About

The Decatur Bar Association as a temporary organization, held its first meeting at the County Court room in Decatur, Illinois, on the 17th day of September 1917. A committee of five was appointed to prepare By-Laws and a Constitution and make plans for a permanent organization. On October 1 of that year, The Decatur Bar Association was organized and the following officers were elected to serve until the regular meeting to be held in January 1918: Albert G. Webber, President; O.W. Smith, First Vice-President; Ralph J. Monroe, Second Vice-President; and Fannie A. Bivans, Secretary and Treasurer.

Active membership was limited to members of the Bar of Macon County, residing and practicing in Illinois who received approval of two-thirds of the Committee on Admissions. Dues were $2.00 per year payable in advance. Distinguished non-resident lawyers could be elected as honorary members by vote of the Association.

Albert Webber was later re-elected as President for the first full year of the Decatur Bar Association in 1918, along with the other original officers. Members of the first Board of Directors were: Andrew H. Mills, Jesse L. Deck, Robert P. Vail, W. Nay Boggess, Charles C. LeForgee, James T. Whitley, and John J. Hogan. During the first year there were a total of 68 active members.

The list of Past-Presidents by year are:

1917  Albert G. Webber
1918  Albert G. Webber
1919  Andrew H. Mills
1920  Frances R. Wiley
1921  John R. Fitzgerald
1922  W.E. Redmon
1923  Walter H. Mills
1924  Alexander McIntosh
1925  Robert P. Vail
1926  John J. Hogan
1927  Clark A. McMillen
1928  James T. Whitley
1929  James A. Henson
1930  T.B. Jack
1931  Carl N. Weilepp
1932  Lee Boland
1933  Ralph J. Monroe
1934  Jesse L. Deck
1935  Jacob H. Latham
1936  C.Y. Miller
1937  Thomas W. Samuels
1938  Edgar H. Allen
1939  Charles T. Evans
1940  W.S. Bodman
1941  John W. Evans
1942  A.F. Delahunty
1943  M.E. Morthland
1944  Roscoe W. Redmon
1945  Byron M. Merris
1946  Walker H. Mills
1947  J. Howard Helmick
1948  Emanuel Rosenberg
1949  Raymond E. Denz
1950  Howard Doyle
1951  James E. Henson
1952  A.R. Ivens
1953  Charles Lee
1954  Thomas Armstrong
1955  Orlando Kuhle
1956  Joseph L. Rosenberg
1957  Horace B. Garman
1958  Carl R. Miller
1959  S. Everett Wilson
1960  Edwin W. Jokisch, Jr.
1961  Frank J. Gollings
1962  Fletcher C. Ransom
1963  Elbert S. Smith
1964  E. Wayne Schroeder
1965  Stocks W. Williams
1966  Herbert B. Lowe
1967  J.T. Whitley
1968  Wayne E. Armstrong
1969  Smith McGaughey
1970  Donald G. Baird
1971  Gus T. Greanias
1972  William Paul Brown
1973  Kenneth E. Evans
1974  A. Lewis Hull
1975  John W. Dyar
1976  Richard J. Welsh
1977  Scott W. Cleave, Jr.
1978  J. William Record
1979  Lloyd F. Latendresse
1980  Albert E. Hurt
1981  Jerald E. Jackson
1982  Roswell C. Prince
1983  Walter T. Morey
1984  Richard F. Morthland
1985  Hilmer C. Landholt
1986  Robert W. McCarthy
1987  Orville S. Kahn
1988  Albert G. Webber III
1989  Thomas S. Sly
1990  Walter F. Burger, Jr.
1991  Donald E. Morthland
1992  David C. Jack
1993  Basil G. Greanias
1994  Daniel M. Moore, Jr.
1995  Robert H. Roberts
1996  Rex L. Brown
1997  Katherine M. McCarthy
1998  Marshall A. Susler
1999  Jeffrey D. Richardson
2000  Theodore E. Paine
2001  Guy E. Williams
2002  Deanne F. Jones
2003  R.C. Bollinger
2004  Karen L. Root
2005  James A. Jankowicz
2006  Heidi R. Balsley
2007  Keith W. Casteel
2008  Steven C. Langhoff
2009  Daniel P. Fossier
2010  Timothy J. Tighe, Jr.
2011  Phoebe S. Bowers
2012  Susan E. Nicholas
2013  William A. McNutt
2014  Lindsey A. Wise
2015  Regan M. Lewis
2016  Darrel Parish
2017  Bret Coale
2018  Carol Craig
2019  L. Drew Hickey
2020  Hon. Erick Hubbard
2021  David N. Reimer