| William Grant Stratton | |
|---|---|
| 32nd Governor of Illinois | |
| In office January 12, 1953[1] – January 9, 1961 |
|
| Lieutenant | John William Chapman |
| Preceded by | Adlai E. Stevenson II |
| Succeeded by | Otto Kerner, Jr. |
| Illinois State Treasurer | |
| In office January 8, 1951 – January 12, 1953 |
|
| Preceded by | Ora Smith |
| Succeeded by | Elmer J. Hoffman |
| In office January 11, 1943 – January 8, 1945 |
|
| Preceded by | Warren E. Wright |
| Succeeded by | Conrad F. Becker |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's at-large district |
|
| In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 |
|
| Preceded by | Emily Taft Douglas |
| Succeeded by | At-large seat abolished |
| In office January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1943 |
|
| Preceded by | John C. Martin & Thomas V. Smith |
| Succeeded by | Stephen A. Day |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 26, 1914 Ingleside, Illinois |
| Died | March 2, 2001 (aged 87) Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois |
| Resting place | Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Shirley Stratton |
| Residence | Chicago, Illinois |
| Alma mater | University of Arizona |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1945–46[2] |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
William Grant Stratton (February 26, 1914 – March 2, 2001),[3][4] known as "Billy the Kid", was the 32nd Governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1953 to 1961, succeeding Adlai Stevenson II in that office. He was born on 26 February 1914 in Ingleside in Lake County, Illinois, the son of William J. Stratton, an Illinois politician, and Zula Van Wormer Stratton, he served two non-consecutive terms as an at-large Congressman from Illinois, elected in 1940 and 1946. He was elected Illinois State Treasurer in 1944 and 1950. He won the Republican nomination for governor in 1952, then defeated Lt. Governor Sherwood Dixon to become the youngest governor in America at that time.
In 1960, Governor Stratton ran for an unprecedented third-consecutive term but was defeated by Otto Kerner, Jr.
He was acquitted of charges of tax evasion in 1965.
In 1968 he ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Illinois and was defeated by Richard B. Ogilvie.
In retirement, Stratton resided in Chicago.
At the time of his death, he was a member of the Illinois Civil Service Commission. He died at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois on March 2, 2001, aged 87. Among his pall bearers were his successors as Governor, James R. Thompson, Jim Edgar, and George H. Ryan.
The following are named in his honor:
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Adlai E. Stevenson II |
Governor of Illinois 1953–1961 |
Succeeded by Otto Kerner, Jr. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||