Elected 1996; Life Trustee 2008
Mr. Barr graduated from Grinnell in 1957 with a B.A. in history and political science, and received his LL.B. in 1960 from Harvard Law School. Mr. Barr is a retired partner with the law firm of Sidley Austin in Chicago. He was appointed by President Ford to the Commission on Presidential Scholars in 1975, served as the Chair of the Illinois Board of Regents from 1969-77, served as Chair of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission from 1985-2005, and was a member of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, 1971-1977 and 1985-2005. He served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives in 1981-83 and was the head of the Republican Party in Cook County from 1978-85. He has been a Republican delegate to national conventions and legal adviser to the Republican National Committee, and also served on the Illinois Republican State Central Committee. He is actively involved in cultural and civic affairs, including service on the boards of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois and the Evanston History Center. He is a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan.
