The Lincoln Laureates

May 16 2024 17 ep. 25 mins 4
The Lincoln Laureates Podcast artwork

This is a collection of rare conversations with the authors, artists, scientists, and visionaries who have been bestowed with the Order of Lincoln Medallion. "The Lincoln Laureates" represent the most revered Illinoisans through the mission of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois.

  History  Society & Culture  Education
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Samuel K. Skinner - Answering The Call

May 16 2024 24 mins  
From the age of seven, Samuel K. Skinner knew he wanted to be be a lawyer. He dreamed of guiding people through the legal system, like his hero Abraham Lincoln. During this episode of the Lincoln Laureates, we’ll hear the story of a leader who brought the “Illinois Way” to our nation’s capital. In Washington D.C., Sam Skinner was often called the “Boy Scout” for his se

Tom Skilling - Weather Is A Symphony

Aug 17 2023 31 mins  
During this episode of the Lincoln Laureates, you’ll get a deeper understanding of a scientist with an unlikely destination. As a grade schooler, Tom Skilling was already studying the “upper air charts” published in the nation’s capital. At 14, he began his career as a weather forecaster on his hometown radio station in Aurora, Illinois. Mr. Skilling joined Chicago’s WG

Jackie Joyner-Kersee - Honoring Your Roots

Dec 15 2022 29 mins  
Equity and inclusion are largely terms of the 2010s, but Jackie Joyner-Kersee was fueling that thinking long before the turn of the century. As a basketball and track & field superstar growing up in East St. Louis, she beat multiple odds -- including asthma. During this episode of the Lincoln Laureates you'll learn how Jackie Joyner-Kersee rose from cinder tracks to Olympic gold,

Newton Minow - The Public Interest

Nov 06 2022 24 mins  
Newton Minow once told President John F. Kennedy that putting satellites in space was more important than putting a man there. During this episode of the Lincoln Laureates, you'll learn why. You'll also meet an Illinoisan deeply rooted in his convictions. As commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, Newton placed high ideals on television broadcasters. His vision led

Ray LaHood - Bold Reasoning

Sep 15 2022 30 mins  
During this episode of the Lincoln Laureates, we’ll learn how a humble civics teacher from Peoria became one of the most admired members of the U.S. Congress.

 Ray LaHood represented Illinois’ 18th district in the U.S. House of Representatives for 14 years. Inspired by his admiration for our 16th president, LaHood passionately spread his bi-partisan ideals as a driving fo

John Borling - Keep Marching

May 26 2022 36 mins  
Major General John Borling did something unimaginable. He crafted poetry out of the seemingly endless years as a POW at the infamous Hanoi Hilton. From Borling's first airborne experience in a jet, he knew he "had to be a fighter pilot." In this episode of the Lincoln Laureates, you'll hear how 'taps on the wall' were the key to surviving Borling's imprisonment. Plus, why he feels

Orion Samuelson - You Can't Dream Big Enough

Mar 21 2022 26 mins  
Orion Samuelson's birthright was a 200-acre dairy farm, but a leg disease became his wake-up call in 8th grade. When he could not 'be' a farmer, he set his sights on being a 'vocal' advocate for every farmer he ever met. In the process, Orion bent the ear of more than a dozen U.S. Presidents, and toured farms in more than 40 nations. In this episode of the Lincoln Laureates, you'

Frank Clark - Your Word Is Your Bond

Feb 10 2022 22 mins  
Frank Clark's story is not a fabrication for film. It is a reality saga that took him from the mailroom to the corner office. In this episode of the Lincoln Laureates, you'll hear what drove Frank Clark to become the first African-American CEO of the Fortune 100 energy company, ComEd. As a native of Chicago's Woodlawn and West Chatham neighborhoods, Mr. Clark lived the realities o

Doug Collins - Resiliency Prevails

Oct 17 2021 25 mins  
Doug Collins' life has revolved around a sphere filled with eight pounds of air. His working class roots in Benton, Illinois have taken his passion for basketball to the rarest of global stages -- from the Olympics Games to the NBA Finals. In this episode of the Lincoln Laureates, Doug Collins shares what fueled his bond with NBA superstar Michael Jordan and why trust gives birth

Ryne Sandberg - The Hall of Respect

Sep 07 2021 25 mins  
Ryne Sandberg changed an unwritten baseball rule: "Second basemen don't hit home runs." In this episode of the Lincoln Laureates, we'll learn who and what changed him into a power hitter who still excelled at the short game. We also discover what inspired this sand lot player from Spokane to make Illinois his forever home. Our guest host for this conversation with the Lincoln La