Stevenson, Adlai E. (Adlai Ewing), III, 1930-2021

Adlai Ewing Stevenson III (October 10, 1930 – September 6, 2021) was an American lawyer, business executive, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party and the son of former Illinois Governor and two-time presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson, he represented the state of Illinois in the U.S. Senate from 1970 to 1981 and was twice a candidate for Governor of Illinois.

Born in Chicago, Stevenson attended the Milton Academy in Massachusetts, Harrow School in England, and Harvard College. Stevenson was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1952, served in Korea and was discharged from active duty in 1954. He continued to serve in the Marine Reserves and was discharged in 1961 as a captain. After being discharged from active duty, Stevenson attended Harvard Law School, earning a law degree there in 1957. That year, he went to work as a clerk for a Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. In 1958, he joined the law firm of Brown and Platt. In 1964, Stevenson was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives as an at-large representative due to reapportionment problems, serving from 1965 to 1967. He then served as Illinois Treasurer from 1967 to 1970.

Following the death of Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen, Stevenson was elected to serve out the balance of Dirksen's term in 1970 and was re-elected in 1974. In the Senate, Stevenson served on the Commerce Committee (Chairman of the Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space), Banking Committee (Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Finance) and Intelligence Committee (Chairman, Subcommittee on the Collection and Production of Intelligence). A reformer, he served as the first Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee and Chairman of a Special Committee which led the first major reorganization of the Senate since its Committee system was formed in the early 19th Century. He also served on the Senate Majority's Policy Committee. He declined to stand for re-election in 1980, resuming the practice of law.

In 1982, Stevenson was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Illinois. Though the election was virtually tied, and evidence of widespread election irregularities, including a failed punch card system for recording votes, was presented to the Illinois Supreme Court, it denied his request for a recount by one vote. In 1986, he was renominated by the Democratic Party for Governor in 1986 but as Democratic voters nominated allies of Lyndon LaRouche for Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State, Stevenson organized the Illinois Solidarity Party to provide an alternate slate for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State, which was endorsed by the regular Democratic organization. Stevenson won 40 percent of the vote as the Solidarity candidate.

After leaving the senate, Stevenson was active in business and cultural relations with East Asia. He was chairman of SC&M Investment Management Corporation, and co-chairman of HuaMei Capital Company (the first Chinese-American investment bank). He also held many positions with non-profit organizations in this area. He served as chairman of the Japan-America Society of Chicago, the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association, and the Midwest U.S.-China Association, and as president of the U.S. Committee of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC). He was also co-chairman of the PECC's Financial Market Development Project, a member of the U.S.-Korea Wisemen Council, and sat on the Board of Directors of the Korea Economic Institute.

Stevenson died from complications of Lewy body disease at his home in Chicago.