By HANNAH MEISEL& JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.comArticle SummaryAfter disclosing aggressive pancreatic cancer diagnosis in February, former Republican Gov. He also served as secretary of state, counting construction of the Illinois State Library in Springfield as one of his crowning achievements. Jim Edgar, Illinois’ 38th governor who served from 1991 to 1999, died Sunday after disclosing an aggressive cancer diagnosis earlier this year. A moderate Republican, Edgar became symbolic of a near-extinct breed of GOP politics in the years since he left office. In a public appearance in Springfield on May 28 at the Illinois State Library, state leaders honored Edgar’s commitment to literacy and to the processes of government.