James R. Thompson Biography

James Robert Thompson, Jr. (born May 8, 1936), also known as Big Jim Thompson, was the 37th and longest-serving Governor of the US state of Illinois, serving from 1977 to 1991. A Republican, Thompson was elected to four consecutive terms and held the office for 14 years. Many years after leaving public office, he served as a member of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the 9/11 Commission).