 1970, teaching corporate and
4securities law; while serving as a Law and Humanities Fellow
5at Harvard Law School, he was named dean of the Chicago-Kent
6College of Law in 1974; under his leadership, the law school
7became widely known for its innovative programs, distinguished
8faculty, and outstanding student body; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Lewis Collens then served as president of IIT
10from 1990 to 2007, during which the institution saw dramatic
11improvements in student quality and enrollment, the creation
12of a number of significant research centers and institutes,
13and an endowment that grew from $50 million to $300 million;
14and
 
15    WHEREAS, Lewis Collens also co-founded the bar review
16company now known as BARBRI to help adequately prepare the
17next generation of lawyers to pass the bar, especially those
18who lack financial resources, and his company has become a
19nationwide industry leader; and
 
20    WHEREAS, During his career, Lewis Collens has served on
21more than 30 corporate, civic, and nonprofit boards and
22committees, often in leadership positions, including the Alion
23Science & Technology Corporation, AMSTED Industries, the

 

 

HR0624- 3 -LRB103 39595 LAW 69882 r

1Chicago Council on Science & Technology, the Civic Federation
2of Illinois, the Colson Group, the Cook County Health and
3Hospitals System, Dean Foods Company, the Economic Club of
4Chicago, the Mayor's Council of Technology Advisors, the
5National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities,
6The Partnership for New Communities, and Rush University; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Lewis Collens and his fellow 2024 Lincoln
8Laureates join more than 350 distinguished Illinois residents
9of the Order of Lincoln since its inception, and they will be
10honored at the 60th annual Convocation and Investiture at the
11Chicago History Museum on April 13, 2024; therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
13HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
14we congratulate Lewis Collens on being named a 2024 Lincoln
15Laureate of the Order of Lincoln, and we recognize his service
16and dedication to the residents of Illinois; and be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18presented to Lewis Collens as an expression of our esteem and
19respect.