Editor’s note: We asked you to share your memories of former President Barack Obama as the Obama Presidential Center is set to open to the public on Friday. Here are the remainder of your letters. To see more letters, go here and here.
Thin crowd in Lake County
When then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama started his campaign for U.S. Senate, very few knew him outside of Chicago, and very few could pronounce his name. There was a campaign stop scheduled in Lake County to rally the clergy, particular the Black ministers in the area. I knew that Obama was elected the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review, and I was always impressed by that. I was a practicing attorney at the time and told a young man I was mentoring who wanted to go to law school that I thought he should meet Obama.
Very few Black ministers showed up, probably because they did not know that much about him. I felt a little embarrassed about the turnout and decided that my mentee and I should escort Obama out of the building. As we were walking Obama to his car, he said, “That was pretty good, wasn’t it?” To boost his spirits, we told him that it was a good start and that everything would get better.
Obama came by himself, and before he drove away, we had a nice conversation about Lake County. He said he didn’t realize how long a drive it was from Chicago. We talked about a few other mundane things. He was very relaxed and friendly. We waved goodbye as he drove away.
To this day, my mentee says that no one believes this story. He sometimes calls me so I can vouch for him. We always marvel about that day and how amazing the trajectory of one’s life can be.
— Marian McElroy, North Chicago
Battling for a loose ball
I was chosen to be part of a group of President Barack Obama’s friends and associates to play basketball soon after his first term. I submitted personal information for the background check and hoped that I hadn’t forgotten any needed details. The Friday before the Sunday morning pickup games, I got a call that I was cleared to play and should show up promptly at 9:30.
We were warming up in the gym, and around 9:45, Obama entered the gym. I was completely awestruck by his presence. He greeted everyone, and I was the last person he met. There were 40 of us split up into predetermined teams.
We played his team in the first game, and there a was a loose ball. I went down to secure the ball and realized I was wrestling to get the ball with the president of the United States! I’m a competitive person and decided that I would take a chance. I don’t remember who got the ball, and neither of us got hurt. He had an important bill to sign on Tuesday, and if he had injured his hand in the scrum, it would’ve been because of me.
This experience confirmed everything I felt about his character, and something as little as getting a loose ball mattered. I live four blocks from the Obama Presidential Center and have seen every phase of the construction.
As displayed on the fencing, the entire campus tells a story of a “home for inspiration.”
— Michael Moses, Chicago
Concern for next generation
My sincere thoughts about former President Barack Obama abound. During several limited interactions with him while I served as vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Illinois Chicago, I found him to be kind, caring, engaging, charismatic and informed. His concern for the next generation of leaders was evident as he visited our campus on numerous occasions.
Through state legislation, he ensured our TRIO students — TRIO is a federally funded support program — had a computer laboratory, and as a state senator, he visited the campus to meet with students receiving financial aid to understand more fully their needs.
Some of us at UIC decided we had a special connection to Obama when he chose to have his first big rally at Credit Union 1 Arena, formerly the UIC Pavilion, one day after he announced his candidacy for the presidency. I was honored to be one of the UIC representatives to greet him upon his arrival. The broad smile and hug I received, his riveting speech and his ability to quiet a few hecklers were memorable.
Lastly, attending both Obama inaugurations and visiting the Obama White House were highlights for me that were made possible because “he came, he saw and he conquered.”
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— Barbara Henley, Chicago
Chat with Obama in backyard
In 1996, our good friends and neighbors Gail and Rick Rosseau invited my husband and me to a gathering in their yard to meet Barack Obama. None of us had heard of him, but since our friends asked us to come, we went. He was going to run for the state Senate. Obama was very engaging and answered all of our questions. He was elected to the Senate, then elected as U.S. senator, and of course ran for president and won, not just one but two terms.
In 2012, a commercial for Obama’s second term was filmed at Peterson’s Ice Cream parlor in Oak Park. I was there and got to be in the commercial. Also, a group of us enjoyed a lunch in the city where we got to meet Michelle Obama.
We are looking forward to visiting the Obama Presidential Center.
— Diane Daly, River Forest
A packed opera house
Shortly after his 2004 election to the U.S. Senate, Barack Obama accepted the invitation of his Springfield colleagues Pamela Althoff and Jack Franks to hold a town hall meeting in the historic Woodstock Opera House. To ensure that there would be no empty seats, our city manager encouraged Woodstock staff to attend.
Not to worry. People were waiting when the doors opened, and there were lines down the block and around the corner. It seemed as though most of Woodstock and McHenry County wanted to see and hear their soon-to-be new U.S. senator. The 400-plus seats in the opera house auditorium filled quickly, and it was standing room only in the community room on the lower level. People who could not squeeze inside stood on the steps and sidewalk hoping to catch a glimpse of the senator.
During the town hall, Obama and his words were filled with enthusiasm and promise. We couldn’t wait to see what he would do .
As a city staffer, I attended with my husband who had often commented that he had always wanted to see a U.S. president in person. As we left the opera house, I turned to my husband and said, “I think you have just seen a future president!”
Now, I can’t wait to see the new Obama Presidential Center in person.
— Jane Koehler, Woodstock
Golden ticket to celebration
I will never forget receiving my golden ticket in the mail. It was my invitation to Barack Obama’s Grant Park election night celebration. There was just one problem. I was an election judge.
When you work the polls, you’re expected to stay until all work is completed, which can be very late at night. That would have necessitated missing the celebration. That was a dilemma. I did not want to go back on my agreement to work, so when I arrived to set up, I asked the other election judges how they felt about me leaving early. All of them agreed that it was an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed and that they would be willing to do extra work so that I could attend.
When the doors opened the next morning, there was a line of people around the block eagerly waiting to vote. The heavy and happy turnout continued all day. That meant more work at the end, but the other election judges still encouraged me to leave and not miss this historic opportunity.
It felt wonderful as I emerged from the subway and walked to the park. There were many vendors selling T-shirts they had created to celebrate the occasion. I still have one that was particularly artistic and treasure it. There was a party atmosphere. People were joyful. The crowd was huge, and I am very short, but before the Obama family entered, someone nearby who was tall offered to take a photo of them for me. I trusted him with my cellphone, and I left with more than simply pictures of the back of people’s heads.
That evening, it felt as if America had turned a corner. That we had conquered prejudice. That the future of our country was bright.
How disappointing that that feeling has changed so drastically. I hope that the Obama Presidential Center will reawaken some of that feeling of positivity and hope.
— Joyce Porter, Oak Park
Working at campaign HQ
I volunteered to work at Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters at the Prudential Building in Chicago the day after I retired from teaching in 2012. I was excited to be part of the history and politics that I had been teaching to high school students for almost four decades.
Most of the work was routine — answering voters’ questions about the election and taking donations. Once in a while, I was able to answer policy questions, and that was more interesting. And we would get the occasional nasty caller, but that was no big deal. I was used to teens’ nasty comments for decades.
We had police present in case we would get some serious threats. This never happened.
But one Sunday morning, about two weeks before Election Day, we received calls from people who were from the same church in a small Ohio town. Ohio was a swing state at the time, so we wanted to reply carefully to these callers. The message from them was the same: “Obama is using federal tax dollars to pay for abortions by using the Medicaid program.”
I gave my caller a short history lesson about the 1977 Hyde Amendment, which bans federal tax money from paying for abortions in all 50 states. One of my fellow volunteers suggested that we talk to campaign adviser David Axelrod about this. I told him about these calls. He said that he would get his “Catholic liaison” in Ohio on it right away. I did not know campaigns had such liaisons.
I was very happy on election night when Ohio went for Obama. I was proud to work on his campaign. It was an experience I will never forget.
— Jan Goldberg, Riverside
Roselle parade a revelation
More than 20 years ago at the annual Rose Parade in Roselle, Illinois, I saw Barack Obama and his family appear in our parade. There they were, him walking with his daughter Malia beside Michelle who was holding their younger daughter while riding in an antique car. I was so excited I could barely control myself while all around me no one seemed to recognize this wonderful family.
That would soon change, though, in what was at the time a very Republican DuPage County. I’m not quite sure what office he was running for, but I knew at the time he had a very bright future in store.
How far they’ve come.
— Diane Lauk, Medinah
Empowered by leadership
On the morning of Nov. 5, 2008, my Ethiopian immigrant friend’s U.S.-born 10-year-old son joyfully crowed, “I could become president!” upon learning Barack Obama had been elected president. He’d been captivated by Obama’s campaign message of hope, unity and collective action and his “Yes, we can!” rallying cry.
As a high school student, this young man helped bring about the inaugural observance of Black History Month at his school. Attending college during the Black Lives Matter protests, this audacious young man sent letters to his friends and family, encouraging us to become allies in the fight for equality and justice.
On the morning of Nov. 9, 2016, upon hearing Donald Trump had been elected president, this young man’s 10-year-old younger brother rubbed tears and sleep from his eyes and lamented, “Tell me I’m still sleeping and this is just a bad dream.”
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Obama imbued in both of these young men and their family strength and confidence, helping them intrepidly navigate through some difficult times. The older brother is now a highly regarded critical care cardiac nurse, and his younger brother is loving playing basketball with friends more than studying at his community college but will certainly figure out his path in life. And their parents are now naturalized citizens, homeowners and successful at their jobs.
The entire family thrives with their “Yes, we can” attitude, empowered and motivated by the leadership of Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama and their faith in a hopeful future.
— Jane Cox, Wheaton
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