Henry Horner (1878-1940), Democratic Governor of Illinois (1933-1940), was born on Nov. 30, 1878 in Chicago, Ill. When his parents divorced shortly after his birth, his mother resumed using her maiden name and changed her son's last name to Horner, too. With a degree from Chicago's Kent College of Law, Horner began practicing law (1898) with Frank A. Whitney, whose father had collected Lincoln memorabilia. This interest was shared by Horner, who assembled a 5000 vol. library, which was eventually willed to the Illinis State Historical Library. A lifelong bachelor, Horner served as Cook County Probate Judge (1914-1931). Horner was elected Governor in 1932, and met the social and financial problems caused by the Great Depression despite serious in-fighting within the Democratic party. Under Horner, the state's revenue system was overhauled, with tax and bond issues passed for unemployment relief. Horner suffered a coronary thrombosis in his second term, from which he never fully recovered. The last five months of his life were spent in a rented Winnetka mansion to which he had been taken by ambulance. On Oct. 6, 1940, at the age of 61, Horner became the second Illinois Governor to die in office.
From the description of Henry Horner correspondence, 1933-1940. (Illinois State Archive). WorldCat record id: 35774506
