Arthur Quern, Trustee

Arthur Quern, Chairman of the Hospitals' Board of Trustees and a member of the University's Board, died Oct. 30 when the corporate jet he was aboard crashed shortly after takeoff from Palwaukee Municipal Airport in Wheeling, Ill. He was 54.

Quern, Chairman of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, had been a member of the University's Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Hospitals' Board of Trustees since 1992. He had been a Trustee of the Hospitals since 1986. He was also chairman and chief executive officer of Aon Risk Services Inc., the U.S. insurance brokerage arm of Aon Corp.

"Arthur Quern's sudden and tragic death leaves a void in our University, the higher education community, the state and the nation," said President Sonnenschein. "His life has been exemplary for his devotion to public service and for his commitment to improving the lives of others. He made invaluable contributions to the University as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago Hospitals and as a singularly thoughtful and wise member of the University's Board."

Quern was involved in public service for much of his career. In the early 1970s he served as an assistant to New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller. He was then appointed President Gerald Ford's deputy assistant for domestic affairs. In 1977 he caught the attention of newly elected Gov. James Thompson, who made Quern director of public aid. Quern became Thompson's chief of staff in 1980. Three years later he left Springfield to join the private sector, but he returned to government service in 1991, when he was appointed chairman of the IBHE by Gov. Jim Edgar.

Quern received his B.A. in 1965 from St. John's University. He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and their two daughters, Margaret and Susannah.