Nowlan headshot-9-3-2016.JPG

Jim is a jack-of-all-trades in Illinois public affairs.

He has been an Illinois legislator, statewide candidate, state agency director, senior aide to three unindicted governors, campaign manager for U.S. Senate and presidential candidates, professor, newspaper publisher and columnist. Jim received his BA, MA and PhD degrees in political science, with minors in economics, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Whenever kicked out of government or politics, Jim has taken refuge as a senior fellow at the University’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. He has also taught in the American politics field at the U. of I. in both Urbana and Chicago, Knox College and Northern Illinois University.

Jim has been a “foreign expert” (visiting professor) with the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University in Shanghai, where he has taught courses in American politics on three different occasions in recent years. When in China, Jim has also been invited to give lectures at major universities throughout China, including at Beijing, Nanjing, Suzhou and Northwestern (Xian) universities.

Jim is the author or co-author of seven books, including Illinois Politics (University of Illinois Press, 2010) and Fixing Illinois (U. of I. Press, 2015). Jim recently completed a four-year term as member, then chair, of the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission. Yes, we do have one.

For the past decade, Jim has written a periodic column on “Understanding Illinois” (oh, that he did), which is distributed to the 400 newspaper members of the Illinois Press Association.

Jim Nowlan’s Selective CV

Education

B.A. University of Illinois, Urbana, 1963, magna cum laude, political science.

M.A. University of Illinois, 1965, political science; minor in economics.

Ph.D. University of Illinois, 1973, political science.

Experience

2019-present

  • Newspaper columnist who writes about “Understanding Illinois” (and beyond). Columns distributed by the Illinois Press Association to its 400 newspaper members. Several op-eds in Chicago Tribune and Tribune’s national syndicate during past six months.

  • Consultant to Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, the Civic Federation of Chicago, the Kearney Center for Public Pensions, and others.

1999-2019

  • President of Stark County Communications. SCC published The Stark County News and The Prairie Shopper, community publications and websites, from Toulon, Illinois, Nowlan’s hometown.

  • Foreign Expert (visiting professor) with the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University, Shanghai, China. On three separate occasions during the period, Nowlan spent six weeks each teaching a four-week, intensive short course on American Politics for PhD students. For the remaining two weeks, Nowlan gave invited lectures throughout China at Peking, Suzhou, Nanjing, Xian (Northwest) and other universities.

2013-2016

  • Member, and for 2015-2016, Chair of the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission, a state agency. The EEC is responsible for the education, training and oversight regarding ethical behavior of 150,000 state and local government employees in Illinois. Nowlan stepped down at the end of his four-year term.

1995-2013

  • Senior Fellow, University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs. In addition to continuing applied research and writing on public policy issues, Nowlan provided commentary and analysis for the media and civic groups.

2003-2007

  • Director of the Civic Leadership Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • The program provided leadership development for a highly select group of students who earn both bachelor's degrees (in any field) and master's degrees in political science and civic leadership. Nowlan also taught courses in American politics and public management through the University’s Department of Political Science.

1991-1994

  • President, Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois. The Taxpayers' Federation is an 80-year-old organization of major businesses that provides analysis and advocacy on Illinois state and local government tax and budget issues.

1986-1991

  • Professor of Public Policy, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois.

  • Also in 1986-1987, at the request of Gov. James Thompson, served as executive director of his “transition team” into a fourth term in office in 1987.

1980-1985

  • Director of Graduate Programs in Public Administration, University of Illinois, Urbana.

  • Responsibility for a Master of Arts in Public Administration program that prepared students for management and policy positions in public service. Taught wide range of courses in public management and American government. Served on executive council of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.

  • At the request of Governor James R. Thompson, served also as full-time acting director of the Illinois Department of Registration and Education. This agency had testing, school approval, licensing, investigative, and disciplinary responsibilities for 800,000 persons across thirty-four professional and occupational groups.

1979-1980

  • Executive Director of the Anderson for President Exploratory Committee, on behalf of former U.S. Representative John B. Anderson of Illinois.

  • Developed organizational framework for the national Republican campaign, recruited key professionals, and set basic strategy for the presidential campaign, which was described as "brilliant" in the Washington Post book, Pursuit of the Presidency (1981).

1978

  • Campaign Manager for successful reelection bid by U.S. Senator Charles H. Percy. Recruited and supervised staff of thirty professionals and hundreds of volunteers statewide. Provided extensive political and issues counsel to the Senator; worked closely with the Senator's Washington and Illinois staff.

  • Special Assistant for Education to Governor James R. Thompson. Also served as troubleshooter, filling roles as acting director of the Department of Financial Institutions and the Department of Registration and Education.

1976-1977

  • After serving as a volunteer researcher and speech writer during the successful 1976 campaign of James R. Thompson for governor of Illinois, Nowlan was asked to stay on in his Administration as Special Assistant for Education.

1973-1976

  • Assistant Professor of Political Science, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois.

1972

  • Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. Running-mate of Governor Richard B. Ogilvie. Ogilvie and Nowlan were defeated by 70,000 of 7 million votes cast.

1969-1973

  • Member of Illinois House of Representatives, representing a west-central Illinois district. Also taught political science at Black Hawk College, Galva, Illinois. In 1970, Nowlan received the Best Freshman Legislator Award from Illinois Political Reporter magazine.

1966-1968

  • Captain in the United States Army, on active duty.

1963-1966

  • While a PhD student in political science at the University of Illinois, Nowlan also worked in several related positions, including that of a paid internship with the Illinois Republican Party (1964) and as campaign press secretary to Ray Page, Illinois Superintendent of Public Instruction, during his successful campaign for re-election in 1966.

Publications

  • Fixing Illinois, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 2015, with J. Thomas Johnson.

  • The Struggle for Power in the Cities and States of North America, Longman-Prentice Hall. A textbook in state and local government and politics, 2010, with Dick Simpson.

  • Illinois Politics, University of Illinois Press, 2009. Lead author, with Samuel K. Gove and Rick Winkel.

  • Glory, Darkness, Light: A History of the Union League Club of Chicago, Northwestern University Press, 2004.

  • Illinois Politics and Government: The Expanding Metropolitan Frontier, University of Nebraska Press, 1996. With Samuel K. Gove.

  • Performance Rankings of Illinois School Districts, 1994, with Richard A. Stout and Martin J. Eisenberg, Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois, Springfield, 1994. This publication received the 1994 award for most distinguished research, from the Governmental Research Association.

  • A New Game Plan for Illinois, Neltnor House, Chicago, 1989.

  • Illinois: Problems and Promise, Illinois Public Policy Press, Galesburg, Illinois, 1986.

  • The Politics of Higher Education: Lawmakers and the Academy in Illinois, University of Illinois Press, 1977.

Books, Editor and Contributor

  • Inside State Government in Illinois, Neltnor House, Chicago, 1990. Contributed five of ten chapters.

  • Inside State Government: A Primer for Illinois Managers, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois, Urbana, 1983. Contributed four of nine chapters.

  • Legislative Oversight, with Anna J. Merritt, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois, Urbana, August, 1982.

Chapters

  • "Illinois," Political Encyclopedia of the U.S. States and Regions, with Rick Winkel, MTM Publishing, 2007.

  • "Fiscal Trends and Issues in Illinois: An Overview," with J. Fred Giertz and Therese J. McGuire, prepared for the 1994 Chicago Assembly, "Paying for State and Local Government," published in book form in 1996 by the Center for Urban Research and Policy Studies, University of Chicago.

  • "State and Local Revenue Sources in Illinois," with J. Fred Giertz and Therese J. McGuire, prepared for the 1994 Chicago Assembly, and to be published in 1996.

  •  Introduction to Inside Local Government, James Keane and Gary Koch, eds., Southern Illinois University Press, 1990.

  • "Information Technologies Generate Public Policy Dilemmas," with Colin Bennett, in Education for the Public Service, James E. Carroll, ed., Syracuse: Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, 1986.

  • "The 1980 Republican Presidential Primary in Illinois: A Challenging Barrier," in The Presidential Election and Transition 1980-81, Paul T. David and David Everson, eds., Southern Illinois University Press, 1982. A shorter version of this chapter appears in Illinois Elections, published by Illinois Issues, Springfield, August, 1982.

  • "The Lawmakers Budget for Higher Education," in State Politics and Higher Education, Leonard E. Goodall, ed., LMG Associates, Dearborn, Michigan, 1977.

Selected Articles

  • “The Politics of Redistricting,” Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois, March 1991, for the Institute' s "Media Guide to Illinois Remap 1991."

  • "Broadcast Advertising and Party Endorsements in a Statewide Primary," with Mary Jo Stroud, Occasional Papers in Illinois Politics, #4, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, Urbana, 1983. Another version of this paper appeared in the Journal of Broadcasting, September 1984.

  • "Voting for Invisible Candidates: The University of Illinois Trustees," with Mildred Schwartz and Christopher Ross, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, Urbana, 1984.

  • "Professionalism in Public Affairs," Illinois Medical Journal, Illinois State Medical Society, Chicago, October 1982.

  • "Television Charts a New Campaign Map for Illinois," Occasional Papers in Illinois Politics, #2, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, Urbana, 1982.

  • Also served in 1980-1990s as periodic frequent columnist for Crain's Chicago Business and opinion essayist for the Chicago Tribune.

Fiction

  • The Itinerant. A Heartland Story. Conversation Press, Winnetka, Illinois, 2000. A historical and political novel that deals with local government politics mad corruption.

  • The Editor's Wife. A generational saga of social change and politics in America. Author House, 2005.

Books, Author or Co-author

Awards

  • 2005 Educator of the Year Award, by the University of Illinois Alumni Association.

  • The 1995 Ben C. Hubbard Leadership Award for "longstanding service as an effective advocate for public education." Awarded annually by the Illinois State University College of Education.

  • The 1994 Public Service Award for Distinguished Leadership as a Public Administrator from the Illinois state capital chapter of the American Society for Public Administration.