PEORIA MAGAZINE March 2023

S P O T L I G H T

ONCE UPON A TIME, AMERICA’S LEADERS WORKED TOGETHER Congressman Bob Michel would have turned 100 this month

BY CHRIS KAERGARD

Congressman Bob Michel with President Dwight Eisenhower

President Bill Clinton shakes hands with Corinne Michel as Bob Michel looks on. The meeting at a White House reception took place just three weeks before Bob Michel announced he would retire from the House

Bob Michel speaks during a celebration of his 90th birthday at the U.S. District Courthouse in Peoria, where he was feted by former staffers, Peoria leaders, and even his opponent in the 1956 general election

Minority Leader Bob Michel enjoys a laugh alongside President Ronald Reagan and House Speaker Tip O'Neill in this August 1982 photo. The three men enjoyed good personal and professional relationships

84 MARCH 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE