Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation
Encyclopedia
The newly reconstituted Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation is the successor organization of the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
(ALBC), which was created by Congress
and the President of the United States
to plan the commemoration of Abraham Lincoln
’s 200th birthday in 2009. The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission sunset on April 30, 2010
The foundation is committed to initiating and supporting innovative and historically meaningful national, state, and local programs that commemorate the memory and sustain the ideals and historic impact of America’s sixteenth president, particularly during the current, five-year observances of the American Civil War
sesquicentennial. Building on the ALBC’s original focus on early education, professional scholarship, online access, publications, public programs, and community-based programming, the foundation will offer support, sponsorship, expertise, and encouragement to non-profit initiatives devoted to sharing knowledge, preserving historic sites and artifacts, and engaging diverse audiences on the subjects of leadership, freedom, equality, and opportunity.
served as the original chairmen of the foundation, and steered it toward future independence. In the period immediately preceding and following the sunset of the ALBC in the summer of 2009, historians Jean Soman of Florida and Orville Vernon Burton of South Carolina, respectively, served as interim chairs of the Foundation.
In 2009 and 2010, the foundation reconstituted itself, electing an expanded board and a new chairman, historian Harold Holzer
of New York, who had co-chaired the ALBC. The foundation announced its new board and extended mission on February 10, 2011, at an introductory event at the Willard
in Washington, the hotel where Abraham Lincoln and his family resided in the ten days immediately preceding his inauguration as President 150 years earlier in 1861
The foundation also announced that it had committed in its initial round of funding to co-sponsor and provide financial support for two planned Washington-based activities and one Lincoln-related historic site in Pennsylvania
.
Accredited not-for-profit organizations and societies are encouraged to seek support and sponsorship from the ALBF for relevant projects and events. All requests that meet the spirit of the Foundation mission will be seriously and respectfully considered.
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission was the Congressionally created 14-member federal commission focused on planning and commemorating the 200th birthday of the United States' 16th president on February 12, 2009. The commission served for ten years, from 2000 to 2010...
(ALBC), which was created by Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
to plan the commemoration of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
’s 200th birthday in 2009. The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission sunset on April 30, 2010
The foundation is committed to initiating and supporting innovative and historically meaningful national, state, and local programs that commemorate the memory and sustain the ideals and historic impact of America’s sixteenth president, particularly during the current, five-year observances of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
sesquicentennial. Building on the ALBC’s original focus on early education, professional scholarship, online access, publications, public programs, and community-based programming, the foundation will offer support, sponsorship, expertise, and encouragement to non-profit initiatives devoted to sharing knowledge, preserving historic sites and artifacts, and engaging diverse audiences on the subjects of leadership, freedom, equality, and opportunity.
History
During its nine years of active existence, the ALBC created a foundation to raise private funding to support its events, publications, educational outreach, and website activities. Former U.S. Congressman Bill Gray and the late Congressman and HUD Secretary Jack KempJack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
served as the original chairmen of the foundation, and steered it toward future independence. In the period immediately preceding and following the sunset of the ALBC in the summer of 2009, historians Jean Soman of Florida and Orville Vernon Burton of South Carolina, respectively, served as interim chairs of the Foundation.
In 2009 and 2010, the foundation reconstituted itself, electing an expanded board and a new chairman, historian Harold Holzer
Harold Holzer
Harold Holzer is a scholar of Abraham Lincoln and the political culture of the American Civil War Era. He served for nine years as co-chairman of the United States Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission , appointed to the commission by President Bill Clinton in 2000 and elected co-chair by his...
of New York, who had co-chaired the ALBC. The foundation announced its new board and extended mission on February 10, 2011, at an introductory event at the Willard
Willard InterContinental Washington
The Willard InterContinental Washington is an historic luxury Beaux-Arts hotel located at 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. Among its facilities are numerous luxurious guest rooms, several restaurants, the famed Round Robin Bar, the Peacock Alley series of luxury shops, and voluminous...
in Washington, the hotel where Abraham Lincoln and his family resided in the ten days immediately preceding his inauguration as President 150 years earlier in 1861
The foundation also announced that it had committed in its initial round of funding to co-sponsor and provide financial support for two planned Washington-based activities and one Lincoln-related historic site in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
- An all-day 150th commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the National Peace Conference at the Willard (February 1861), the last major effort to reverse secession and civil war. Funding for “The Peace Convention at 150: A Call to Compromise” at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel, Washington, will help support an all-day scholarly symposium, the creation and installation of a commemorative plaque, and performance of Lincoln’s speeches by actor Stephen LangStephen Lang (actor)Stephen Lang is an American actor and playwright. He started in theatre on Broadway but is well known for his film portrayals of Stonewall Jackson in Gods and Generals and George Pickett in Gettysburg , as well as for his 2009 roles as Colonel Miles Quaritch in Avatar and as Texan lawman Charles...
. The project was initiated and is organized by the Lincoln at the Crossroads Alliance.
- Conditional support and co-sponsorship of a 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s first inauguration (March 4, 1861), scheduled for Saturday, March 5, 2011, with a ceremony and re-enactment at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center in Washington, and a luncheon program and historians’ remarks at the Willard Hotel. The event was initiated and will be organized by the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia.
- Support to help staff and maintain for one year the Historic Gettysburg Railroad StationGettysburg Railroad Station-American Civil War:Train service to the depot was stopped when Jubal Early's Confederates burned the Rock Creek trestle on June 27, 1863. The depot's telegrapher, a young daughter of "Mr...
, the landmark depot still standing along the tracks where Lincoln arrived on November 18, 1863 to deliver his most famous speechGettysburg AddressThe Gettysburg Address is a speech by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and is one of the most well-known speeches in United States history. It was delivered by Lincoln during the American Civil War, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery...
. Scheduled to be acquired by the National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, the building became a visitor destination in 2007, but was threatened with a shutdown pending NPS takeover.
Foundation board
- Harold HolzerHarold HolzerHarold Holzer is a scholar of Abraham Lincoln and the political culture of the American Civil War Era. He served for nine years as co-chairman of the United States Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission , appointed to the commission by President Bill Clinton in 2000 and elected co-chair by his...
, Rye, NY, chairman, former co-chair (with Senator Dick Durbin and Rep. Ray La Hood) of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, author, co-author, or editor of 41 books and more than 450 articles about Lincoln and political culture of the Civil War, among other honors, awarded the National Humanities MedalNational Humanities MedalThe National Humanities Medal honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities, broadened citizens’ engagement with the humanities, or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to important resources in the humanities.The award, given by the...
by President of the U.S. in 2008; Senior Vice President for External Affairs, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Dr. Darrel Bigham, Evansville, IN, professor of history emeritus at the University of Southern IndianaUniversity of Southern IndianaThe University of Southern Indiana is a public university in Vanderburgh County, Indiana. This publicly funded institution has been among the fastest growingcomprehensive state universities in Indiana. Record fall enrollment in 2010 reached 10,702...
, and Director of Historic Southern Indiana; former member of the ALBC (chair, education committee) and Lincoln States Bicentennial Task Force; author of several books; has served as president of Vanderburgh County Historical Society, Evansville Arts & Education Council, and Indiana Association of Historians.
- Dr. Orville Vernon BurtonOrville Vernon BurtonOrville Vernon Burton is a professor of history at Clemson University and Director of the Clemson CyberInstitute. He was formerly Director of the Institute for Computing in Humanities, Arts, and Social Science and professor of History and Sociology at the University of Illinois He is also a...
, Ninety Six, SC, former interim ALBF chairman, currently vice chairman; award-winning author and teacher; emeritus University Distinguished Teacher/Scholar and Professor of History, African-American Studies, and Sociology, University of Illinois; currently Professor of History and Director, Clemson UniversityClemson UniversityClemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
Cyberinstitute; also president elect, Southern Historical AssociationSouthern Historical AssociationThe Southern Historical Association is an organization of historians focusing on the history of the Southern United States . It was organized on November 2, 1934...
.
- Thomas Campbell, Chicago, IL, senior counsel at Chicago office of Baker & McKenzieBaker & McKenzieBaker & McKenzie is an international law firm, founded in Chicago in 1949 by Russell Baker and John McKenzie. It is home to more than 3,800 lawyers spread over 70 offices in 42 different countries....
law firm; noted litigator and appeals lawyer specializing in antitrust actions, mergers, mediating business disputes, and Federal Trade CommissionFederal Trade CommissionThe Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
rulings; historian of Chicago abolitionist movement; author of book on antebellum ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
; lecturer and writer on antitrust legal issues and developments; serves as Treasurer of ALBF.
- David Lawrence Jr.David Lawrence Jr.David Lawrence Jr. is a nationally known newspaper editor and publisher who retired at the age of 56 and subsequently became a leading national advocate for children, especially in the area of early childhood investment. He is the former publisher of The Miami Herald and the Detroit Free Press...
, Coral Gables, FL, retired publisher of the Miami Herald, is President of the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation, and University Scholar for Early Childhood Development and Readiness at the University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
; member, governor’s children’s cabinet, board of several childhood development organizations; former publisher of Detroit Free PressDetroit Free PressThe Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
, and editor of Charlotte Observer.
- Dr. Edna Greene Medford, Bowie, MD, professor of history and chair of the history department at Howard UniversityHoward UniversityHoward University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
in Washington; former advisor to the Lincoln Presidential Library; leading authority on African-American and U.S. 19th-century history; pioneer leader of the African Burial Grounds project, advisor to the ALBC, author of several books and well-known lecturer, winner “Order of Lincoln,” 2009.
- Antonio MoraAntonio MoraAntonio Mora has been a news anchor at WFOR-TV in Miami since 2008. Before that, he served as an anchor at WBBM-TV in Chicago from 2002 to mid-January 2008. Prior to joining WBBM, he worked at ABC, where he was the news anchor for Good Morning America. He was the original anchor for Good Day L.A....
, Miami, FL, is the evening and late-night news anchor for CBS4 in Miami, having appeared previously on ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
’S Good Morning AmericaGood Morning AmericaGood Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, and on the CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate in Chicago, where he was the first Hispanic-American to hold anchor posts in that city; earlier held news posts in Los Angeles and on TelemundoTelemundoTelemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
and ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
; a former practicing attorney, his many honors include two Peabody awards and several Emmys.
- Charles Scholz, Quincy, IL, is the former mayor of Quincy (1993–2005) and currently practices law in his hometown with the firm of Scholz & Scholz LLP; previously served as Illinois Assistant Attorney General, and as downstate political director for late U.S. Senator Paul SimonPaul Simon (politician)Paul Martin Simon was an American politician from Illinois. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1985 and United States Senate from 1985 to 1997. He was a member of the Democratic Party...
; chaired the Lincoln Bicentennial at Quincy (a Lincoln-Douglas debate site); previously served on the ALBC advisory board; serves as ALBF Secretary.
- Jean Powers Soman, Pinecrest, FL, author/editor, direct descendant of Jewish Union Col. Marcus SpiegelMarcus SpiegelColonel Marcus M. Spiegel was a Jewish officer who served in the 67th and 120th Ohio Volunteer Infantry for the Union Army in the American Civil War...
, has researched and written on his life, also researching great-grandfather Samuel AlschulerSamuel AlschulerSamuel Alschuler was a United States federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit....
, photographer of Lincoln; served on ALBC advisory board and was interim chair of ALBF; fellow of Historical Museum of South Florida, member of EZRA consortium of American Jewish Archives, advisory board of Jewish Museum of FloridaJewish Museum of FloridaThe Jewish Museum of Florida is located in two restored historic buildings that were formerly synagogues, at 301 & 311 Washington Ave., in Miami Beach, Florida. The main Museum building, at 301 Washington Ave., was built in 1936, is on the National Register of Historic Places, has Art Deco...
.
- Hon. Frank J. WilliamsFrank J. WilliamsFrank J. Williams is a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, a notable Abraham Lincoln scholar and author, and a Justice on the Military Commission Review Panel.-Biography:...
, Hope Valley, RI, former member of the ALBC, founding chairman of The Lincoln Forum, former President of the Abraham Lincoln Association and the Lincoln Group of Boston, serves as President of the Ulysses S. Grant Association, leading Lincoln collector, lecturer, editor, writer, author of more than a dozen books on Lincoln; retired Chief Justice of Rhode Island Supreme Court.
Applying for sponsorship and support
The Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation has issued a call for further requests for support, sponsorship, and endorsement, and announced that it would consider such proposals at its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings.Accredited not-for-profit organizations and societies are encouraged to seek support and sponsorship from the ALBF for relevant projects and events. All requests that meet the spirit of the Foundation mission will be seriously and respectfully considered.
External links
- Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission final report, and the initial online reports from the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation.
- [www.lincolnbicentennial.org Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation]