June 1 Illinois History Minute

It’s June 1, the day that politician William Michael McKinley was born in 1879. He’s not the William McKinley who became president. William M. McKinley was a Chicago Democrat who became Speaker of the Illinois House for a term in 1913. He played a key role in passing a women’s suffrage bill making Illinois the first state east of the Mississippi where women could cast a ballot for president.

Another Chicagoan, saxophonist Gene Ammons, released this version of “My Foolish Heart” this month in 1950. It was the first release --- and first hit --- for Chicago-based Chess Records. Polish immigrants Leonard and Phil Chess built their label into a showcase for jazz, blues and early rock ‘n roll.