Abraham Lincoln Scholar Richard Nelson Current Passes Away

A NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE LINCOLN FORUM

DEAN OF LINCOLN SCHOLARS RICHARD NELSON CURRENT DIES AT AGE 100

The Executive Committee of The Lincoln Forum announces with profound sadness--along with great gratitude for a long life well lived--the passing of a founding member, peerless mentor, and major inspiration. The long-reigning "dean of Lincoln scholars"--a title he deservedly held for decades--Richard Nelson Current, died in Massachusetts on Friday, October 26, twelve days after his 100th birthday.

Richard Current, born October 5, 1912 in Colorado City (now a part of Colorado Springs), CO, earned his BA from Oberlin, his MA from The Fletcher School of Diplomacy at Tufts, and his PhD from the University of Wisconsin. Over a long and distinguished career in academia, he taught at Rutgers, Hamilton College, Northern Michigan University Lawrence University, the University of Illinois, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and the University of Wisconsin. He also served as a Harmsworth Professor of History at Oxford and a Fulbright Lecturer. As most members know, for 17 years the Forum's annual award of achievement has borne his name--a sign of our respect, affection, and gratitude for his original and steadfast support of our organization. Though too frail in recent years to attend our annual symposia, his presence remained keenly felt--and we will continue to strive to live up to his example of great scholarship and great friendship.

Among Richard Current's many seminal works on Lincoln were: The Lincoln Nobody Knows and Lincoln and the First Shot. He completed J. G. Randall's multi-volume Lincoln biography with the magisterial Lincoln the Man: Last Full Measure, which won the coveted Bancroft Prize. He also won a Logan Hay Medal from the Abraham Lincoln Association and a lifetime achievement Lincoln Prize. His other books included Speaking of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln's Loyalists, Those Terrible Carpetbaggers and Loie Fuller: Goddess of Light--which he coauthored with his beloved wife, Marcia Ewing Current.

The Lincoln Forum family extends its sincerest condolences to our longtime dear friend, Marcia. Knowing that a genuine giant and dear friend has left us, we feel that we share her loss.

Lincoln Forum Cruise

JOIN THE LINCOLN FORUM FOR A HISTORIC SUMMER CRUISE

The Forum is pleased to announce special amenities and early registration for a unique riverboat cruise aboard the historic "American Queen" August 30-September 7, 2012, where the Forum's Frank Williams, Harold Holzer, and George Buss will interpret Abraham Lincoln on a special Civil War sesquicentennial voyage dedicated to his life and times.

Details on this amazing opportunity are below.

The Lincoln Legacy aboard the Grande American Queen From Vicksburg to Louisville August 30 - September 7, 2012 With historians Frank Williams and Harold Holzer and George Buss as President Abraham Lincoln.

Please join Frank Williams and Harold Holzer on this Civil War sesquicentennial commemorative cruise in luxurious style as we cruise the great Mississippi and scenic Ohio Rivers.. After a four-year hiatus, steamboats are back on the river and what a fitting venue for us to reflect upon our 16th president and his presidency during these turbulent times. As you relax in luxury we will offer onboard talks, mixed with music and activities befitting a steamboat. The American Queen offers all of the modern amenities and conveniences with the ambiance of a by-gone era where time moved more slowly and people mingled together without the rush of modern society.

President Lincoln (George Buss) himself will be aboard to offer his own insights and answer your questions. And the talented 97th Regimental String Band will enthusiastically and professionally offer music of the time period, including an evening of "Music Lincoln Loved". At the end of the cruise a traditional period Cotillion will be hosted by the 9th and whether you choose to dance, or simply watch, it will be an event to remember.

The American Queen offers all meals and snacks, wine and beer with dinner, sumptuous dining prepared with regional foods by acclaimed southern Chef Regina Charbonneau. A complimentary shore excursion is offered in each port (Memphis, Helena and Henderson).

As a Lincoln Forum member you will be entitled to additional group benefits such as prepaid gratuities, a $100 onboard credit, and a private cocktail party. You will also have a choice to stay at a luxury hotel in either New Orleans, Jackson, MS or at the end of the cruise in Louisville. To receive these benefits you must join our special group arranged by Charlene Corris at Custom Travel Concepts. And, for each booking made in this group she will make a contribution to the Lincoln Forum.

To receive details, pricing, and to make your reservation please contact Charlene Corris at 866-956-4440 or email her at histours@aol.com.

Lincoln Forum on C-Span

I received this email from the Lincoln Forum recently and thought I would share for any interested readers. Sorry I didn't get it posted before the first airing though. Still time to see some interesting discussions though.

Dear Lincoln Forum Member:

The Executive Committee, Board of Advisors, and staff want to thank you again for setting new records at the sold-out Lincoln Forum XVI symposium. For those who want to see some of this year's stellar presentations on C-SPAN--and for those eager to view what they may have missed--here is the schedule so far:

Each broadcast is Saturday at 6 PM and repeats the next morning (Sunday) at 11 AM on American History TV, C-SPAN 3.

• December 17 - William Seale, "Life in the Lincoln White House"
• December 24 - Stephen Berry, "The Todd Family at War With Themselves"
• December 31 - Jason Emerson, "Robert Lincoln: First Son, Presidential Confidant, and Civil War Soldier"
• January 7 - Victoria Ott, "Southern Women View the North and Lincoln"
• January 14 - Lincoln Forum Panel, "Why Didn't the War End in 1861?"

Jack Davis' superb opening-night address already ran--without notice to us, unfortunately. Look for it in re-broadcasts.

Other talks--and this year's panel--will be scheduled later in January, and we will send another email blast with broadcast information.

We hope you can celebrate the holiday season by tuning in to the Lincoln Forum. All of us wish you a wonderful new year.

Betty Anselmo
Administrator

16th Annual Lincoln Forum Announcement

I received this information today from the Lincoln Forum regarding the 16th Annual Lincoln Forum. They have lined up a great slate of speakers. Looks like it will be a good time!

16th ANNUAL LINCOLN FORUM

TO EXPLORE 1861 WASHINGTON , D.C. —

WILL FOCUS ON THE LINCOLNS
AT WAR AND AT HOME

Actor Stephen Lang to Evoke Military Heroes of the Era;

Living Legend Ed Bearss to Deliver Keynote Address

( GETTYSBURG , APRIL 1, 2011)—The roiling Civil War home front—and how secession and rebellion changed the capital city of Washington for the Lincoln family, for women, for African Americans, and for the first citizen-soldiers who volunteered to fight for the Union—will be the theme when scholars, students, and aficionados gather for the16th annual symposium of The Lincoln Forum this fall at Gettysburg. Forum XVI will take place from November 16-18, 2011 at the Wyndham Hotel.

Broadway and film star Stephen Lang (A Few Good Men, Gettysburg , Gods and Generals, and Avatar) will appear at the final session of the symposium to remember the heroes of war in highlights from his acclaimed one-man performance piece, Beyond Glory, a tribute to Medal of Honor recipients.

The three-day gathering will mark the 150th anniversary of Northern and Southern mobilization for war in 1861—and is the latest program in the Forum’s five-year-long observance of the Civil War sesquicentennial.

Frank J. Williams, Chairman of the Forum, announced that a distinguished roster of both new scholars and old favorites would be on hand to explore a wide range of intriguing subjects relating to the year 1861. Presenters will include iconic Civil War battlefield guide Ed Bearss, former chief historian of the National Park Service, who will deliver the keynote address on the evening of November 18.

“The year 1861 brought enormous changes to both the North and the South,” commented Chairman Williams, “not only on the front lines but in the back yards of an America in crisis. We want this second consecutive Civil War sesquicentennial gathering to fully illuminate the details and nuances of this domestic revolution, and how it affected both the most famous and the most ordinary of our citizens, none of whom was ever the same again. We are pleased and proud to be presenting a highly original theme with a superb faculty of gifted writers and talented speakers. This is bound to be one of the most provocative and unforgettable symposia in years.”

In addition to Lang and Bearss, Forum XVI presenters will include William C. (“Jack”) Davis, biographer of Jefferson Davis and author of books on the Confederacy and Lincoln; longtime White House historian William Seale , whose two-volume history of the presidential mansion has just been re-issued in a new and updated edition; experts on the Todd and Lincoln families, Stephen Berry and Jason Emerson ; authors Michael J. Kline and Thomas Craughwell, whose books have won both critical acclaim and popular audiences; and Victoria Ott, a scholar of the role women played in the wartime North and South. Historian and journalist Adam Goodheart, whose first book, 1861: The Civil War Awakening, looks at the first year of the war from the perspectives of the country’s leaders and followers alike, will make his Lincoln Forum debut.

Among the historians who will participate in the annual panel discussion—this year’s theme is “Why Didn’t the War End in 1861?”—will be Forum Vice Chairman Harold Holzer (panel moderator), Chairman Williams, and historians Craig L. Symonds, John F. Marszalek, Thomas Horrocks, and Adam Goodheart. This year’s session moderators will include historians Edna Greene Medford , and Joseph Fornieri.

Two of the nation’s busiest and most popular Lincoln presenters, James Getty of Gettysburg and George Buss of Freeport , will offer readings of two of Abraham Lincoln’s 1861 masterpieces: his condolence letter to the parents of Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth, and his July 4, 1861 message to a special session of Congress. By tradition, the Forum will present its two coveted awards: the Richard Nelson Current Award to an outstanding individual, and the Leonard Wells Volk Award for an institution that has made a major contribution to preserving Lincoln history and memory.

Finally, for the second year in a row, the Forum will offer attendees the opportunity for either a battlefield tour—this one with Ed Bearss—or participation in small, no-holds-barred breakout sessions with participating historians, moderated by journalist Linda Wheeler of the Washington Post and Civil War Times; Everett and Antigoni Ladd of Gettysburg’s Tigrett Corp.; Ron Keller of Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois; and Daniel Weinberg of Chicago’s Abraham Lincoln Book Shop. As a bonus, Wyndham executive chef Claude Rodier will join Chairman Frank Williams—himself a master chef who has appeared on many TV cooking shows—to prepare Lincoln-era menus in a first-come, first-served (literally!) program entitled: “Dining Inside the White House.”

Early reservations are encouraged for what promises to be another sell-out symposium. Registration forms have been sent to all Lifetime Members and Annual Members who are current with their dues. The form will be posted on The Lincoln Forum website at the end of May. Hotel reservations must be made separately—and mention the Forum to obtain special rates.

Newsletter Review--The Lincoln Forum

The Lincoln Forum Bulletin. The Lincoln Forum. Issue 28, Fall 2010. 12 pages.

Another fine edition from a first rate organization. The lead article announces Mark Neely as being named the winner Richard Nelson Current Award of Achievement. Among his other works Neely is known for his Pulitzer Prize winning work The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties.

Other articles include an update on the Elizabeth Keckly Project, how New York helped Abraham Lincoln win the 1860 election, a memorial to member Budge Weidman, a longer article on Robert Todd Lincoln's love of golf, and a very interesting article written by John Marszalek and Ryan Semmes concerning Lincoln related items in the Ulysses S. Grant Association which is now located at the Mitchell Memorial Library at Mississippi State University.

If you are interested in Abraham Lincoln this is a group you might want to consider joining.

2010 Lincoln Forum Symposium Registration

I received this email reminder today about the upcoming 2010 Lincoln Forum Symposium that will be held in Gettysburg. Looks like a great group of speakers will be there.


REGISTRATION STILL AVAILABLE-BOOK NOW



The 15th Annual Lincoln Forum Symposium
"The Coming of the Civil War: Enter Lincoln, Exit the South"


Featuring Mark E. Neely, Jr., John Marszalek, Craig Symonds, William Freehling, Gary Ecelbarger, Harold Holzer, Frank J. Williams, Edna Greene Medford, and Peter S. Carmichael


Plus Panel Discussions, break-out sessions, author book-signings, Lunches, Dinners, tours, & James Getty and George buss performing Lincoln's history-changing words

Year One of a Five-Year Focus on the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2010 - 2015)

November 16 - 18, 2010
The Wyndham Hotel
95 Presidential Circle
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
(717)339-0020
(866)845-8885 (toll Free)

For more information about registration and hotel reservations, please visit our website at www.thelincolnforum.org,
EMAIL NOW AT admin@thelincolnforum.org or call Betty Anselmo at (401)624-3722

Newsletter Review--The Lincoln Forum Bulletin

The Lincoln Forum Bulletin. Issue 27, Spring 2010.

I recently received the spring 2010 Lincoln Forum Bulletin published by The Lincoln Forum.

The cover article of this issue deals with the upcoming annual symposium that will be taking place in November. Please see the link for further information. Also included is a nice spread of photos from last years event and also an article detailing attendees ratings from last years event. Speaker Ronald White, the author of A. Lincoln: A Biography, appears to have been the hit of the event scoring the highest marks. Looks like a great time. Hopefully I'll get to go at some point.

A nice article written by Jane Gastineau talks about the new homes for the Lincoln Financial Collection. Items are now housed at the Indiana State Museum and also at the Allen County Public Library. The Allen County Public Library also has plans to digitize the more than 20,000 books and pamphlets, several thousand photos, and over 10,000 pages of 19th century newspapers. It sounds like great work is being done here and anybody interested in President Lincoln should be thankful.

Elizabeth Keckly, an African-American seamstress who worked in the Lincoln White House and was a close friend of Mary Lincoln, is also given attention. The Lincoln Forum, the Black Women United for Action, and the Surratt Society joined forces to mark the grave of Ms. Keckly in National Harmony Memorial Cemetery in a May 26th ceremony. National Harmony Memorial Cemetery became the final resting place for approximately 37,000 remains from the historically black Columbian Harmony Cemetery in the late 1950's. From what I can tell the original cemetery was moved due to construction of a metro station. See this site for more information.

The Lincoln Forum has also published a new book: The Lincoln Assassination: Crime & Punishment, Myth and Memory, edited by Harold Holzer, Craig Symonds, and Frank Williams.

As with everything this group does the newsletter is top notch. Professionally edited and printed with excellent photos. If you are interested in Abraham Lincoln I can highly recommend this organization.

 

Lincoln Forum announcement

I received this link from the Lincoln Forum today. Join the Rhode Island Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission  for a trip with "Abraham Lincoln" to the Blackstone Valley. Learn more about the train ride here. Sounds like it could be a fun time.

Abraham Lincoln on C-Span

I recently received the following from the good people at the Lincoln Forum. Looks like a couple of interesting shows.

Greetings!
Airing on C-Span 3 – Sunday, January 17th at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)

“President Lincoln's Humor” with Richard Carwardine

Richard Carwardine's presentation to the Lincoln Forum from November 17th, 2009 delivered at the 14th annual Lincoln Forum, “The Lincoln Bicentennial, Part II” held at the Wyndham Hotel in Gettysburg, PA.


Airing on C-Span 2 – Sunday, January 17th at 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)

“Lincoln at the Crossroads” with Frank J. Williams

Frank J. Williams discussed the history of books about Lincoln and why new things can be learned about the 16th president at a dinner program held at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C. by the Lincoln at the Crossroads Alliance.


For more information, please visit C-Span's website at www.c-span.org

Newsletter Review--The Lincoln Forum Bulletin

The Lincoln Forum Bulletin. Issue 26, Fall 2009.

I recently received the new issue of the Lincoln Forum Bulletin published by the Lincoln Forum. This is only the second issue I have received but I have been impressed by both. The quality of the writing as well as the physical quality of the newsletter are above most.

The lead article this issue is titled Sandra Day O'Connor Earns the Lincoln Forum Award of Achievement. In addition to being the first woman Supreme Court justice O'Connor has written several books, chaired the 2007 400th anniversary of Jamestown, founded the website OurCourts.org, and was the featured speaker at the 1998 Gettysburg ceremony honoring the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's speech dedicating the Soldier's National Cemetery. This just scratches the surface of the achievements of this remarkable woman.

Further articles include News From the Lincoln Bicentennial: The Celebration Continues, Abraham Lincoln: Made in New York which focuses on the New York Historical Society exhibition titled Lincoln and New York, Lincoln Briefs: Recent News and Notes, and The Lincoln Forum Scholarship Essay. A full page article titled In Memoriam: William Safire, Merrill Peterson, Milton Metzler memorializes these great writers. The back cover article is titled Rededicating A National Landmark: The Lincoln Memorial at Four Score and Seven. This briefly discusses the ceremony that took place 87 years after the original dedication of the Lincoln Memorial. The issue wraps up with New on the Lincoln Bookshelf, which contains brief overviews on nine new Lincoln books.


The article I may find most interesting though is a very brief one titled Thanks for Family which discusses the reality of the Lincoln family in light of the scene painted by Francis Carpenter (shown at left). It discusses how this painting was really pieced together as a "composite dream of what might have been had the Lincolns lived ordinary lives around the dinner table." The main pose is based upon the famous Matthew Brady photo of the president and son Tad. Mary provided photos of herself, Robert, and her late son Willie from which Carpenter was to work. The work is still popular today and is included in the NYHS exhibit and is also available for purchase as a fine art print.

Yet again a nice newsletter from a fine organization. If you are interested in Lincoln this is an organization you should consider being a member of.

Newsletter Review--The Lincoln Forum Bulletin

The Lincoln Forum Bulletin. Issue 25 Spring 2009. 12 pages.

I just recently joined the Lincoln Forum and received my first issue of The Lincoln Forum Bulletin. This is a nicely done newsletter that puts forth news from one of the premiere Lincoln groups in the country. Well edited by perhaps the premiere Lincoln scholar of our time Harold Holzer this is definetely a keeper.

The cover article for this issue deals with the upcoming November Symposium. This is to be a three day event and have Supreme Court Associate Justice (ret.) Sandra Day O'Connor as the keynote speaker. Others scheduled to attend include 2009 Lincoln Prize winners James McPherson and Craig Symonds, Ronald White, Adam Gopnik, Fred Kaplan, Lewis Lehrman, Louise Taper, Harold Holzer, Catherine Clinton, amongst others. Suffice to say there will be plenty to do including a tour of the newly opened Wills House, thought to be where Lincoln composed the final draft to his Gettysburg Address. The symposium will only accomodate 300 attendees so get your reservation in quickly. If you need extra encouragement there is a two page spread of photos showing the fun from last years event.

Also included are rememberances for John Hope Franklin and David Herbert Donald. Both are sorely missed already. There is an article regarding Barrack Obama using the same bible as Abraham Lincoln for taking the oath of office. A nice article on the Lincoln Bicentennial Commision and new President Obama is included. There is also a great 2 page spread discussing nearly 30 new books dealing with Abraham Lincoln. This is a great reference to help weed through the mountain of new releases that are coming out.

Overall a very nice newsletter that I'll be glad to receive even though I wish there were more than two issues a year.