Abner Mikva led an honorable life and served his country during World War II as a member of the Army Air Corps. He was a proud member of our “greatest generation,” one defined by strength, tenacity and values.
He was a progressive voice whose integrity never faltered and whose sincerity defined his success. His life of government service motivated others to possess a shared confidence that they too could make a difference through their hard work and civic participation.
He was not a dreamer but a visionary who urged others to achieve their dreams. Perhaps his proudest triumph was the creation of the Mikva Challenge, an organization dedicated to introducing the next generation to government service while inspiring them to leave their mark on society.
Not surprisingly, his legacy will live on through the ripple effect of the powerful good that he infused in the lives of others, especially young people.
Abner Mikva once famously recounted that in the annals of Chicago politics that he was the “nobody that nobody sent.” That was true but he is the somebody we have all been honored to know.
– Alderman Ed Burke, 14th ward, 7/5/16
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