National Endowment for the Humanities awards Lincoln Studies Center $850,000 grant

Do you hear it?

Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!

What is it? It’s the sound of Lincoln scholars around the world celebrating the largest educational grant awarded this year by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to an educational institution. And, it’s going to an entity on the Illinois prairie where the legacy of Abraham Lincoln is alive and well.

Digging into Lincoln
Since the founding of the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College in 1998, the center’s co-directors Rodney O. Davis and Douglas L. Wilson, have been working hard to make Abraham Lincoln primary source material more accessible to the masses. Yet, their collaborative work on Lincoln goes back at least a decade earlier, and their footsteps down the hallowed halls of Old Main tread back nearly four decades to the early 1960s.

Old Main at Knox College is remembered, even revered, as the place where, on Oct. 7, 1858, thousands of people gathered to hear one of the great debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas.

Davis and Wilson, both Distinguished Service Professors Emeritus at Knox, first shared their love of history and literature with Knox students in the classrom. Yet, when they retired from teaching, their work didn’t stop. Instead, they dug in even deeper.

Their first major project under the auspices of the Lincoln Studies Center was the Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress, which includes more than 20,000 documents from Lincoln’s presidential years.

Even before that huge undertaking, the pair had sifted through the work of Lincoln’s law partner, Billy Herndon, to publish previously hard to find and nearly impossible to read documents in one volume, Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements about Abraham Lincoln. This 1997 University of Illinois Press publication is invaluable to Lincoln scholars.

Each of the two have done numerous other Lincoln- related works, many of which are award-winning. If you find a Lincoln scholar who tells you their work hasn’t been touched by the Lincoln Studies Center, I’d question the depth of their research.

“We the People” project
The Lincoln Studies grant is awarded through the NEH “We the People” program. “We the People” is designed to encourage and enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history, culture, and democratic principles.

The grant does have one stipulation. Over the next five years, Knox must raise $2.5 million in matching funds.

According to an article on the Knox website, the funding “will establish a permanent endowment for the Lincoln Studies Center, providing long-term support of the directorship of the Center – intended as a position of distinction for a major scholar in Lincoln studies – and enabling program enhancements, including the addition of a new staff position and the dissemination of primary sources pertaining to Lincoln and Lincoln scholarship to scholars, students and the general public.”

Board includes leading Lincoln experts
The Lincoln Studies Center’s Board of Advisors is comprised of eight accomplished Lincoln scholars, who each serve four-year terms. If you study Lincoln at all, you’ll recognize many familiar names – people who’ve contributed much to the studies of our 16th president and continue to help keep the legacy alive - both on today's board and earlier ones as well.

The current board includes:

• Michael Burlingame
• William C. Harris
• James M. McPherson
• Edna Greene Medford
• Matthew Pinsker
• Gerald J. Prokopowicz
• John R. Sellers
• Ronald C. White, Jr.

Past board members include:

• Gabor Boritt
• Collum Davis
• Jennifer Fleishner
• William E. Gienapp
• Allen C. Guelzo
• Harold Holzer
• Robert W. Johannsen
• William Lee Miller
• Lucas E. Morel
• Philip S. Paludan
• Mark E. Neely, Jr.
• Thomas F. Schwartz
• John Y. Simon
• Kenneth J. Winkle

What you can do
If this is good news to you and if you’ve reaped the benefit of the Lincoln Studies Center’s work in doing your own research, you may want to say “thanks” with your own financial gift. Though $2.5 million is a huge number and it will take some large gifts to make it happen, every little bit helps – not only to match the grant, but to help Lincoln scholars for generations to come.

Even though my work on Lincoln is just beginning, I already see the value of the Lincoln Studies Center and the work they do there. I dropped my check in the mail yesterday. Won’t you join me in helping to meet the match?

The college plans a national fundraising effort, but if you’re like me and you want to say congratulations with your own gift now, here’s a link to the Knox Office of Advancement webpage, where you can find contact information. Just be sure you include a note to indicate you want your funds to go to the Lincoln Studies Center NEH match.

And, you can do two more things:

• Next time you see Rodney Davis or Doug Wilson on the Lincoln circuit, say “Congratulations – and thanks for all you do!”
• Drop a note to the NEH to thank them for their investment in this worthwhile cause and their bicentennial birthday gift to Lincoln.

The day Lincoln got canned

Think you’re about to read a story about Abraham Lincoln getting fired from a job? Think again. That title was just a hook to draw you in so you’d read about a fun project, which will also put food in the bellies of those who need it in Central Illinois.

Read all about a construction project featuring three Lincoln-related sculptures made of cans – and if you’re in Springfield, stop by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum by May 3, 2009 to see the Canstruction.

Build your own Illinois building
And, while you’re at it, don’t miss this story about an Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and Old State Capitol project where you can print kits to build your favorite Lincoln-related buildings – something as simple as one of the Lincoln-Berry store at New Salem, requiring only two pieces of card stock, or as elaborate as the Old State Capitol, with 41 pieces of card stock in all.

As for me, I’ll be printing and building Knox College’s Old Main so I can display it below my William Gray watercolor print of the site of the 1858 Galesburg Lincoln-Douglas Debate. A plaque on that building inspired Carl Sandburg to write about Lincoln, culminating with his six-volume biography. The story, the historic edifice and the print have inspired me for more than 25 years in my studies of Lincoln and Sandburg.

May you, too, always find inspiration to follow your dreams.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Lincoln’s friends in the media

In 1864, Abraham Lincoln said of a local newspaper, “The Journal paper was always my friend; and of course its editors the same.” I do believe even today, 145 years later, Lincoln would still say the same about this Springfield paper, now called The State Journal-Register. If you’ve been watching online, their bicentennial coverage has been incredible. Please continue to watch their website and read the printed version where it’s available for all the latest in Lincoln news, especially of the happenings in Springfield.

Media back then not always so kind
Back in Lincoln’s day, the media wasn’t always as kind as they are today. In many cases, they were just out-and-out mean and nasty to that tall, awkward fella from Illinois. I recently heard a speaker muse that he wondered if the press could get away today with what they did then. Lincoln really was bashed – in articles, letters to the editor and cartoons. Next time you’re at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, check out the slanted room – a magnificent, but troubling symbol of the way the media portrayed him.

Cheerleader and friend
Today, though, that Illinois newspaper’s not Lincoln’s only friend in the media. If he were to repeat that compliment now, it would surely include another entity. I do believe Lincoln would say, “The Journal paper and C-SPAN were always my friends; and of course the paper’s editors and the network’s founder the same.”

You know, I’m not really sure if it’s C-SPAN founder and Chief Executive Officer Brian Lamb’s personal passion for Lincoln that propels the network to devote so much interesting and educational programming to Lincoln and Lincoln-related books, places and events, or if it’s that he’s such a smart businessman who knows people need and want to hear stories that inspire. One thing’s for sure – Lincoln does inspire.

Not always a C-SPAN fan – or any other
Mr. Lamb (and the rest of the world via the worldwide web), I have a confession to make. I’m not a TV person. Okay, it’s out – sort of like making a confession to a 12-step group.

It all started when I was a little kid. Sometimes we had a TV, but poor reception, other times, the one we had didn’t work. That was okay, though. You see, we didn’t need one. We had books – and games – and imaginations. And, yes, some of those books were about Lincoln – and some of the things we imagined were days in a one-room schoolhouse.

So, when I attended the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum opening in 2005, I barely knew what C-SPAN was all about. I didn’t watch it – any more than I watched any other television station.

C-SPAN and Lincoln
I remembered that in 1994 the network had produced a reenactment of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates at Knox College in my old hometown of Galesburg (Ill.). I remembered that the deli in the grocery store where I worked* had catered the box lunches for the event, and I could even tell you most of what they had in those boxes. You see, it interested me – not because there were some with turkey sandwiches and some with ham, not because they contained a serving of a deli salad, a bag of chips, a cookie and a drink.

It interested me because Old Main, that historic building which I sometimes drove by on my way to work as a grocery clerk like Lincoln - and where Sandburg paused on the way to his milk route and was inspired to tell the Lincoln story - had been selected as the place where the C-SPAN documentary would keep history alive.

Again in 2005, C-SPAN was at it – this time documenting many of the events surrounding the opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. They covered the symposium with 23 Lincoln scholars and the dedication ceremony with President George W. Bush and other dignitaries speaking, including a lesser-known public servant, a Senator named Barack Obama. Did you know you can still watch that ceremony today online? It’s just as inspiring to hear both Presidents, Senator Dick Durbin, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and others speak online today as it was in Springfield on that historic April day.

The debates and the Museum opening aren’t the only ways Lamb and his network honor Lincoln. Through the years, a number of Lincoln authors have been invited to speak about their books on Booknotes, Book TV and Q & A.

Just recently Lamb and Susan Swain came out with their own book based on many of those interviews, Abraham Lincoln: Great American Historians on Our Sixteenth President.

For some time now, C-SPAN has dedicated a website to Lincoln in celebration of his 200th birthday. You’ll want to be sure to visit it, as there are hours and hours of Lincoln programming there and more to come.

Don’t get too far from your TV this next week, as C-SPAN is sure to be covering many of the Bicentennial events. Will I turn the TV on now? ‘Fraid not, but I won’t miss their coverage.

Once again, as in 2005, I’ll be there to savor firsthand the events they’re filming. Then, when I return home from Springfield, I’ll be able to watch some of them over and over on C-SPAN online. I hope you join me.

If only all of us could be so lucky to have friends as loyal as Lincoln’s. I have been.

* The Galesburg store where I worked, Giant Foods on East Main, is now closed, but was my first career. Even then, my dream of someday studying a former store clerk from New Salem was alive and well. As I counted the office each morning, I paused on the rolls of pennies, savoring the symbolism they represented, and thought to myself, “Someday I’m going to write about Lincoln…” And I am! (Lincoln’s not my only subject, though. Sometimes I write from the heart. When the store closed, I did just that. Even though I wasn’t living my dream back then, those days weren’t wasted. Read why.)

For Lincoln scholars heading to Springfield

Within the next few days, Lincoln scholars from hither and yon will be boarding airplanes, getting in rental cars and finding themselves in cities across the country, all with one common goal – to share their passion for and knowledge of the 16th President and join in the celebration of his 200th birthday. Many will be heading to the heart of Illinois to celebrate Lincoln’s birthday in the town he called home for most of his adult life, Springfield.

I’ll be there, too.

To those who devote their lives to Lincoln
I’ve met a number of you before – or at least have heard you speak. I was at the opening symposium for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the Lincoln Colloquium at Knox College last fall. I've attended a number of Lincoln lectures in Central Illinois. I hope to meet even more of you next week.

I don’t have a firm itinerary yet, but I’d love to visit with any who have a few minutes to share their perspective on Lincoln and the celebration with my readers. If you’re interested, please reply in the comments section of my blog with your email address or preferred contact information. I moderate all my comments and won’t post your personal contact information.

I’ll be back in touch within 24 hours to acknowledge your message and in touch again once my itinerary is firm.

Thanks to all of you for coming to Illinois to make the celebration even more special, and thanks in advance for getting back with me.

Boy, has research changed!

It's been 14 years since I graduated from college, and 38 since I started the first time. No, I didn't go to school for 24 years straight. I took some time off after my first two years - and appreciated the experience much more the second time around.

Now, I'm back in the classroom again, and it still feels right. What amazes me the most this time, though, is how technology has changed the whole research experience in just these few short years since I was last in school.

Google, Noodle, J-Stor. If you'd have thrown these names at me a few years ago and told me I'd be singing their praises today, I'm sure I would have looked at you with furled brow and questioning eyes. Tonight, as I pull my paper together, I don't know what I did without these and the other electronic tools which make research so much easier and sources so much more accessible.

Searching funky things
Google is my search engine of choice, and thanks to a tip through a YouTube clip on Samuel P. Wheeler's website, Google Books is becoming my best friend. To think that there are books you can search right from the comfort of your computer at midnight or 5:00 a.m. just blows me away.

Noodle is this neat tool which creates your citations for you. I'm still learning it, but a little cutting and pasting into a template, and all the formatting is done for me - indents and all. No longer will I need that little blue term paper guide I've been using since the nuns introduced me to it back when I started high school in 1966 - nor will I have to fight with the tab key on my keyboard.

For years, when I walked into the Galesburg Public Library, just a couple blocks from the site of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debate or Seymour Library on the Knox College campus just a couple buildings from Old Main, I headed straight to the Reader's Guide to Periodicals or the card file. Now, I can find all the articles I need online through J-Stor and borrow books from other libraries through I-Share. Everything is so much more accessible today, thanks to these tools I'm privileged to use as a Heartland College student.

I even found newspapers articles about Lincoln through Wheeler's site. It's all so incredible!

Pluses and minuses
The pluses - you can find everything you're looking for and so much more.
The minuses - you can find everything you're looking for and so much more.

That's right, once you get started on a research project, you can really go to town. In the past, you'd scrounge to find a few sources accessible through the libraries nearby, call it quits and do the paper with what you could find. Now it's all at your fingertips.

But, once you get started on a research project, you don't know where to stop. There is so much available, and there are so many different points of view. There is so much myth and so much scholarship and it's so addictive.

You know some of the paths you've stumbled on today will be paths you'll have to leave untrodden today, but your heart tells you you'll be back. The bug of scholarship has bitten. You'll do this paper, within the scope you set for yourself, but you'll return. You'll seek out those other trails, you'll cut the brush aside just like those early settlers to Illinois and you'll move forward on that next Lincoln project, knowing it, too, will just lead to one more. Now I know why those Lincoln scholars I admire do what they do. They can't help it either!

© Copyright 2008 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Shedding light on Lincoln’s darkness

Currently I consider myself an Abraham Lincoln enthusiast, thus the blog name “Lincoln Buff 2.” I hope someday to earn the title “Lincoln scholar.” To do so will take lots of hard work, years of reading and researching, and the mentoring and respect of Lincoln scholars who have come before me.

I’ve had the blessing of hearing a number of Lincoln scholars speak, and have even had a chance to meet a few. One of my hopes in this blog is that I can introduce you to some authors and scholars in the Lincoln community who inspire me - and tell you about their work.

Meet Joshua Wolf Shenk
I’ve already told you about Rodney Davis and Douglas Wilson of the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College and Harold Holzer of the United States Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in earlier postings. Today I’d like to introduce you to Joshua Wolf Shenk and his book, Lincoln’s Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness.

Lincoln as most know him
I think it’s safe to say that most Americans know the legendary Lincoln – the young boy born in a log cabin in Kentucky, who later lived in some little village somewhere in the middle of Illinois, had little schooling, read by the light of a fireplace, ascended to the presidency, led our nation at its most difficult time and delivered a battlefield address which is probably studied in school more than any other oratorical work.

What the more astute students of Lincoln know, though, as it is covered again and again in varying degrees in his biographies, is that Lincoln had dark moments – very sad and solemn times. In his day, it was known as melancholy or melancholia. Today, we call it depression and we understand it’s a mental health issue faced by many.

A dual discipline approach to Lincoln
Joshua Wolf Shenk had the honor of serving as a Rosalynn Carter Fellow in Mental Health Journalism at the Carter Center in Atlanta. While there, he began his studies on Lincoln’s depression. Lincoln’s Melancholy is unique in the approach it takes to Lincoln’s life. Shenk takes a multi-discipline approach, combining his knowledge of and interest in mental illness with his expertise in the life of Lincoln.

As you read Shenk’s book, you’ll not only learn about Lincoln and how his depression affected his life and presidency, but you’ll also learn about mental illness, a condition which impacts one in five families in America.

I had the opportunity to hear Shenk speak this summer at two appearances in Peoria, Ill. He held us spellbound as he spoke with sincerity and depth about our 16th president and the depression which darkened his life. His book is comprehensive and educational without overwhelming the reader with medical jargon. If I had a chance, I’d see go hear Shenk yet again, and I’d recommend his book to any Lincoln buff.

© Copyright 2008 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Learning with Lincoln

Forgive me for not posting for a few days. I've been busy learning with Lincoln -- and with so many others who forged the path before me.

Lincoln - the student or the teacher?
I'm currently working on my term paper for my class at Heartland College. My topic is Lincoln and his mentors. I spent this weekend doing lots of online research and reading in books about the teacher at New Salem, Mentor Graham. Though Lincoln was already an adult at New Salem, his schooling to that point had been less than a year.

Lincoln befriended the village teacher, Mentor Graham, or perhaps Graham befriended him. Either way, as Lincoln delved into his studies - of grammar, of surveying, of law - and read books on a wide range of topics, Graham was there. If the sources I'm reading are to be believed, the two also spent hours discussing many of the topics which would be important or confusing to Lincoln throughout his life - internal improvements, slavery, religion.

The primary book I read today, Mentor Graham: The Man Who Taught Lincoln, by Kunigunde Duncan and D. F. Nikols, was written in 1944, and much of it may be anecdotal, based on myth, stories told by minds that have reshaped them, and hearsay. Yet, I came away believing that there were two students here. I think Graham learned as much in many ways as his student did.

Lincoln Studies Center and Lincoln Studies.com
Those of you who have been following my blog know how much I admire, laud and appreciate the work of the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College. Drs. Rodney Davis, Douglas Wilson and their colleagues do amazing research there and have made invaluable contributions to the study of Lincoln. One work alone, Herndon's Informants, is perhaps one of the most valuable tools for any Lincoln scholar's bookshelf. I could devote several posts to their work and likely will.

I found another valuable research tool this weekend, though. There is an ambitious young PhD candidate at Southern Illinois University, Samuel P. Wheeler. Wheeler has created a website titled Lincoln Studies: Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War, which is out of this world in getting students of Lincoln to the sources they need. His Research Links section takes you to nearly any online source possible without the access provided by colleges and universities to their students, including thousands of newspaper articles about Lincoln. Wheeler’s site, http://www.lincolnstudies.com/, was a big help to me this weekend. I know I’ll use it over and over again.

Can’t go wrong
Whether you’re seeking the experience Drs. Davis and Wilson have accumulated over nearly half a century, or the sources to which a budding scholar will guide you, remember two words – Lincoln Studies – and seek both as valuable contributions to your work in the world of Lincoln. I will.

Be like Lincoln - Read

If you were asked to name a characteristic of Abraham Lincoln's, what would it be? His honesty is always up there at the top, but so is his love of the written word. I can't ever remember a time when "Lincoln" wasn't synonymous with "voracious reader" in my mind.

There are more books written about Lincoln than anyone except Jesus Christ. I've provided a list of books you can read to learn more about our sixteenth president. The list now links directly to a source where you can order each one.

U of I Press keeps history alive
A number of books about Lincoln are published by the University of Illinois Press, a publishing house with a passion much like my own - keeping regional history alive. Therefore, whenever possible I'll link directly to the U of I Press website. For books published elsewhere, I'll normally take you to a major bookseller's website.

My blog booklist
You won't find the same books listed each time you visit my blog. The list is constantly evolving. I plan to feature books by authors or on subjects which relate most closely to my recent posts.

The book I'm currently reading will always be at the top. For now, that's David Herbert Donald's Lincoln. We're using it as the text in the Lincoln course I'm taking at Heartland College in Bloomington, Ill. Get used to seeing that one listed through early December.

Now featuring Davis and Wilson
For the next few days, the list will also feature books by Rodney O. Davis and Douglas L. Wilson of the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill. Their names and faces have been familiar to me for almost as long as Lincoln's. Drs. Davis and Wilson are my hometown heroes, as much as Ronald Reagan, Carl Sandburg, Mother Bickerdyke or Superman himself (George Reeves). And they stepped up the hero ladder even more this past weekend when they did a magnificent job hosting the Twenty-Third Annual Lincoln Colloquium. Read my Oct. 11 post to learn more about this great event.

As I transition to a hyperlinked book list, you'll find two lists for a while. May you find something listed here you've not yet read, and in reading, may you discover another morsel or two of Lincoln knowledge you haven't yet discovered. Happy reading!

© Copyright 2008 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Lincoln Colloquium educates like 19th Century lyceum

In Lincoln’s day, they didn't have television, Wii, iPod, Illini football, major league baseball playoffs – Cubs or no Cubs – or most of other things which occupy our time today.

The events for which communities joined together were much different in 19th century Illinois. People found their entertainment in spending time with others. Some of the gatherings which brought people in droves to nearby communities for social and intellectual interaction were things like the spring and fall circuit court sessions and the great debates.

The lyceum movement in Lincoln's day
Another pastime of the day was joining together to hear men who presented speeches through Lyceum groups. In his book, Lincoln, David Herbert Donald speaks about the lyceum movement:

"This was the golden age of the lyceum movement, when men and women thronged the lecture halls and listened for hours to speakers who might edify, enlighten or, at least, amuse them."1

Modern day lyceum
I attended my own lyceum of sorts on Saturday, Oct. 11. I spent the day listening to six renowned Lincoln scholars celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates with their rhetoric. The Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois hosted The Twenty-Third Annual Lincoln Colloquium, in cooperation with Lincoln Home National Historic Site, The Indiana Historical Society, and the Chicago History Museum.

Knox’s Harbach Theatre holds about 450 people when it’s full. Those who were willing to wager a guess figured there were about 400 people there – a number of other Lincoln scholars, high school teachers, college professors, students – young and older, senior citizens and other interested parties from near and far.

Orators do Lincoln proud
Lincoln wasn’t there to try his hand at speaking, but these six orators would have given him a run for his money if this had been a competition. Their passion for their subject was genuine, and they held the audience as spellbound as Lincoln and Douglas surely did when they debated on the east side of Old Main that blustery Oct. 7, 1858.

Today’s sessions began with remarks from Knox College President Roger Taylor and Douglas L. Wilson, followed by papers presented by David H. Zarefsky, Rodney O. Davis, Allen C. Guelzo, James M. McPherson and Garry Wills. Between them, these scholar-authors hold two Pulitizer Prizes, five Lincoln Prizes, four Abraham Lincoln Institute Awards and a plethora of other honors – an impressive lot for sure.

Symposium for the ages - Springfield 2005
In 2005, when the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum opened, I took advantage of the opportunity to hear more than 20 of the top Lincoln scholars speak, many of whom were at Knox today – and I even got to meet Brian Lamb of C-SPAN.

Lincoln scholars - tops in my book
I thought then, and I still feel now, that Lincoln scholars are some of the most sincere, supportive people I’ve ever met. As I meet more of them, I’m even more convinced I was correct. I'm not sure if Lincoln just attracts a certain type of person, or if, by studying him, his sincerity, concern for his fellow mankind and search for truth come through in the scholar, but there's just something about his group you understand best when you're in their midst.

I think “Honest Abe” would be proud to know that such genuine people are keeping his legacy alive. (Did you know he really didn’t like to be called “Abe”?)

I'll write more reflections on the day in future blog entries. For now, my strongest reflection is this:

The colloquim was magnificent. I met lots of people who’ve made significant contributions to the Lincoln world. I was edifed, enlightened and amused. (Professor Guelzo's reponsible for the amusement. He can be hilarious!)

Learn more about the lyceum movement
To learn more about the lyceum movement in Lincoln’s day, read Dr. Donald’s Lincoln. There are several references throughout the book.

1Donald, David Herbert, Lincoln, Jonathan Cape, London, 1995, p. 164.

© Copyright 2008 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Congratulations to The Order of Lincoln honorees

This week we learned of 30 people from around the world who will receive a special Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial edition of The Order of Lincoln, the highest honor awarded by the State of Illinois. Those chosen will be honored for the lasting and significant ways they have preserved the memory of Abraham Lincoln, and have contributed to Lincoln’s defining influence on the American spirit.

I've had the pleasure of meeting several of these people or hearing them speak at the symposium when the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum opened or at other events. I list those people here and offer them my congratulations and my personal thanks for their contributions to the Lincoln legacy.

A special thanks - Davis, Holzer, Wilson
Three people deserve special thanks for always answering my Lincoln questions: my special friend Harold Holzer, co-chair of the U.S. Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and author of books on Lincoln and the Civil War, as well as Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis, Lincoln authors and co-founders of the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.

Harold has encouraged me every step of the way on my Lincoln journey, answers my questions patiently and inspires me with his passion for Lincoln. Drs. Wilson and Davis are my hometown Lincoln scholars, so their work has always been near and dear to me. They, too, are always there for me. I'm blessed.

Honorees I've met or heard speak
Congratulations to those who have mesmerized me as I heard them speak about Lincoln:

• Jean Harvey Baker, Mary Todd Lincoln biographer and Harwood Bennett Professor
  of History at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Gabor S. Boritt, author and editor of 16 books on Lincoln and the Civil War, and
  Robert Fluhrer Professor of Civil War Studies and Director of the Civil War Institute
  at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
• Richard J. Carwardine, Lincoln biographer and Rhodes Professor of American
  History at Oxford University, England.
• Thomas F. Schwartz, Illinois State Historian, internationally renowned Lincoln
  expert, and key planner of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
• Louise Taper of Beverly Hills, California, renowned Lincoln collector, exhibit organizer, and John Wilkes Booth author and collector.
• Frank J. Williams, Lincoln author and collector, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island.

And to one I get to meet this coming Saturday:

• Allen C. Guelzo, author of books on Lincoln and the Civil War, and Henry R. Luce Professor of the Civil War Era at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

To all the rest
To the others nominated, my sincere congratulations as well. Thank you for your part in keeping Lincoln alive in our memories and our hearts.

http://www.thelincolnacademyofillinois.org/press/pr10-06-08.pdf

© Copyright 2008 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.