CHICAGO (WICS/WRSP) — Longtime Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White was honored on Thursday.

Governor JB Pritzker, D-Illinois, has proclaimed December 12, 2019 as ‘Jesse White Day’ in Illinois.

The date has particular significance to White as it’s the 60th anniversary of the Jesse White Tumbling Team.

“Secretary of State Jesse White has set a tremendous example for all of us to follow — not just as a public servant, but as a neighbor, a mentor and a friend,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “On behalf of a grateful state, today we honor Secretary White’s dedication to lifting up our youth, to giving hope and inspiration to so many parents and families, a cause that stretches back before he ever swore an oath of office.”

White began his long public service career as a paratrooper in 1958 in the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division.

He’s held the position of Illinois Secretary of State since 1999.