Jacksonville – Congressman Ray LaHood (R---Peoria) has been named to give the address at MacMurray College’s 155th Commencement on Saturday, May 6.

     The graduation ceremony will be held in Annie Merner Chapel at 1:30 p.m.

     First elected in November of 1994, Congressman Ray LaHood is serving his sixth term representing the 18th District of Illinois. The district includes the hometowns of several significant American leaders such as Abraham Lincoln and Everett McKinley Dirksen. In fact, the 20 counties of the 18th District contain the same counties Lincoln represented as a Congressman.

     He serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and is the chairman of that panel’s Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee. Congressman LaHood also serves on the Appropriations Committee, the panel that oversees federal discretionary spending. On the Appropriations Committee he serves on the Agriculture Subcommittee, the Veteran’s Affairs, Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies Subcommittee, and the Legislative Subcommittee.

      He has been lauded for his leadership on the local, state, and national levels during his tenure in Congress. In January of 2003, National Journal said the congressman was a “Republican to Watch” in the 108th Congress. In 1999, Congressional Quarterly named him one of Capitol Hill’s 50 “Most Effective” legislators. The people of central Illinois, though, know Congressman LaHood as someone who advocates the best interests of the citizens he represents. The State Journal Register noted, “we are particularly impressed with his tireless effort to serve his district.”

     He is widely viewed as someone who has a deep respect for the institution of Congress and who works across party lines to achieve policy goals. His knowledge of Congress and his fair-handed demeanor have enabled him to be called upon many times to chair the House of Representatives during proceedings on contentious issues including the impeachment debate in 1998.

      Several issues, both local and national, have forged his reputation over the past few years.

     He has led efforts to establish a higher level of civility, decorum, and bipartisanship in the House of Representatives. He was co-founder of the biennial Congressional Bipartisan Retreat, an event which enables representatives and their families to become better acquainted outside of the Washington atmosphere.

     Locally, Congressman LaHood has led efforts to work with all elected officials in assisting communities with the various issues they face. He regularly convenes bipartisan meetings with the area’s state representatives and senators and often meets with local mayors and other elected officials.

      Agriculture continues as one of his top priorities. With some of the finest farmland in the world, the 18th Congressional District has a tremendous farming heritage. He has been a leader in the promotion of ethanol and has worked to open foreign markets to American products.

     The congressman has been an outspoken proponent of reducing the nation’s $6 trillion debt, and he continues to believe this should be a top priority.

      He has taken great pride in the 18th District’s ties to Abraham Lincoln and he has been an advocate for advancing the legacy of the 16th President. He authored the law establishing the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission to lay the groundwork for celebrating Lincoln’s 200th birthday in 2009.

     He also has been a leader in establishing the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield.

      Congressman LaHood is also viewed as the foremost proponent for preserving the Illinois River. He has worked hard to highlight the importance of restoring the river. He is the chief Capitol Hill supporter for Illinois Rivers 2020, a 20-year program to restore the river’s watershed. He also led efforts to secure Illinois’ inclusion in the Conservation Reserved Enhancement Program, a unique and highly successful environmental program for the Illinois River. In recognition of his efforts for the river, he was awarded the Frank Bellrose Illinois River Valley Conservation Award in 2001 from the Illinois Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

     Ray LaHood was born December 6, 1945 and is a native of Peoria. He is the grandson of an immigrant from Lebanon and the son of a restaurant manager. He worked his way through school attending Spalding Institute high school, Canton Junior College, and Bradley University. He earned a B.S. degree in Education and Sociology from Bradley in 1971. In 2000, he received an honorary doctorate in Political Science from Lincoln College. In 2002, Congressman LaHood received an honorary doctorate in Public Service from Eureka College.

      A teacher by training, he started his career teaching junior high school students in Catholic and public schools. He then moved to Rock Island where he served as the Chief Planner for the Bi-State Metropolitan Commission, Director of the Rock Island Youth Services Bureau, and as District Administrative Assistant for Congressman Tom Railsback.

     After serving in the Illinois State House of Representatives in 1982, he worked for U.S. House Republican Leader Robert Michel as District Administrative Assistant and, for four years, Chief of Staff. He succeeded Mr. Michel upon his retirement in January of 1995.

     Congressman LaHood was named the 2001 Ray A. Neumann Tri-County Citizen of the Year by the Downtown Kiwanis Club of Peoria. In 1999, he received Peoria Notre Dame High School’s Distinguished Alumnus award.

      Other awards he has received include: the Ellis Island Medal of Honor; the Chamber of Commerce’s Spirit of Enterprise award; the Farm Bureau’s Friend of Agriculture award; the Guardian of Small Business award from the National Federal of Independent Business; the Guardian of Medicare Award from the United Seniors Association; the Tax Fighter Award from the National Tax-Limitation Committee; and the Manufacturing Legislative Excellence Award from the National Association of Manufacturers.

     Congressman LaHood’s current service activities include the Board of Trustees of Bradley University, Board of Trustees of Gallaudet University, and the Downtown Rotary Club of Peoria. He is married to Kathy and they have four children: Darin, Amy, Sam, and Sara. They also have four grandchildren.

     Located in Jacksonville, Ill., MacMurray College is a private, four-year, liberal arts, coeducational college, founded in 1846, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Its friendly, informal environment stresses academic excellence, personal attention, career experience, and well-rounded development of each individual.