On July 1, 2025, CTPF will celebrate its 130th anniversary. Throughout 2025, CTPF will commemorate this milestone of serving members, constituents, community, and citizens of Illinois with distinction 

130th Resolution 

CTPF Trustees launched the anniversary year by passing a resolution on January 16, 2025, in honor of the Fund’s 130th Anniversary. The 130th Anniversary provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the rich history of the Fund. Established on July 1, 1895, the Fund was established as the first teachers’ pension system in Illinois and the second in the nation. The pension plan was seen as an important way to help attract and retain professional teachers and to ensure their financial stability and dignity in retirement. The Fund began with 8,000 members and today includes more than 96,000 who depend on CTPF for their financial security in retirement. Click here to read the full 130th Resolution.

Image

130th Anniversary Celebration 

On August 21, 2025, the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund (CTPF) marked its 130th Anniversary with a heartfelt celebration during the Board of Trustees meeting. The event honored the Fund’s legacy, its founders, and the educators who have shaped its journey. 

Image

State of Illinois Proclamation  
The Illinois House of Representatives acknowledged CTPF’s 130th Anniversary with a special House Resolution.

Jane Addams Living Legacy Awards 
Seven supercentenarians joined the inaugural class of the Jane Addams Living Legacy Awards. Jane Addams helped secure CTPF’s financial stability and championed shared responsibility and dignity in retirement. This award honors her legacy and recognizes our most senior members, supercentenarians who have reached or exceeded 105 years of age: 

Mary Payne (105) 

Beatrice Readus (105) 

Mildred Losee (105) 

Louise Early (105) 

Laura Franklin (107)  

Bea Lumpkin (107)  

Edith Renfrow Smith (111) 

Legacy Library Dedication 

Executive Director Carlton W. Lenoir, Sr. led the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Legacy Library. Once a storage space, the library now features a historical timeline, artifacts, and stories that enshrine CTPF’s journey from its founding in 1895 to today. 

The recording of the full meeting, including the 130th Anniversary celebration, will be available on the Board of Trustees Meeting Materials and Video page.

CTPF History Timeline: Celebrating 130 Years

130th Collection: Moments That Matter

A Records’ Day to Remember

Joel Levin reflects on a memorable Teacher Records’ Day in January 1980 at the Wilhelm K. Roentgen Educational and Vocational Guidance Center, a Chicago Public School serving students below grade level in reading and math. With a small staff and close-knit environment, Roentgen functioned like an extended family. 

On this particular Records’ Day, the routine was transformed when Principal Casimir Durava and Assistant Principal Joseph Williams announced a surprise: a professional photographer was on-site to capture a group photo of the entire working staff. The library was quickly rearranged, risers were set up, and staff from all departments assembled. After adjusting lighting and adding a chalkboard with the school’s name, the photo was taken—an enduring image of camaraderie and teamwork. 

The day continued with the usual paperwork, attendance books, report cards, and summaries—all completed manually with pens and calculators. Lunch was a logistical challenge, often resolved with a trip to Manny’s Cafeteria for quick, hearty sandwiches. The afternoon was quieter, filled with final record updates and classroom tidying. 

Roentgen hosted many such Records’ Days until its closure in 1991, when educational policy shifted toward integrating all students into neighborhood schools. Staff either retired or transferred within CPS. Levin began paying closer attention to the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund during the school’s final months. 

The building at 15 S. Homan has a storied past, originally built in 1906 for switchboard operators. After serving as a school for over 25 years, it was repurposed in 2003 as the Switching Station Artist Lofts. Though the school is gone, its name still adorns the building's entrance, just feet from the library where that unforgettable photo was taken. 

Levin dedicates this memory to all retired CPS teachers who diligently worked through countless Records’ Days. 

Wrigley Field Reflections

In July 2019, retired CPS teacher Joel Levin returned to Wrigley Field for a Cubs-Reds game—not just for the 50th anniversary tribute to the 1969 Cubs or the retro jersey giveaway, but to reconnect with his past. Levin had worked as a Frosty Malt vendor at Wrigley during the summer of 1969, the same year he began his teaching career and participated in the first Chicago Teachers Union strike. 

His goal was to reunite with fellow vendors from that era and share copies of the book he co-authored, Wrigley Field’s Amazing Vendors. One reunion stood out: David Comrov, a longtime colleague whose career in vending and CPS teaching mirrored Levin’s own. They briefly caught up, exchanging stories about teaching, retirement, and their shared history in the ballpark. 

The Cubs won in dramatic fashion with a 10th-inning home run, but for Levin, the highlight was revisiting a place filled with personal memories and reconnecting with old friends. Like the 1969 Cubs, the 2019 team faltered late in the season, but for Levin, it was a night that felt just like old times.