A Danville woman who rose through the ranks to become Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court has been named a recipient of the 2024 Order of Lincoln. Bill Pickett has more….
Governor JB Pritzker announced Monday that Rita B. Garman (shown in photo) is being awarded the state’s highest honor for professional achievement and public service. Garman retired from the Supreme Court in July of 2022.
Governor Pritzker says another recipient of this year’s Order of Lincoln is Alison Krauss, an internationally known Bluegrass, Country, and Gospel Music performer. Krauss was born in Decatur and raised in Champaign.
Krauss and Justice Garman are two of the seven people who are this year’s Lincoln Laureates.
At an earlier swearing-in ceremony in Danville, Justice Garman said that when she went to law school in the 1960s there were few women. And Garman added that as a new attorney it was difficult to find a job because she is a woman. But she landed a job with a local law firm, then later became an Assistant Vermilion County State’s Attorney before becoming the county’s first female judge. Garman was also the first female to serve on the Fourth District Appellate Court before becoming only the second woman to sit on the Illinois Supreme Court. She was Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court from 2013 to 2016. The Rita B. Garman Vermilion County Courthouse is named in her honor.
Alison Krauss has sold more than 12 million records to date and has made 14 albums. Krauss is second only to Beyonce in receiving more Grammys than any other female in the history of the award. Among the honors Krauss has received are 27 Grammys from 42 nominations, nine Country Music Association Awards, and two Gospel Music Association Awards. Krauss has frequently collaborated with artists from various genres including Yo-Yo-Ma, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Sting, Taylor Swift, and James Taylor.
This year’s Lincoln Laureates will be honored at the upcoming 60th annual Convocation and Investiture on April 13th, 2024 at the Chicago History Museum.
