James R. Thompson
James Thompson 37th Governor of Illinois In office January 10, 1977 – January 14, 1991 Lieutenant Dave O'Neal George H. Ryan Preceded by Dan Walker Succeeded by James Edgar Personal details Born (1936-05-08) May 8, 1936 (age 78) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Political party Republican Spouse(s) Jayne Ann Carr Thompson Children 1 Alma mater University of Illinois at Chicago Washington University in St. Louis Northwestern University Profession Lawyer Religion Presbyterian James Robert Thompson, Jr. (born May 8, 1936), also known as Big Jim Thompson, was the 37th and longest serving Governor of the US state of Illinois. A Republican, Thompson was elected to four consecutive terms and held the office for 14 years. Many years after leaving public office, he served as a member of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the 9/11 Commission).