Chancellor Robert Jones awarded the Chancellor’s Medallion, the highest campus honor, to Reuben Soderstrom on Friday, April 22, 2022. This was only the ninth occasion this award has been bestowed, and the first time it was awarded posthumously.
The ceremony featured remarks from current Illinois AFL-CIO president, Tim Drea, and LER Dean Fritz Drasgow. The award was accepted on behalf of Reuben by his grandson, Carl Soderstrom, MD.
“Education opens the door to achievements that are worthwhile because it leads everywhere and is a force in every constructive activity.”
Reuben G. Soderstrom
Reuben was the 40-term president of the Illinois AFL-CIO. His efforts in the Illinois legislature supported the founding of the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations in 1946. He valued education highly, recognizing the positive impact it had on the constituencies he served.