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Philip J Rock: The Illinois antidote to Blagojevich
Presentation by Ed Wojcicki – April 25, 2012, at UIS
Born in Chicago a Catholic, Democrat and Cubs fan
Seminary for 10 years
Illinois Senate President1979-93
Sheila Graber Rock with her brother
“It’s not your turn”
Then, the lucky
37th Ward
Rock’s career
“Always tried to do the right thing” – many confirm this
Held his caucus together:
He led an “assembly of 59 raging egos” – Chicago Tribune
Rock’s career
Rock’sCareer
Republicans
Abused and disadvantagedchildren
Respect for institutions of government
Womenin government
The process of research
1. Ask experts:
What would you expect to read?-- Charlie Wheeler-- Mike Lawrence
-- Rock’s confidantes from the 1980s
-- HJR 196 – January
2. Twenty-eight interviews with Rock
3a. Dozens of interviews, conversations
Copyright
Chicago Tribune
3b. Yes, dozens and dozens
The process
4. Graduate assistant Kyle Dooley
5. Newspapers and Illinois Issues6. Collect photographs
7. Collect tidbits
8.
Verify- Dates- Roll calls- Bill numbers- Substance
“Senate Journals”
“Legislative Synopsis”
8.
VerifyFloor
transcripts, State
Archives, Chicag
o library, State
Historical
Library,
Boxes of
clippings and
pictures and
letters
8.
VerifyOak Park Library,
Wednesday
Journal of Oak
Park,
Oak Leaves
The process
9. External readers – friends and pros
10. Hire an editor
11. SIU editors, several of them, and the index
12. Answer hundreds of editors’ questions
13. Rewrite
14. Verify
15. Answer more questions from editors
Why do it?
“I read the book on a plane.
“… the last paragraph of Chapter 13”
Why do it?
Why do it?Rock interacted personally with several Illinois and Chicago
legends in the last quarter of the 20th century:
Richard J. Daley (1955-1976, mayor)
James R. Thompson (1976-1991, governor)
Harold Washington as senator and mayor (1983-87)
Richard M. Daley (1989-2012, mayor)
Michael J. Madigan (1983-95, 1997-present, speaker)
Why do it?
“Conventional wisdom might not predict that a loyal product of the Cook County Democratic organization could emerge as an ethical voice for the voiceless…
“Rock’s story makes it clear that one can be a loyal partisan and a highly principled public official.”
– Ed Wojcicki, Preface
Help Rock preserve his storyBe fair and even-handed
Give everyone a chance to be heard
Respect the institutions of government such as the Illinois Senate and Office of the Governor
Make government work for the people for whom it is supposed to work
What Rock said afterward
“I got so damn mad at Blagojevich that … I wanted the message to go out to all, including my 12 grandchildren, that Springfield was a wonderful place, the seat of our government, [it] deserved better respect than it was getting, and I was going to tell them about it.”
Contact
Ed Wojcicki
University of Illinois Springfield
217.206.7795
At LinkedIn
On Facebook
This presentation is based on:
Nobody Calls Just to Say HelloPhilip J. Rock with Ed Wojcicki
© 2012, Southern Illinois University Press
