October has been a significant month in the history of the Illinois Judicial Council, which conducted its 26th annual installation and awards dinner last month.

On Oct. 12, 1983, a small group of African-American judges held what turned out to be the inaugural banquet of the IJC. It was convened by Judge Charles J. Durham at the Soul Queen Restaurant.

Justice Kenneth E. Wilson was installed as the first chairperson, with Charles Durham as chair-elect, Everette A. Braden as secretary and Blanche M. Manning as treasurer.

Five years later, on Oct. 8, 1988, the IJC was incorporated. At the sixth annual banquet that year, Blanche Manning succeeded William Cousins Jr. as chairperson.

During its quarter-century, the IJC has awarded thousands of dollars worth of law student scholarships, conducted educational programs and essay contests about the court system, and helped countless needy youngsters attend summer camps, secure summer jobs and receive Christmas gifts.

During the 26th annual banquet on Sept. 3 in the Crystal Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, new officers were installed, 30 awards were presented, and 20 law students received scholarships.

Judge David B. Atkins was sworn in as chairperson by a longtime IJC member, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans of the Cook County Circuit Court. Justice P. Scott Neville Jr. was recognized for his leadership during the preceding year.

Other new officers are Chairperson-elect La Quietta J. Hardy-Campbell, Secretary Leonard C. Murray, Treasurer Yolaine M. Dauphin, Assistant Secretary Diane M. Shelley, and Assistant Treasurer Orville D. Hambright Jr.

IJC award recipients

Shelvin Louis Marie Hall received the IJC Edith S. Sampson Award, named for the first African-American woman judge in Chicago. Others honored at the banquet are:

E. Kenneth Wright Jr., the Kenneth E. Wilson Award.

William Cousins Jr., the Charles E. Freeman Pioneer in Justice Award. La Quietta Hardy-Campbell and Berta Requena, the R. Eugene Pincham Awards.

Marsha D. Hayes, Jill K. McNulty and Thomas R. Sumner, the Career Service Awards.

Ronald S. Davis, the Senior Jurist Award.

Meritorious Service Awards: Anthony L. Burrell, Evelyn B. Clay, Vanessa A. Hopkins, Rickey Jones, Marjorie C. Laws, Casandra Lewis, Noreen Valeria Love, Patricia M. Martin, Lewis M. Nixon, Sandra R. Otaka, James L. Rhodes, Cheryl A. Starks, Jane Louise Stuart, Valerie E. Turner and Shelli D. Williams-Hayes.

Chairperson’s Special Awards: Yolaine Dauphin, Jill McNulty, Mary Maxwell Thomas, ISBA President Joseph G. Bisceglia, Dorothy G. Capers and Carl K. Turpin.

Scholarship recipients

Everette Braden, chair of the law scholarship awards committee, made the following special presentations.

The Turley L. Boyd Scholarship, to Maria M. Barlow of The John Marshall Law School.

The Spencer T. Hardy III Scholarship, to Gregory A. Royal of John Marshall.

The Ellis E. Reid III Scholarships, to Tobara S. Richardson of the University of Chicago and Malahkia Joyner of Georgetown University.

Other scholars and their law schools are:

Craig L. Boston, Northern Illinois University.

Donald A Cole, Elissa F. Johnson, Kymian D. Ray and Paraisa R. Winston of Loyola University.

Melanie M. Davis and Derek A. Steele of Chicago-Kent.

Eric V. Eversley, Eric Puryear and Lorna L. Scaife of DePaul University.

Jesse Gonzalez and Elizabeth A. Johnson of John Marshall.

Michelle D. Hemphill of the University of Wisconsin.

Mykisha D. Jordan of Southern Illinois University.

Antonio K. Kizzie of UCLA.

Christia V. Rey of William & Mary.