The McLean County League presents its Florence Fifer Bohrer Award annually to an individual or couple who exemplify the spirit of Florence Fifer Bohrer through their generous and selfless commitment to our community and to others.
Submit your nomination by September 10 using the form in the link below. The award will be presented at the October 9 Fall program.
Submit Nomination
About Florence Fifer Bohrer (1877–1960)
Florence Fifer Bohrer played a pivotal role in founding our local League of Women Voters chapter and served on the national LWV board. A true trailblazer, she was elected Illinois’ first female state senator—five years before women won the right to vote.
Throughout her two terms in Springfield and beyond, she focused on improving the lives of people. Her legislative work included helping to establish the state park system and advocating for permanent care for children with disabilities.
Locally, she helped found the Girls' Industrial Home (a precursor to the PTA), the Fairview Sanitarium (now located in today’s Fairview Park, Normal), and chaired the Emergency Relief Commission during the Great Depression. In that role, she was responsible for ensuring that over 15,000 county residents received critical support.
Florence Fifer Bohrer remains a role model of active, compassionate citizenship.
Learn more about Florence Fifer Bohrer.
Past Recipients of the Florence Fifer Bohrer Award
Below are some of our past recipients:
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Mike Matejka – Co-founder of Not In Our Town, former Bloomington City Council member, social justice advocate, and local historian.
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Judge Elizabeth Robb – Retired Chief Judge; honored for advancing civic engagement and working to make the legal system more transparent and accessible.
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Sally Rudolph – Former McLean County Board member and League of Women Voters President; contributed significantly to multiple LWV studies and served as a respected community leader.
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Barbara Stuart – Former McLean County Board member; founder of seven local organizations, community activist, and former President of the Normal Public Library Board.
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Georgene Chissell – Community activist; honored for her civic engagement through service on multiple City of Bloomington commissions, voter registration and education efforts, and as a past Bloomington City Council candidate.
Photo Above: Courtesy of the Pantagraph archive. Pictured are Mrs. Harris T. Baldwin, Florence Fifer Bohrer,Marjorie Bomberger, and Mrs. Frank Hixon; 1941 photo by Dorothy Hatfield, League of Women Voters, Bloomington, IL