Suuony, Aucusr 2r,2015 T]IE AilSWER BOOK

Y.L)etcome to ... URBANA The Person: Roger Ebert The Person: Clark Robinson Griggs 1 Roger.Ebert was a film critic, journalist . and screenwriter who, Clark Robinson Griggs wgs al Urbl-na mayor, state legislator with Gene popularized 9lo1S Siskel, film viewing with their a!q.9ng of the people credited with helping bring the University PBS television show "sneak previews" and lateia syndicated of lllinois to Urbana. Griggs served trruo tbrms in tEe Massachu- ' television show'At the Movies." The first film critic tb win the setts House of Represeniitives before morinlio Urbana. Pulitzer Prize for criticism, the Urbana native's column was car- ried in more than 200 newspapers, including The News-Cazette. The Place: Urbana Free Librarv He published more than 20 books and colle-ctions of his film Located in the heart of downtorrirn Urbana at the corner reviews and launched a film festival that continues each spring of Race and Creen, the Urbana Free Library is a center modern at.the Virginia Theatre in Champaign. After a years-long stiuggie for research, a site where Urbana residents'gather for with cancer, he died just before the 20l j Ebertfest was to activities and begin. a treasure trove of local historical documents. While the librarv was.fou.nded in tB74,.the current building opened in July I 9 iB. Established in I 956, the Champaign Couity'Historical The Person: Rrthives Shahid Khan is a department of the library thathaintains a research-level A native of Pakistan, billionaire "Shad', Shahid collection,on the.history and genealogy of Champaign County. Khan attended ' the University of lllinois. Khan ln I 987, the archives were designateilihe officiai re[ository worked at the automotive manufacturing com- for non-current Champaign pany Flex-N-Gate while attending the UtlAfter County records. starting Bumper Works, which made car bum- pers for customized pickup trucks and body shop repairs, Khan bought Flex-N-Cate and helped the company to begin supplying bum- pers for the Big Three automakeis. todav rchan is the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars ind the London soccer club Fulham of the English premiei League.

The Person: Joseph Royer After serving as Urbana's city engineer, Urba- na-born Joseph William Royei established his own architectural firm in about I906. By I925, much of the architectural character of down- town Urbana and many of the homes around the city were influenced by Royer. He also designed the Champaign County Courthouse. Later the Urbana City Council established the )oseph W. Royer Arts and Architecture District to honor his contributions to the community ' and to celebrate the city's historic and architectural heritage.

The Person: Joseph 0. Cunningham Joseph Cunningham, who moved to Urbana in 1853, published the Urbana Union news- paper from I853 to I858 and was a delegate to the 1856 Republican state conven- tion in Bloomington. He was also a lawyer, county judge, writer on various legal and local subjects, and a member of the board of trustees of lllinois lndustrial Universiry the forerunner to the UniversiW of lllinois. According to Urbana City Coun- cil member Dennis Roberts, Cunni'ngham donated the land for Crystal Lake palk.

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