Otto Kerner, Jr.
| Otto Kerner Jr. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit | |
|
In office April 22, 1968 – July 22, 1974 |
|
| Appointed by | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Winfred George Knoch |
| Succeeded by | William Joseph Bauer |
| 33rd Governor of Illinois | |
|
In office January 9, 1961 – May 21, 1968 |
|
| Lieutenant | Samuel H. Shapiro |
| Preceded by | William Stratton |
| Succeeded by | Samuel H. Shapiro |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 15, 1908 Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | May 9, 1976 (aged 67) Chicago, Illinois |
| Resting place | Arlington, Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Helena Cermak |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
United States Army Illinois Army National Guard |
| Years of service | 1934-1954 |
| Rank |
Lieutenant Colonel (Army) Major General (National Guard) |
| Unit | 33rd Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Otto Kerner Jr. (August 15, 1908 – May 9, 1976) was the 33rd Governor of Illinois from 1961 to 1968. He is best known for chairing the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (the Kerner Commission) and for a major scandal which led to his imprisonment.
Kerner was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 15, 1908, the son of Rose Barbara Kerner (née Chmelik) and Otto Kerner Sr. (1884–1952), who served as Illinois Attorney General and a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Kerner was born into the germanophone Czech community of Chicago, hence his Germanic first name being “Otto”.
After graduating from Brown University in 1930, Kerner attended Trinity College at Cambridge University in England from 1930 to 1931. In 1934, he received a law degree from Northwestern University in Chicago and was admitted to the Illinois bar. On October 20, 1934, he married Helena Cermak, daughter of the late Anton Cermak, who had been mayor of Chicago before he was shot and mortally wounded in Miami, Florida, in 1933 by Giuseppe Zangara in what may have been an attempt on the life of president-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Kerner joined the 33rd Division of the Illinois National Guard in 1934 and because of his time in the National Guard he was quickly granted a commission when the Second World War broke out. In 1942, he entered active duty in World War II, serving as a field artillery officer in the 9th Infantry Division of the United States Army in North Africa and Italy and in 32nd Infantry Division in the Pacific. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for merit and the Soldier's Medal for rescuing a drowning soldier off the coast of Sicily. He was released from active duty in 1946 as a lieutenant colonel and rejoined the Illinois National Guard. In the 33rd Division, Kerner was promoted to the rank of colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard that same year and to brigadier general in 1951. He retired from the Army National Guard in 1954 as a major general. During his time in the Army, Kerner deeply impressed his commanding officer at the time, Jacob Arvey, who was also the leader of the Cook Country Democratic party. This friendship proved beneficial to Kerner as it garnered him much support from local politicians, notably Richard Daley, who supported Kerner as a Democratic nominee.
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