Illinois Considers Ronald Reagan Statue For Springfield

If you've been wondering what it would take to get a statue of yourself put on display in our state's capital city of Springfield, you might want to get started by saving 77 people from drowning in the Rock River. Oh, and then get elected president. Twice.

If you haven't done any of those things, that's okay. Have you at least been a movie star and/or governor of California?

How about hanging out with some of the biggest stars of all time? Have you done that, at least?

Of The 4 Presidents Who Called Illinois Home, Only 2 Have A Statue In Springfield

We've had four U.S. presidents who were either born in Illinois or launched their political careers here in our the state, but we've only got statues of Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses Grant on the Capitol grounds. Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama are yet to be represented...maybe until now.

An Illinois House Task Force Will Make The Determination On A Reagan Statue

The House Statue and Monument Review Task Force got together last week to discuss Reagan’s legacy and consider whether or not to memorialize him at the statehouse in Springfield. One question they're considering is which era of Reagan's life should be represented by the statue. Is it president, governor, movie star, Eureka College student, or Dixon lifeguard?

Ronald Reagan's Alma Mater Weighs In On The Issue

As you may or may not have known, Ronald Reagan graduated from Eureka College here in Illinois back in 1932. According to a piece at WGN-TV:

Josem Diaz, the vice president for institutional advancement at Reagan’s alma mater Eureka College, would like to see a statue of a young Reagan on the state capitol grounds. He said Reagan’s story of growing up in a low-income family and going to the central Illinois college on a need-based scholarship transcends party lines. “It is about the opportunity, and that is the story here, to remind our young generations to come that anyone from any walk of life — or any first generation student — can aspire to be the next president of the United States.”

One of Reagan's greatest attributes was his wonderful sense of humor, and I can't help but wonder if, for a good laugh, he would go with this for a statue idea: