Benton Honors Jesse White at Renaming Ceremony

CHICAGO — State Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, honored former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White on Thursday, as luminaries and elected officials gathered to rename the state office building at 115 S. LaSalle St. in Chicago to the “Jesse White State of Illinois Building,” in celebration of his decades of service to the people of Illinois.

“Jesse White is the kind of public servant who only appears once in a generation. Since 1957, in one way or another, this man has dedicated his entire self to the people of this state and the institutions that serve them,” Benton said. “He did this as a soldier, a community pillar, an athlete, a teacher, a legislator, a county official and, finally, as our first Black Secretary of State and the longest serving—for over 24 years. We owe him more than we can recount.”

White joined the Army in 1957 and served as a paratrooper in the famous 101st Airborne Division until 1959. That year, he moved home and founded the Jesse White Tumbling Team, which has helped and redirected over 18,500 kids and remains in operation to this day. White served as a teacher and administrator for the Chicago Public Schools for over 33 years, while also playing minor league ball for the Chicago Cubs organization, serving in the Illinois General Assembly for 16 years beginning in 1974, and as Cook County Recorder of Deeds in the 1990’s before beginning his tenure as Secretary of State.

Benton introduced House Joint Resolution 48 in May 2024, calling for the renaming of the building. The renaming ceremony was held Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

“This is a fitting tribute for a person so unique in the history of our state,” Benton said when addressing the House of Representatives to introduce the resolution, with White in attendance. “I ask that you all join me in recognizing this man, who dedicated his life to our state and its people.”

The joint resolution passed both House and Senate unanimously.