Alumnus recognized for life of achievement

November 11, 2009
By Sean Olsta
Staff Reporter

Gordon Heddell

The University of Illinois Alumni Association honored a Prairie Star this past week.  Gordon Heddell received the Alumni Achievement Award on Friday.  The award recognizes and celebrates the achievement, distinguished service, humanitarianism and loyalty of University of Illinois alumni.

Heddell is currently the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Defense.  He received his M.A. from UIS, then Sangamon State University, in 1975.  Heddell has held a number of positions in the federal government.  Two tours in the U.S. Army preceded a 29-year career in the U.S. Secret Service.  In 2001 he was given the job of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Labor.  Eight years later he moved to the Department of Defense.

Gordon Heddell’s Springfield story is an interesting one.  In September 1971 Heddell began his career in the U.S. Secret Service.  He was told to go immediately to Springfield.  The Oklahoma native packed up all of his things and drove up to Illinois with no plans on where to stay. 

With nowhere to live, Heddell got a room at the Bel-Air Motel, which still operates on 6th street.  “When I arrived in town I didn’t have a place to live, I didn’t know where I was going to spend the night.  I pulled in there and asked if I could get a room for a week, a week turned into a couple of months.”

Photo by Joan Sestak Former Secret Service employee Gordon Heddell speaks with a reporter at a media session in Brookens Library. Heddell was honored by the Alumni Association later that day.

Heddell eventually found an apartment.  Once he was settled into Springfield he decided that he wanted to get a master’s degree.  Heddell said coming to UIS was one of the best decisions he has made.

“I got absolutely top notch graduate level education here,” he said.

He said UIS helped him discover several different aspects of his life that he wouldn’t have been introduced to otherwise.  “I know I am a better Inspector General, a better public servant because of the things I was exposed to here [UIS],” he said.

Heddell said UIS is a great place to receive a public service education.  He recalled talking with people on campus being a big part of his education.

“There were a lot of people here that were in public service, or who aspired to be.  So I had the opportunity to talk to them, see what they were doing, hear some of their ideas and I was inspired,” he said.

Heddell says he uses a lot of things he learned on the UIS campus in his everyday life.  As the Inspector General Heddell has to testify before congress.  He said his UIS experience helped him big time.

“Preparing to testify before congress is like preparing for a major final exam here at UIS,” he said.

The U of I Alumni Association also gave awards to 1975 graduate Helen Dunn and 1985 graduate Robert Moore.  The award ceremony was held Friday night at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield.