Benjamin P. Thomas Symposium

The Benjamin P. Thomas Symposium of the Abraham Lincoln Association will take place February 11-12, 2019 in the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois.

The opening address will be delivered by Professor Brian Dirck of Anderson University at 6:00 pm (CST), Monday, February 11, 2019. His latest book, The Black Heavens: Abraham Lincoln and Death (SIU Press), will be published February 6.

On February 12, at 11:00 am, Ron Keller, history professor at Lincoln College, will discuss Lincoln’s state legislative career. His book, Lincoln in the Illinois Legislature (part of the Concise Lincoln Library, SIU Press) will be published in April. Professor Matthew Pinsker of Dickinson College will examine Lincoln’s leadership and party politics. Pinsker is the author of Boss Lincoln (W.W. Norton & Co., forthcoming).

At 1:00 pm the annual Thomas F. Schwartz Luncheon and Lecture will take place in the Lincoln Atrium of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. The speaker will be journalist and author, Nicholas J.C. Pistor. His recent book is Shooting Lincoln – Mathew Brady, Alexander Gardner and the Race to Photograph the Story of the Century (Da Capo Press, 2017).

Also on February 12th, the Banquet celebrating the 210th Birthday of Abraham Lincoln will feature Dan Abrams, the chief legal affairs anchor for ABC News. Abrams is the New York Times best-selling author of Lincoln’s Last Trial – The Murder Case That Propelled Him to the Presidency (Hanover Square Press). Also that evening, the Abraham Lincoln Association will present its Lincoln the Lawyer Award to Floyd Abrams, renowned Constitutional attorney and First Amendment advocate (and also the father of Dan Abrams). The Banquet will take place at the President Abraham Lincoln Springfield DoubleTree Hotel (cocktails, 6:00 pm; dinner, 7:00 pm).

For more information, contact Jessica McPeek, ALA Executive Manager at 217-LINCOLN (546-2656) or [email protected].