The initial Centennial Building Commission, comprised of the Governor, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Art Commission chairman, State Historical Society president, State Historical Library Board of Trustees president, and two additional persons appointed by the Governor, was created (1915) to obtain grounds for a new building adjacent to the State Capitol and to remove any existing buildings on that site. Legislation was passed authorizing construction of the Centennial Memorial Building (1917). Project responsibility was given to the Dept. of Public Works and Buildings in consultation with an advisory Centennial Building Commission (Governor; Lt. Governor; Speaker of the House; Secretary of State; and three additional members appointed by the Governor). The legislation directed the work to advance quickly enough so that the cornerstone laying could be a central feature of the Illinois statehood centennial celebration (1918).
The Centennial Memorial Building, placed under the custody of the Secretary of State, was designed to provide space for the offices of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; the State Library; the State Historical Library; the State Museum; and a repository for the State Archives. The 1917 act made an $100,000 appropriation for plan and specification preparation, followed by additional funds totaling $1,814,500 (granted in 1919 and 1921) for building completion and furnishing; and for grounds landscaping.
From the description of Minutes of Commission meetings, 1917-1919. (Illinois State Archive). WorldCat record id: 37648975
