John H. Perkins, Weinberg ’43 and a life trustee of the university, died of natural causes Sept. 21 at his Winnetka home. He was 83.
A native of Chicago, Perkins grew up in Evanston and attended Evanston Township High School. He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and earned an honors degree in economics.
“Northwestern really made everything possible,” said Robert G. Perkins, one of Perkins’ three sons. “It gave him the training and the credentials to enter the business world after he graduated.”
Perkins began his career at Continental Illinois National Bank, once Chicago’s largest bank, as a trainee following his discharge from the Navy in 1946. After receiving a degree from the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin in 1952, he was promoted to senior vice president overseeing the bond department in 1965. He was elected president of both Continental Bank and its holding company in 1973 before retiring a decade later.
Perkins was a key adviser to Illinois governors Richard B. Ogilvie and James R. Thompson. He also advised Chicago mayors Richard J. Daley, Michael A. Bilandic and Jane M. Byrne.
In 1971 Perkins was elected to NU’s Board of Trustees in 1971 and became a life trustee in 1992. He also served on the board’s Educational Policies and Appointments Committee and the Alumni Relations and Development Committee.
“He liked being involved at Northwestern,” his son said.
While a student at NU, Perkins worked at the university bookstore to pay for school. He also met his wife, Len Perkins, Weinberg ’45, at NU in 1942. The couple married two years later.
Perkins was a member and chairman of the John Evans Club and president of the NU Club of Chicago. He also served as chairman of The Great Teachers Campaign for Endowed Chairs in Weinberg. NU awarded him a Service Award in 1970 and a Merit Award in 1977. His son Robert remembered him as a “straightforward, unprogrammed person” who loved golf, reading and traveling. A devoted father, Perkins traveled with his family throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia.
“He would do anything for his family,” Robert Perkins said. “He gave great advice, was interested in everything we did, but didn’t want to tell us what to do.”
John Perkins is survived by his wife, Len; their three sons, John “Hal” Jr. of Seattle, Robert of Chicago and Reed of Amherst, Mass.; and two grandchildren.
Reach Andrea Chang at [email protected].
