In Memoriam: Former student and U.S. senator Charles H. Percy

The IIT Chicago-Kent community mourns the recent death of former United States senator Charles H. Percy, who attended Chicago-Kent earlier in his career and received an honorary degree from our law school in 2001.

Born in 1919, Mr. Percy studied law at Chicago-Kent after graduating from the University of Chicago in 1941. 1n 1949 he became president of Bell & Howell, where he oversaw the company's rapid expansion. A moderate Republican, Mr. Percy narrowly lost the race for governor of Illinois in 1964 before winning the race for U.S. senator from Illinois in 1966 and serving three consecutive terms.

Charles Percy was an extraordinary student, businessman and public servant who served the United States Senate and the people of Illinois with distinction for 18 years. At Chicago-Kent, we are honored to have taught him and to count him among our honorary degree holders.