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Lura Lynn Ryan: Our consciences are clear

Posted September 19, 2007 11:00 pm

Bernard Schoenburg

Though former Gov. George Ryan may be headed to prison, he and his wife, Lura Lynn, got to see friends and chat about a home they loved Wednesday as they signed copies of a book about the history of the Executive Mansion.

The 73-year-old ex-governor, convicted in April 2006 of federal corruption charges stemming from his days in office and sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison, is free as he continues the appeal process.

"We're doing very well," Lura Lynn told reporters as she briefly left a table at Springfield's Pasfield House, where she and her husband signed copies of "At Home with Illinois Governors: A Social History of the Illinois Executive Mansion."

"When you've got a clear conscience," the former first lady said, "and you're right with the Lord, I don't think too much can happen to you. … My conscience is clear, and so is George's. So … we get on with our life."

The Ryans live in Kankakee but made the mansion their primary residence during the governor's single term in office, from 1999-2003. Lura Lynn said that early on, John Trutter, then chancellor of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois , prevailed upon her to have a book done to document the history of the mansion. She recruited artist Kay Smith and historian Dan Monroe to work on the book.

"All I did was enjoy watching them put it together," she said. "I'm very happy with it. It's a great coffee-table book."

She did not criticize Gov. Rod Blagojevich for not moving his family to the mansion, in part to keep his oldest daughter in a familiar school in Chicago.

"His wife is a working woman, and you know, it's a different … story," Lura Lynn said.

Donald Beck of Rochester, who turns 84 today, is now in a wheelchair due to a stroke. He had been a volunteer guide on mansion tours in years including Ryan's, and he and wife, Sandra, bought a book at Wednesday's event.

A Navy veteran of World War II, Beck recalled how Ryan would often talk to him, and he would lobby Ryan for state support for a WW II memorial in Springfield. The memorial is now a reality.

Beck also recalled that at times, Lura Lynn would guide visitors herself, "or she would join a group that we were taking through and point out certain things."

Former state Sen. John Davidson, R-Springfield, along with his wife, Shirley, and daughter, Anne, got a book and visited with the Ryans.

"It was good to see George again," the former senator said. "We were both elected (to the legislature) the same time in '72 and shared a lot of good times and bad times together. He looks great. Lura Lynn seems to be happy getting her book done."

Springfield Republican Claudio Pecori called the former governor an "old friend" and said he is "absolutely" upset that the Ryans have to go through the legal trouble he faces.

"Nobody should be going through all that agony and pain," Pecori said. "He was a good governor."

Judith Schmidt, 64, said that as a young lady, she served tea at the mansion as part of a sorority event. She loves local history, and came because she saw an advertisement for the book signing.

"This has nothing to do with the governor and his legal problems or anything else," she said. "He's still a governor. So it was very nice to be able to come here and get the book and have it autographed."

Signatures of former Govs. James Thompson and Dan Walker were also in the books.

Ryan's former press secretary, Dave Urbanek, also was at the event.

"He's my friend," Urbanek, now director of communications for Hospital Sisters Health System, said of Ryan. "… I think this is a great thing that he's doing for the mansion. It's a wonderful place and we need to make sure that it stays a wonderful place, and any fundraising that can be done to help the people's house, I think, is good."

The books are being sold for $55, including tax, at The Pasfield House, 525 S. Pasfield in Springfield, and at the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, 357 W. Chicago Ave., in Chicago. Proceeds go to the Executive Mansion Association for mansion conservation.

Daniel Weinberg, owner of the Chicago bookstore, said production costs for the 10,000 copies were paid by private people who wanted to help the association. He said most of the books remain in storage in Springfield, and he gets them as needed from the mansion association.

George Ryan was convicted in federal court in Chicago of racketeering and fraud for steering state contracts to friends or associates, using state money to run his campaigns and stifling an investigation of licenses for bribes stemming from his days as secretary of state. A three-judge appellate panel ruled 2-1 to uphold the conviction, but Ryan's lawyers, including Thompson, have asked that all 11 actively sitting judges on the federal appeals court review the case.

Bernard Schoenburg can be reached at (217) 788-1540 or bernard.schoenburg@sj-r.com.

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