The Shimkus Family and SIUE – A Family Affair
From an early age, Congressman John Shimkus (R-15th District-Collinsville), watched his father, Gene Shimkus, study and then graduate from the local university, which was still somewhat new, but offered a world of opportunities. Over the years, Shimkus, two sisters, his wife and son followed in his father’s footsteps in graduating from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
“I have watched SIUE grow and expand into the successful University it is today,” said Shimkus.
Similar to SIUE trajectory, Shimkus’ 24-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives has been marked with achievements and victories, and he credits SIUE for playing a part.
Congressman Shimkus earned a master’s in business administration from SIUE in 1997. “My SIUE degree helped me as a member of Congress,” said Shimkus. “You have to know the language of business. We’re a capitalistic society, and to be able to understand and talk the language is helpful.”
Earlier, he earned a bachelor’s in general engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1980. After completing more than five years of active duty in the Army, Shimkus returned to southern Illinois.
“I love southern Illinois, because it’s home. I enjoy the four seasons. It’s close to St. Louis, but there are still several small towns,” he remarked. “For much of my life when I was home, I only lived about 1-½ miles from my mom and dad, and my siblings lived in the area. Many of my siblings still live in this area.”
Because of his love for the community, Shimkus decided to run for local office in 1990 and was elected as Madison County treasurer.
“I had no business background, and thought I needed to get some more education,” reflected Shimkus. “Many of these political offices are management. So, I applied to the local university to get my MBA, and Nancy Belk was the chancellor at the time.
“I was not a traditional student, and took classes nights and weekends, like many students in the MBA program,” he continued. “Eventually, I graduated in spring 1997 and was the student speaker at commencement.”
“SIUE has been good me, and it’s been good to my family,” said Shimkus. Other Shimkus family members and their SIUE degrees include:
- Gene Shimkus, associate’s in business, 1968
- Dorothy Joyce, sister, bachelor’s in recreation, 1974
- Karen Shimkus, wife, master’s in music/music performance, 1990
- Jana Heuer, sister, bachelor’s in accounting, 1990
- David Shimkus, son, bachelor’s in engineering computer science, 2017
“I’m bringing my congressional records to SIUE, because I’m a loyal person,” said Shimkus. “The University was excited to receive them, and I was happy to give them. Plus, my political career centers around Madison County. The uniqueness of this gift is that it truly tells the story of Madison County through my political career.”
“I look forward to continuing my relationship with the University,” he added “I think alumni will agree that SIUE is affordable, accessible and credible. The degrees coming out of this University will stack up to any other in the country. SIUE has a bright future.”
Photo: Congressman John Shimkus, (R-15th District-Collinsville), earned a master’s in business administration from SIUE in 1997.
