Samuel H. Shapiro

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Samuel Harvey Shapiro (April 25, 1907 - March 16, 1987) was the Governor of Illinois, serving from 1968 to 1969. He was a member of the Democratic Party.

Born as Israel Shapiro in 1907 in Estonia, he emigrated to the United States at an early age. He graduated from the University of Illinois College of Law. As a lawyer, Shapiro practiced in Kankakee, Illinois. Turning to public service, he was elected state's attorney (county prosecutor) of Kankakee County.

Shapiro was elected lieutenant governor in 1960 and again in 1964, and took office as governor when the previous governor Otto Kerner, Jr. resigned to accept appointment to the federal appellate court. Shapiro thus became the second Jewish governor of Illinois (Henry Horner being the first). Illinois thereby became the first state to have had two Jewish governors; Oregon and Rhode Island have since also had two each.

Upon becoming governor, Shapiro ran at once for a full term of his own, but was narrowly defeated by Republican Richard B. Ogilvie in the 1968 election. He then returned to private life.

Shapiro was an alumnus of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. From 1984 until his death, he led the effort to establish a permanent headquarters for the fraternity's national offices.

He died in 1987 in Kankakee, Illinois and he is buried in Jewish Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois.

Preceded by John Chapman	Lieutenant Governor of Illinois 1961–1968	Succeeded by Paul Simon
Preceded by Otto Kerner, Jr.	Governor of Illinois 1968–1969	Succeeded by Richard Buell Ogilvie