The Hon. William J. Bauer ’49 was a widely respected and accomplished federal judge and former U.S. attorney, as well as an Elmhurst University alumnus and trustee emeritus. He passed away on Dec. 15 and services are planned for early January of 2026. He was 99.
Bauer served as DuPage County state’s attorney and as a federal prosecutor before being appointed to the federal bench in Chicago—first to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1971, and three years later to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where he served until 2022, including seven years as chief judge. Over his lengthy career, Judge Bauer built a reputation for integrity, humility and pragmatism, and was deeply dedicated to guiding rising generations in the profession of law.
Bauer also was an active alumnus and longtime Elmhurst University trustee, joining the Board of Trustees in 1976 and serving in leadership roles on several committees. A generous donor to his alma mater, Bauer established and supported a number of scholarships, including one for juniors and seniors interested in entering the legal profession. He also was an adjunct faculty member and played host at major alumni events.
In 2012, he and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bob Woodward spoke on campus at a public event titled “The Pursuit of Truth and Justice in America,” a wide-ranging conversation about politics, the media and the criminal justice system.
The University awarded Bauer the Alumni Merit Award in 1966, an honorary doctor of laws degree in 1969 and the Founders Medal in 2015.
“William Bauer’s distinguished career, his commitment to his work and family, and his constant, generous spirit will always serve as a great source of inspiration and pride for all of us in the Elmhurst University community,” said President Troy D. VanAken.
Born in Chicago in 1926, Bauer moved with his family to Elmhurst in 1941, where he attended Immaculate Conception High School. After graduating from then-Elmhurst College in 1949 with a bachelor’s degree in history, he earned a law degree from DePaul University and became an assistant state’s attorney in DuPage County, where he was elected state’s attorney in 1959. Bauer’s judicial career began in 1964, when he became a DuPage County circuit judge.
In late 2010, the DuPage County Judicial Office Facility Annex in Wheaton was renamed for Bauer. The following year, $50,000 was raised to pay for a statue of Bauer, which stands outside the building. An exhibit about his life and career opened in the annex in 2015.
Bauer’s first wife of 56 years, Mary “Mike” Bauer, died in 2006. Bauer is survived by his second wife, Cook County Circuit Judge Patricia Spratt; two daughters, Pat Bauer and Lin Bauer; a granddaughter; and two great-grandchildren.
Visitation for Judge Bauer will be held on Sunday, Jan. 4, from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.; and on Monday, Jan. 5, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., at Gibbons Funeral Home, 134 S. York Rd., Elmhurst. A Mass of Christian Burial will be said at 9:30 a.m. in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 134 Arthur St., Elmhurst. For more information, please call (630) 832-0018 or visit gibbonsfuneralhome.com.