University of Virginia Library

Represents Senate

He represents the Senate as
vice-chairman of the board of
the John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts.

Upon graduation from the
University of Chicago in 1941
with the highest senior
honor–University Marshal–he
enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He
was honorably discharged in
1945 with an Admiral's
commendation.

Mr. Percy spent 25 years in
business before entering public
life. Beginning with a summer
job at Bell and Howell, he
became president and chief
executive officer at the age of
29.

During his career there,
company sales rose from $13
million to $160 million, the
company pioneered in profit
sharing for employees and was
the first corporation to sponsor
prime-time public service
television programming.

In 1949, he was named
"one of the ten outstanding
young men in the country" by
the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce.

Mr. Percy in 1965 founded
and chaired the New Illinois
Committee which initiated
projects in literacy education,
slum housing, community
development, and job
opportunities.

These projects
demonstrated aspects of his
gubernatorial race in which he
was defeated by incumbent
Otto Kerner.

In his last election, Mr.
Percy defeated seven-term
Congressman Roman C.
Pucinski by a margin of 1.146
million votes, carrying all 102
counties in the state