Thomas E. Courtney*
Class of 1950
- President Northern Illinois Corporation
Always keep your promises.
Thomas Courtney grew up in Chicago, where his first job was selling newspapers on a busy street corner. Later, he made extra money washing cars.
In 1922, without a formal education, Courtney formed DeKalb-based Northern Illinois Corporation, a multimillion-dollar finance organization. Under his supervision, Northern Illinois granted small to large loans for anything from renting a room to building a complete factory.
Courtney won the Army and Navy "E" award for his significant contributions to national defense.