Arthur W. Sprague :::
Arthur W. Sprague
Graduated in 1920
Inducted in 1999
After graduating from LTHS in 1920, Arthur Sprague attended Dartmouth College and transferred to the University of Illinois. He was admitted to the Order of the Coif, an honorary law fraternity. In 1925, he passed the Illinois Bar. For several years he was associated with Chicago law firms. In 1936, he opened his own law office and continued to practice until 1967. Concurrently with his law career, he began a distinguished career in the Illinois General Assembly. He was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1938. During World War II, he served in the Navy aboard the carrier, U.S.S. Essex, and saw combat duty in the Pacific theater. From 1950 to 1956, Sprague served as the elected State Representative from the western suburbs. In 1956, he was elected to the Illinois Senate where he served until 1966. Chairman of the Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee, Sprague established a reputation as a strong anti-crime legislator. He sponsored legislation that made it a felony for legislators to violate their oath of office, which included a pledge not to accept anything of value to influence their voting. He also fought and voted against a bill to do away with the death penalty in Illinois. An Illinois Political Reporter poll in 1963 named him one of Illinois' Most Effective Senators. He participated and served in numerous civic organizations, such as Chairman of the Red Cross for LaGrange and LaGrange Park, President of the LaGrange Community Chest, Commander of the American Legion Robert Coulter Post #1941, President of Lyons Township Republican Organization, and member of the first Board of Directors of Helping Hand Rehabilitation Center. He served as legal counsel in the formation of LaGrange Memorial Hospital and legal advisor to the Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Chicago. In addition to himself and his wife, their five children and four of their grandchildren are all graduates of LTHS.