“Democracy must be learned by each generation.” These few words were so important to Clement A. (Pete) Duran, an Albany New York YMCA Boys’ Work Secretary, that in 1936 in New York State, he initiated the first Youth and Government Program. After meeting Duran at a national YMCA conference and hearing of the Youth and Government work being carried on in New York, T. Douglas Monahan, then on the staff of the Illinois State YMCA invited Duran to Illinois to meet with YMCA personnel who were becoming very excited about the possibility of Youth and Government in Illinois.
Thus, in early 1949, Pete Duran, known as “the Colonel” to many, came to Illinois at Monahan’s request. In preparation for Duran’s visit, Monahan had already put into place the leadership relationship which is at the heart of the YMCA movement — that being the partnership between the YMCA professional and dedicated laymen. Monahan the Y professional, sought Dr. Frank Endicott, Professor of Education and Director of Placement at Northwestern University to become the first Chair of the Youth and Government Program.
And thus, it was these two, Douglas Monahan and Dr. Frank Endicott who met with Colonel Duran and set Illinois YMCA Youth and Government into motion. Both men relate, however, that it was actually the dedication and cooperation of one other person who allowed their dream to become reality. Illinois Governor Adalai Stevenson proved to be their greatest ally and advocate. When Monahan and Endicott met with Stevenson in Springfield with their rather revolutionary proposal of teens taking over the state Capitol, they were overwhelmed with the support and assistance offered by the Governor. Stevenson in turn rallied all of the support needed from other state officials to put the program in place, and the first Assembly was held on April 24-25 1950 in Springfield. As a result, Youth and Government has enjoyed the support of every Illinois Governor since that time.
Youth and Government is a nationwide program, in about 40 states; nearly 25,000 students take part in state Youth and Government conferences across the country (which includes Model State Government programs and Model United Nations conferences). In Illinois we have 50 delegations that come to Springfield for our General Assembly each year, with approximately 1000 students and over 250 adult volunteers.
Former Youth Governors
1950 Bill Turner, (Joliet) Joliet Township
1951 Gene Keith, (Peoria) Manual
1952 Tom Baldaccini, (Lincoln-Belmont) Lane Tech.
1953 Vern Johnson, (Streator) Streator
1954 Don Carter, Chicago
1955 Dick Heyder, Frankfort Comm.
1956 Phillip Quigley, Skokie
1957 Robert Hornaday, (Beverly) Morgan Park
1958 James Buch, (Edwardsville) Edwardsville
1959 John Dailey, (Elmhurst) York
1960 Ken Heyl, (Elmhurst) York
1961 Warren Nash, Granite City
1962 Clifton C. Maclin, (Hyde Park) Hyde Park
1963 Kemp James McLaughlin, Lincoln-Belmont
1964 John Epperheimer, Harrisburg
1965 Michael Walker, South Chicago
1966 Thomas Naylor, (Freeport) Freeport
1967 Richard Langdon, (Jackson Co.) Carbondale
1968 Kenneth Kraft, Elmhurst
1969 Wayne Kost, (Southwest) Carl Sandburg
1970 Steve Eckert, (Danville) Danville
1971 Greg Zito, (Proviso) Proviso West
1972 Steven Gary Marsh, (Southwest) Eisenhower
1973 Paul Matthews, (Jackson Co.) Carbondale
1974 Dan Lesser, (McGaw) Evanston Township
1975 Keith Anderson, (Joliet) Plainfield
1976 Jim Winkler, (Naperville) Naperville Central
1977 Michael Pizzuto, (Berwyn-Cicero) Morton East
1978 Mike Cheerva, (Southwest) Stagg
1979 Dennis Favaro, (Kankakee) BBCHS
1980 Bill Danielczyk, (Elmhurst) York
1981 James Rouhandeh, (Jackson Co.) Carbondale
1982 Peggy Pettit Rubenzer, (Mt. Vernon) Mt. Vernon
1983 Jeff Soukop, (Elmhurst) Lake Park
1984 Art Sims, (Southwest) Luther South
1985 David Kemp, (Elmhurst) Lake Park
1986 Tom Rooney, (McGaw) Evanston
1987 Matthew B. DeLeon, (McGaw) Evanston
1988 Abigail Hannis Urban, (Mt. Vernon) Mt. Vernon
1989 David E. Garnett, (N’ville) Naperville North
1990 Dawn Campbell D’Orazio, (Knox Co.) Galesburg
1991 Michael Kirkwood, (Mt. Vernon) Mt. Vernon
1992 Geno Valente, (Mt. Vernon) Sesser-Valier
1993 Ben Hall, (Mt. Vernon) Mt. Vernon
1994 Matt Wolfe, (Mt. Vernon) Sesser-Valier
1995 Joseph Sterbis, (Elmhurst) Lake Park
1996 Ike Minton, (Mt. Vernon) DuQuoin
1997 Greg Hollmann, (Mt. Vernon) Mt. Vernon
1998 Eamon Kelly, (McGaw) Evanston Township
1999 Steve Daglas, (Southwest) Stagg
2000 Bill Dimitropoulos, (Southwest) Stagg
2001 Guillermo Coronado, (Elmhurst) Addison Trail
2002 Tarun Patel, (Heritage) Waubonsie Valley
2003 Justin Cajindos, (Network) Stagg
2004 Dustin Herr, (Mt. Vernon) Mt. Vernon
2005 Colin Clark, (Mt. Vernon) Mt. Vernon
2006 David Simnick, (Heritage) Naperville North
2007 Sean Tompkins, (Heritage) Naperville Central
2008 Cortney Charleston, (Heritage) Neuqua Valley
2009 David Pileski, (Elmhurst) Lake Park
2010 Janesh Rahlan, (Heritage) Waubonsie Valley
2011 Dan Cronin, (Heritage) Waubonsie Valley
2012 Robert Lampros, (B.R. Ryall) Wheaton Warrenville South
2013 Kevin Wei, Neuqua Valley
2014 Isaiah Booker, Naperville North
2015 Daniel Park, Waubonsie Valley
2016 Rushil Shukla, Waubonsie Valley
2017 Archit Dhar, Neuqua Valley
2018 Trisha Prabhu, Neuqua Valley
2019 Logan Graham, Wheaton Warrenville South
2020 Matthew Thery, Sesser-Valier
Former Youth Chief Justices
1976 Aaron Brower, (McGaw) Evanston Township
1977 Harry Reweik, (Southwest) Stagg
1978 Joyce Ann Guzik,(Southwest) Stagg
1979 Patricia Moncada,(Southwest) Morgan Park Academy
1980 Julie Eisenmann, (McGaw) Evanston Township
1981 Donna Craft Cain, (Lombard) Willowbrook
1982 Tamra ThompsonToussaint, (Danville) Catlin
1983 Kathleen Connon, (Elmhurst) York Comm.
1984 Andrew Froberg, (Naperville) Naperville North
1985 Karl Kosche, (Southwest) Stagg
1986 Paul Timm, (Southwest) Stagg
1987 Julie Mulderink Mantooth, (Southwest) Stagg
1988 Anil N. Keswani, (Elmhurst) Lake Park
1989 Jill Vorobiev, (Southwest) Stagg
1990 Beth Kuszynski, (Southwest) Stagg
1991 Andrea Koutoulogenis, (Southwest) Stagg
1992 Roxana Mehta Dubash, (Southwest) Stagg
1993 Adam Jackanicz, (Mt. Vernon) Frankfort Comm.
1994 Brandy L. Glasser, (Mt. Vernon) Murphysboro
1995 Todd Kolb, (Southwest) Stagg
1996 Anna King Green, (Mt. Vernon) Murphysboro
1997 Ben Johnson, (Edwardsville) Edwardsville
1998 Justin Lowell-Bellew, (McGaw) Evanston Township
1999 Emily Nash, (McGaw) Evanston Township
2000 Matt Schuh, (Mt. Vernon) Murphysboro
2001 Alex Okrent, (McGaw) Evanston Township
2002 Kevin Becker, (Springfield) Williamsville
2003 Erin Wilson, (Mt. Vernon) Murphysboro
2004 Kathleen Coverick, (Network) Stagg
2005 Traci Gillig, (Elmhurst) Lake Park
2006 Margaret Gibson, (Heritage) Neuqua Valley
2007 Tony Catalano, (Network) Carl Sandburg
2008 Bryan Medema, (Elmhurst) Lake Park
2009 Megan Godette, (Network) Andrew
2010 Dan Cronin, (Heritage) Waubonsie Valley
2011 Joey Kim, (Heritage) Neuqua Valley
2012 Kaveri Sharma, (Heritage) Neuqua Valley
2013 Jasmine LeeChuy, Neuqua Valley
2014 Kayla Arroyave, Waubonsie Valley
2015 Ashley Maras, Neuqua Valley
2016 Spencer Peck, Gateway Region YMCA
2017 Zach Safer, Waubonsie Valley
2018 Rekha Iyer, Neuqua Valley
2019 Breanna Goyea, Gateway Region YMCA
2020 Christopher Chung, Waubonsie Valley