Washburn was born in
Morris, Illinois on April 25, 1921. During
World War II he served as a pilot in the
United States Marine Corps. He went to
North Central College and
University of Illinois. In 1946, Washburn became the youngest countywide official in the county's history when he was elected the County Treasurer for
Grundy County, Illinois. After his term as County Treasurer, he held positions with the
Office of the Illinois State Superintendent, the
Office of the Illinois State Treasurer, and the
Office of the Governor of Illinois. In 1976, Washburn ran for the
United States House of Representatives from
Illinois's 15th congressional district. He lost the five-way Republican primary to
Tom Corcoran, who would go on to beat
Democratic incumbent
Tim Lee Hall. Washburn served as Director of the
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. In 1981, he was elected the first full-time mayor of Morris, Illinois. He served for three terms before losing reelection in 1993. Washburn died in Morris, Illinois on August 8, 2007. The airport in Morris, IL is named in his honor. ==Notes==