The 1970 Illinois Constitution, the fourth charter in the state’s history, is the product of prodigious effort by many Illinoisans who wanted Illinois to have a modern constitution. No one played a greater role than Samuel Weiler Witwer.I got to know Sam in 1970 when he was the president of the Sixth Illinois Constitutional Convention and I was a research assistant. We became friends and remained so until his death on Sept. 13, 2008.In his later years, he would reminisce with me about his public life, which was …