Ira Clifton Copley
| Col. Ira Clifton Copley | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 11th district |
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In office March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1923 |
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| Preceded by | Howard M. Snapp |
| Succeeded by | Frank R. Reid |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 25, 1864 Copley Township, Knox County, Illinois, USA |
| Died | November 1, 1947 (aged 83) Aurora, Illinois, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party |
Republican Progressive (1915–1917) |
| Spouse(s) | Edith Straker (1892–1929) Chloe (Davidson) Warley (1931–1947) |
| Relations | Richard H. Whiting (uncle) |
| Children | James S. and William (both adopted) |
| Residence | Aurora, Illinois |
| Alma mater |
Yale College Union College of Law |
| Occupation | Publisher and utilities magnate |
| Religion | Unitarian, later Episcopal |
Ira Clifton Copley (October 25, 1864 – November 1, 1947) was an American publisher, politician, and utility tycoon. Born in rural Knox County, Illinois, Copley's family moved to Aurora when Copley was two so that he could be treated for scarlet fever. After graduating from Yale College and the Union College of Law, Copley assumed management of the Aurora Gas Light Company. He successfully guided the company into a regional utilities giant, eventually merging his assets into the Western Utility Corporation, which he sold in 1926.
Copley purchased his first newspaper in 1905, eventually amassing over two dozen papers as Copley Press. He was a Republican and was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1911, where he served until 1923. From 1915 to 1917, he represented his district as a Progressive. Copley was defeated in a primary in 1922. He is the namesake of Rush–Copley Medical Center. His adopted sons James S. and William went on to notable careers in business and art, respectively.
Ira Clifton Copley was born on October 25, 1864, in Copley Township, Knox County, Illinois, south of Altona. He was the son of Ellen Madeleine (née Whiting) and farmer Ira Birdsall Copley, for whom the township was named. At the age of two, Copley contracted scarlet fever, prompting his family to move east to Aurora, Illinois to see an eye specialist. Copley regained his sight around the age of six, though he struggled with vision problems for the rest of his life. In the meantime, his father became a prominent Aurora citizen, managing the Aurora Gas Light Company. Copley graduated from high school in 1881, then attended the Francis Jennings Seminary. Graduating in 1883, he then matriculated at Yale College, where he graduated in 1887. He then studied law for two years at the Union College of Law, but dropped out before graduating.
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