Peg Breslin Papers (Ottawa)

Collection

Identifier: RHC-RC-292

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The records of the Peg Breslin Papers include information from 1976 to 1992+. The records include speech notes, legislation records, court documents, materials on child care, correspondence, campaign records, materials on the Democratic Party’s State Central Committee, Photographs, and videos. The campaign records include Breslin’s run for State Treasurer in 1990 and her election to Appellate Judge in 1992.

Dates

created: 1976-1992
Other: Date acquired: 07/01/2008

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on access to the collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights in the collection belong to the Regional History Center; literary rights are dedicated to the public.

Biographical or Historical Information

Peg Breslin was born in 1946 and raised on a farm near Ottawa. She earned her B.S. degree in political science from Loyola University of Chicago and a J.D. degree from Loyola Law School in 1970. She served as legal counsel to the State Board of Education for several years and was in private practice doing civil litigation. She served in the Illinois General Assembly from 1977 to 1990, including four terms as a member of Democratic House Leadership, first as Majority Whip and later as Assistant Majority Leader. After an unsuccessful bid for her party’s nomination for State Treasurer, she retired from the House in 1990 to practice law in Ottawa. In 1992, she was elected to fill a vacancy on the Third District Appellate Court. Judge Breslin is the first woman elected to the Appellate Court outside Cook County in the history of the state. She and her husband, John, have two children.

Note written by Courts in Illinois: www.sos.state.il.us/bb/sec6_158_203.pdf

Extent

8.00 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement Note

The collection is organized into eleven series: (I) Speech Files; (II) Press; (III) Campaign; (IV) Breslin Lawsuit, 1977; (V) Child Care, (VI) Legislative Records, 1976-1990; (VII) State Treasurer Campaign, 1990; (VIII) Swift Judges Files, 1992; (IX) Appellate Judge Campaign, 1992; (X) State Central Committee Files; and (XII) Media. Each series is arranged in chronological order, with the Media series containing material from various aspects of her career.

Source of Acquisition

Peg Breslin

Method of Acquisition

Former IL-75 State Representative Peg Breslin, (D-Ottawa) and former 3rd District Appellate Court Judge, donated the records for the Peg Breslin Papers to the Regional History Center on July 1, 2008.