Gettysburg College presents enhanced Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture on Nov. 19 as part of ‘Lincoln at Gettysburg’
Gettysburg College’s enhanced Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture on Nov. 19 features historian Matthew Pinsker and the Wind Symphony performing “Lincoln Portrait,” narrated by Bruce Boxleitner, commemorating Lincoln’s enduring words and legacy.
Gettysburg College’s Department of History and Civil War Institute will present the 64th Annual Robert Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture at the historic Majestic Theater on Thursday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. The event, featuring a special performance by the Sunderman Conservatory’s Wind Symphony, is part of “Lincoln at Gettysburg: Shall Not Perish,” a commemoration of Dedication Day and the delivery of Abraham Lincoln’s immortal Gettysburg Address.
The Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture is presented annually on Nov. 19, the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. This year’s featured speaker is Matthew Pinsker, Brian Pohanka Chair in American Civil War History at Dickinson College. Pinsker is also director of the House Divided Project, one of the nation’s most popular educational initiatives on 19th-century U.S. history.
Pinsker’s lecture is entitled “Twelve Score and Ten: Lincoln, Gettysburg, and America 250.” The lecture will offer new insights about the partisan context behind Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address from Pinsker’s recent book, “Boss Lincoln,” and suggest ways it might help modern Americans navigate their own “unfinished work” during the America 250 anniversary.
Matthew Pinsker is the Brian Pohanka Chair in American Civil War History at Dickinson College.
Following Pinsker’s remarks, the Sunderman Conservatory Wind Symphony will perform Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait” with narration provided by actor Bruce Boxleitner. Commissioned in 1942 by conductor André Kostelanetz during World War II, the work combines evocative music with Abraham Lincoln’s own words, including passages from the Gettysburg Address.
Boxleitner, whose career spans more than five decades, is widely recognized for his roles in “Tron,” “Babylon 5,” and “Scarecrow and Mrs. King.” Boxleitner’s connections to Gettysburg include his appearances in filmmaker Bo Brinkman’s “A Gettysburg Christmas” and “Gettysburg: 1863,” in which he portrays Gettysburg College founder Samuel Simon Schmucker.
Tickets for the Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture are free, but must be reserved online, in person at the Majestic box office (25 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg, Pa., 17325), or by calling 717-337-8200.
The Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture is part of the wider community commemoration of Dedication Day and America’s 250th anniversary. From Nov. 16-19, the town of Gettysburg will welcome visitors from across the nation for “Lincoln at Gettysburg: Shall Not Perish,” presented by the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania and Gettysburg National Military Park.
Following immersive programming on the first two days, history will come alive with the arrival of President Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by actor Billy Campbell, at the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18. A welcome ceremony at 5:30 p.m. will feature remarks from local dignitaries, including Gettysburg College President Bob Iuliano, on stage at the square in town.
The following day, Thursday, Nov. 19, at 10 a.m., Lincoln will process down Baltimore Street to the Soldiers’ National Cemetery and deliver the Gettysburg Address. Joining him will be a contingent of celebrities, including Boxleitner, Casey Thomas Brown, and Bo Brinkman, donning the guises of impactful historical figures who took part in the dedication of the cemetery in 1863.
Iuliano will join the procession, portraying former College President Henry Baugher, who offered the benediction before Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.
Visit Lincoln at Gettysburg to learn more about the week’s programming and reserve your free tickets to attend the week’s events.