Gettysburg College and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History have named David S. Reynolds, author of Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times (Penguin Press) as the recipient of the 2021 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize.
Reynolds is a Distinguished Professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and also a critic, historian, and biographer who explores the intersections between culture, society, and politics. In the field of history, he highlights the importance of culture. Upholding Lincoln’s view that, “He who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions,” throughout his extensive writing career, Reynolds reveals the importance of influential outliers who have altered public opinion and thus have had a profound impact on many aspects of American life.
He will be recognized during a virtual event hosted by Gettysburg College and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History on Monday, April 19, 2021. The award includes a $50,000 prize and a bronze replica of Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ life-size bust, “Lincoln the Man.”
“Dr. Reynolds’ biography illuminates Lincoln’s transcendent words and deeds in ways that powerfully build on the author’s lifelong study of the president. But perhaps David’s most compelling contribution is how he brings to life the social, cultural, political environment that helped to shape the person Lincoln would become, and the path of progress he so masterfully forged for our nation,” said President Bob Iuliano, who is a Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize Trustee. “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times is truly an elegant work worthy of our highest honor and celebration.”