Jim Burns
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois
In office
1993–1997
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byFred Foreman
Succeeded byScott Lassar
Personal details
Born(1945-09-21)September 21, 1945
Quincy, Illinois, U.S.
DiedDecember 11, 2020(2020-12-11) (aged 75)
Political partyDemocratic
ProfessionAttorney
Professional athlete
Basketball career
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High schoolMcLeansboro (McLeansboro, Illinois)
CollegeNorthwestern (1964–1967)
NBA draft1967: 4th round, 34th overall pick
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Playing career1967–1968
PositionShooting guard
Number6, 20
Career history
1967Chicago Bulls
1967–1968Dallas Chaparrals
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

James B. Burns (September 21, 1945 – December 11, 2020) was an American lawyer who served as the inspector general for the Illinois Secretary of State. He was also a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA).

A native of McLeansboro, Illinois, Burns was an all-state player who led McLeansboro High School to a fourth-place finish in the 1962 State Championship Tournament.[1] He then played collegiately for Northwestern University, 1964–67, where he led the team in scoring all three seasons, was both All-American and Academic All-American in 1967, was All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten in 1966 and '67, and is still Northwestern's 12th all-time scorer, 3rd in scoring average, 10th in both field goals and free throws made, and 6th in points in a game (40).[2] He was inducted into the Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.[3]

He was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the fourth round (34th pick overall) of the 1967 NBA draft. He played only three games with the Bulls during the 1967–68 season where he teamed with fellow McLeansboro native Jerry Sloan. Burns also played for the Dallas Chaparrals (1967–68) in the ABA for 33 games.[4]

Following his short professional basketball career, Burns returned to Northwestern, earning his law degree. While in private practice, he was also active in Democratic politics, running unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois in 1990. In 1992, he was appointed the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. He replaced Fred Foreman in the position.[5] His investigations of and prosecutions for political corruption gained him public recognition and popularity. It has also been claimed that those same things antagonized many powerful Democrats, so that his 1998 campaign for governor was not strongly supported.[6][7] Despite his popularity and the Republicans' admission that he was the candidate they most feared,[8] Burns finished a distant fourth of six candidates.

In April 2000, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White appointed Burns as his inspector general,[9] a position he held until his death.[10] Burns died on December 11, 2020, at the age of 75.[11]

He is the father of actress Heather Burns.

References

  1. ↑ "Records & History". IHSA. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  2. ↑ "2014-15 Men's Basketball Yearbook" (PDF). NUMENSBBALL. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 27, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame/Jim Burns". CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Jim Burns". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  5. ↑ Kass, John; O'Connor, Matt (August 13, 1997). "Madigan Paves Way for Burns". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  6. ↑ "BURNS ANTAGONISTES". Illinois Issues. July 1997. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Shooting Against the Clock". Sun-Times Media/Chicago Reader. February 26, 1998. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Near-endorsement By Edgar May Be Just The Ticket For Burns". Chicago Tribune. August 22, 1997. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Former U.s. Attorney To Be White's Top Investigator". Chicago Tribune. April 20, 2000. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  10. ↑ "ReportItNow.net". Cyberdriveillinois.com. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  11. ↑ Pearson, Rick. "Former US Attorney Jim Burns dies at 75 following career that took him from basketball court to federal courthouse". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
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