Don't Miss Lincoln Flag on Display in Gettysburg
The Lincoln Flag is on loan at the Historic Gettysburg Railroad Station for just a few more days. The flag, which was used to cradle President Lincoln's head after he had been mortally wounded on the night of April 14, 1865, will be available to be viewed by the public during the Railroad Stations normal hours, which are from 10 am to 4 pm daily from November 16th through the 21st. Admission is free. The flag is on loan from the Pikes County Historical Society, located in Milford, PA. This exhibit is sponsored in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. See more information on the flag.
Dedication Day November 19, 2009
On the morning of November 19th Academy Award-winning actor, Richard Dreyfuss, spoke at the Dedication Day ceremonies at Soldiers' National Cemetery. Celebrated for his roles in films like American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and The Goodbye Girl, Richard Dreyfuss has been a lifelong student of history--with a particular and keen interest in the Civil War. With Harold Holzer, he has performed the words of Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant at venues in New York, Los Angeles, and Illinois. Dreyfuss is an ardent student of American history and has been involved in various documentary projects, including The Great Battles of the Civil War and Lincoln.
A former board member of the National Constitution Center, Dreyfuss now leads a think tank and advocacy group devoted to restoring the teaching of civics to the nation's classrooms. Meanwhile, he continues to perform in major plays and films, including roles as figures of history--most recently as former vice president Dick Cheney in Oliver Stone's W. Dreyfuss is a Senior Associate Member of St. Antony's College University of Oxford and founder of the "Dreyfuss Initiative," a non-profit organization which strives to restore the teaching of civics to K-12 grades.
"For the People"
World Premiere at the Majestic Theater
"For the People" an oratorio composed and conducted by John William Jones, a senior faculty member in the Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College was performed to a standing room only crowd at the Majestic Theater. The oratorio was narrated by Stephen Lang, distinguished actor of stage and film, and performed by the Spires Brass Band with Kathleen Sasnett, Jeffrey Fahnestock, Roosevelt Credit, the Sunderman Conservatory Woodwind Octet and the Victorian Dance Ensemble. Commissioned by the PA Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, the oratorio was dedicated to the Civil War Institute in celebration of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial.
2009 Michael Shaara Prize for Fiction 
The 2009 Michael Shaara Prize was awarded to Nick Taylor by Jeff Shaara for his novel, The Disagreement. The presentation took place at the Majestic theater the evening of November 19th prior to the Fortenbaugh Lecture. A professor at San Jose University, this is Taylor's first novel. Click the links to see his full biography, or to visit the book's official website.
The Michael Shaara Prize for Excellence in Civil War Fiction is named in honor of Michael Shaara, author of The Killer Angels. The prize was started in 1997 by Jeff Shaara, Michael's son, and is awarded annually on November 19th - the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address - in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
CWI Theme Announced
"The Election of 1860"
June 27 - July 3, 2010
The Union Must and Shall Be Preserved
Library of Congress c.1860
New Addition to the Program: Former Senator George McGovern will speak on his new book, Abraham Lincoln (part of the American Presidents Series).
The theme for the 2010 Civil War Conference was announced Thursday, June 25th to an eager audience. We will be studying the "Election of 1860" considering the politics of the day, introducing the "characters" surrounding the election, and Secession with historians Michael Burlingame, Allen Guelzo, Matthew Pinsker, Michael Holt, Craig Symonds, and others. Our full day tours will include trips to Harpers Ferry with Dennis Frye and Ed Bearss and Ford's Theatre and museum. The half day tours will concentrate on Gettysburg. Don't miss this week of scholarly pursuit and fun. To hold your place send in a registration form along with a $50.00 non refundable deposit.
Dedication Day 2010 named one of the Top 100 Events to attend by the American Bus Association
The American Bus Association has named Dedication Day one of the Top 100 Events to attend in North America for 2010. Tina Grim, Executive Administrator for the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College, Ronald Hankey, President of the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania, and Katie Lawhon, Spokesperson for the National Park Service at Gettysburg, whose organizations are all co-sponsors of Dedication Day, where presented the award by Norris Flowers, President of the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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