Front page flashback:<\/strong> April 18, 2015<\/p>\n 2015:<\/strong> Cardinal Francis George<\/a>, the first Chicago native to serve as the local archbishop and a man who during his 17-year tenure became the intellectual leader of the American church, died after a yearslong struggle with cancer; he was 78.<\/p>\n Weather records <\/strong>(from the National Weather Service, Chicago<\/a>)<\/p>\n 1934:<\/strong>\u00a0After\u00a0Nation of Islam<\/a>\u00a0founder Wallace Fard Muhammad disappeared, Elijah Muhammad assumed leadership of the Nation of Islam and moved its headquarters to the city\u2019s South Side.<\/p>\n 1945:<\/strong> Edward \u201cJim\u201d Sparling, president of Central YMCA College in Chicago, resigned<\/a> after the school\u2019s board asked him to put together a census of the student body that included race and religion. Believing the census would lead to racial discrimination<\/a>, 62 faculty members followed him. They created together a new school \u2014 Roosevelt College \u2014 named after recently deceased President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Now the school is known as Roosevelt University<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2006:<\/strong> Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan was convicted<\/a> on sweeping federal corruption charges uncovered during the federal Operation Safe Road investigation that exposed rampant bribery in state driver\u2019s license facilities while he was secretary of state as well as misdeeds as governor. Ryan was sentenced to 6 \u00bd years in prison and entered on Nov. 7, 2007. He was released on Jan. 30, 2013, then remained on home confinement until July 2013.<\/p>\n 2012:<\/strong> Dixon comptroller Rita Crundwell was arrested<\/a> on charges of misappropriating more than $30 million in city money. She pleaded guilty<\/a> in 2012 to stealing almost $54 million<\/a> over 22 years from her northwestern Illinois city, best known as the boyhood home of former President Ronald Reagan.<\/p>\n The Dishonor Roll: Meet the public officials who helped build Illinois\u2019 culture of corruption<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Authorities at the time called it the largest municipal fraud in the country\u2019s history. Crundwell used the money to finance her quarter horse business and lavish lifestyle, according to the FBI. She was released from prison<\/a> in 2021 with about eight years left on her 19 \u00bd-year sentence. Her sentence was commuted<\/a> by President Joe Biden in December 2024.<\/p>\n Also in 2015:<\/strong> Chicago schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett went on leave amid a federal probe into a no-bid contract. She later\u00a0pleaded guilty<\/a> to felony wire fraud for steering the $20 million contract to her associates at SUPES Academy (an education consulting firm where she previously worked) in exchange for the promise of up to $2.3 million in kickbacks.<\/p>\n Byrd-Bennett was sentenced to 4 \u00bd years in prison but was released about a year early, through an initiative to free inmates particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Her lawyer said at the time of Byrd-Bennett\u2019s release that she would serve the rest of her sentence on home confinement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Want more vintage Chicago?<\/p>\n Subscribe to the free\u00a0Vintage Chicago Tribune<\/a>\u00a0newsletter, join our\u00a0Chicagoland history Facebook group,<\/a> stay current with Today in Chicago History<\/a> and follow us on Instagram<\/a>\u00a0for more from Chicago\u2019s past.<\/p>\n Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather at krumore@chicagotribune.com<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0mmather@chicagotribune.com<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t![\"Chicago](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CTC-L-CARDINAL-FRANCIS-GEORGE-2015-01.jpg\")
Chicago native Cardinal Francis George, in charge of the Archdiocese of Chicago for 17 years, died on April 17, 2015. (Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n\n
![\"Elijah](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CTC-L-ELIJAH-MUHAMMAD-CONFERENCE-CT0136279465.jpg\")
Elijah Muhammad addresses a crowd at the Coliseum on Feb. 26, 1965, in Chicago. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)<\/p>\n![\"Former](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CTC-L-GEORGE-RYAN-CONVICTED-CT0021155037.jpg\")
Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan makes his way past photographers and reporters as he gets into a car outside the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on April 17, 2006. Ryan and co-defendant Larry Warner were found guilty on all counts in their federal corruption trial in Chicago. (Jos\u00e9 Mor\u00e9\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CTC-L-RITA-CRUNDWELL-CT0020254848.jpg\")
A picture of Rita Crundwell hangs among hundreds of awards on display at the former comptroller’s horse ranch in Dixon on Aug. 3, 2012. (Alex Garcia\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n\n
![\"Former](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ctc-179861665.jpg\")
Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Oct. 13, 2015. (Michael Tercha\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n