Tom Merritt (October 20, 1911 – December 21, 1991) was an American businessman and politician. Merritt was born in

Rossville, Illinois Rossville is a village in Ross Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,221. It is part of the Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The location was original ...

. He graduated from

Onarga Military School Onarga is the name of a village and a township in the United States: * Onarga, Illinois * Onarga Township, Iroquois County, Illinois Onarga Township is one of twenty-six townships in Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 cens ...

. Merritt also went to

DePauw University DePauw University is a private liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana. It has an enrollment of 1,972 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the G ...

and

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

. Merriitt lived in

Hoopeston, Illinois Hoopeston () is a city in Grant Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 4,915. History Hoopeston was laid out in 1871. It was named for Thomas Hoopes, one of the men who offered lan ...

with his wife and family. He was involved with the insurance, real estate, and farm loan business. He served as the Hoopeston City Treasurer from 1937 to 1941 and on the

Vermillion County, Illinois Vermilion County is a County (United States), county in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois, between the Indiana border and Champaign County, Illinois, Champaign County. It was established in 1826 and was the 45th of Illinois' 102 cou ...

Board of Supervisors from 1947 to 1964. Merritt was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

. Merritt served in the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state, State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adop ...

from 1965 to 1976. Merritt was a member of the Illinois Bicentennial Commission. He opted not to run for reelection in the 1976 general election. That year, Republican State Representative Max Coffey defeated Democratic candidate and Vermilion County State's Attorney Richard J. Doyle of

Hoopeston Hoopeston () is a city in Grant Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 4,915. History Hoopeston was laid out in 1871. It was named for Thomas Hoopes, one of the men who offered lan ...

to succeed Merritt. He also served as chairman of the Port of Chicago Commission and as chairman of the Illinois Economic Development Commission. Merritt died at the Hoopeston Community Hospital in Hoopeston, Illinois.'Tom Merritt, 80, Former State Senator,' Chicago Tribune (Illinois), Kenan Heise, December 21, 1991

Notes

Businesspeople from Illinois County board members in Illinois Republican Party Illinois state senators 1911 births 1991 deaths People from Vermilion County, Illinois DePauw University alumni Purdue University alumni 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American businesspeople {{Illinois-statesenator-stub