Michel Biography
Key dates in Robert H. Michel's life and career.

In the Shadow of Watergate: Bob Michel Becomes a Congressional Leader
An 8,000 word essay about Bob Michel's first contest for a formal leadership post in the House of Representatives, the chairmanship of the National Republican Congressional Committee, in 1973.

Abraham Lincoln and the Illinois Congressional District
As part of the Bicentennial Celebration of Abraham Lincoln, the Dirksen Congressional Center is pleased to present a version of the Lincoln legacy through the eyes of two members of Congress, Everett McKinley Dirksen and Robert H. Michel, who later represented the central Illinois congressional district that once sent Lincoln to the House of Representatives.

Anatomy of a Congressional Leadership Race
In December 1980, Republicans in the House of Representatives chose Robert H. Michel of Illinois as their leader, the Minority Leader of the House, a position he held until retiring in 1995.  Anatomy of a Congressional
Leadership Race uses historical materials contained in the Robert H. Michel Papers housed at The Dirksen Congressional Center in Pekin, Illinois, to describe the contest.

Bob Michel:  Reflections on a Career in Congress
On June 25, 2005, former House Republican Leader Bob Michel and his successor and former chief of staff, Ray LaHood, appeared at the Bertha Frank Performing Arts Center in Morton, Illinois, for an evening of “personal reflections” about their combined 50 years of service representing the 18th congressional district.

Michel Leadership Statements
Statements by Robert H. Michel upon his election as Republican Leader of the House, 1980-92, and the announcement in 1993 of his decision not to seek re-election to the House.

Michel Photographs
Photographs of Michel and with presidents.

"Quotations from Leader Bob"
During the processing of Bob Michel's papers, staff discovered several copies of a compilation of quotes from Mr. Michel, bound in a red cover. The quotations are arranged, as they are in the booklet, alphabetically by subject.

Michel Papers Collections
The Robert H. Michel Collection, first acquired by The Center in 1989 and supplemented over the years, is currently being processed.

The Republican Congress:  A Manifesto for Change in the House of Representatives
In January 1992, the Republican minority issued a document designed to outline how the Republicans would govern should they obtain the majority. Fifteen Republicans contributed to the project, each writing an essay on a different topic.  For example, Leader Michel entitled his, "What I Would Do as Speaker of the House."

A Blueprint for Leadership: Office of the Republican Leader, April 16, 1993
In the Spring of 1993, House Minority Leader Robert H. Michel prepared A Blueprint for Leadership.  "The challenge of our new situation," he wrote, "is to shape the Republican view of America, tell the American people what we believe in, and fully utilize our legislative skills to implement our vision."  He hoped the document would serve as study guide for Republican
action, outlining areas of policy responsibility, mechanisms for communication, and structures for implementation.

Bob Michel Interviewed about His Career in Congress
C-SPAN's American Political Archive features a January 2005 interview with former House Minority Leader Bob Michel (R-IL) conducted by historian Robert Remini for his book "House: The History of the House of Representatives." This recently released interview was done by Remini after he was commissioned to research and write a narrative history of the U.S. House of Representatives.

A Tribute to Congressman Bob Michel
Bob Michel was honored for his public service and advocacy on behalf of veterans on April 21. A crowd of several hundred attended an event naming the Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic after the former Republican Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. The three-minute, 22-second video clip provides basic biographical information about Michel.