Abraham Lincoln Birthday Banquet
Celebrate Abraham Lincoln's 215th birthday with us on Saturday, February 17, 2024, at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel, Springfield, Illinois. The evening kicks off with a registration and social hour at 6:00 p.m., leading to the banquet at 7:00 p.m., featuring keynote speaker Nigel Hamilton. Reserve your spot online here now or by calling Kay Smith at 217.546.2656.
Nigel Hamilton, whose credentials are unsurpassed as an analyst of political helmsmen and their military leaders, will be drawing in part on research for a dual biography of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis set for release in November 2024. Professor Hamilton, currently teaching at the McCormack Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts – Boston, was born in England and has since become a U.S. citizen. His acclaimed trilogy (2014-2019) focuses on Franklin D. Roosevelt’s tenure as a wartime president. This work followed a trilogy about Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, which inspired a documentary film. Prior to these, Hamilton authored two volumes on Bill Clinton and a revealing portrait of John F. Kennedy titled Reckless Youth (which resulted in the Kennedy family withdrawing their cooperation, thus truncating the planned trilogy).
Benjamin P. Thomas Memorial Symposium and Thomas F Schwartz Luncheon
Earlier in the day on February 17th, the Benjamin P. Thomas Memorial Symposium offers an enriching lineup:
James H. Read, author of Sovereign of a Free People: Abraham Lincoln, Majority Rule, and Slavery, will speak at 10:00 a.m.
Gordon Leidner will explore Lincoln’s leadership in Abraham Lincoln and the Bible at 10:45 a.m.
Elizabeth Leonard, Lincoln Prize co-winner, will present her new book on Gen. Benjamin Butler at 12:00 p.m.
George C. Rable will discuss his latest work, Conflict of Command: George McClellan, Abraham Lincoln, and the Politics of War, at 1:15 p.m.
A roundtable discussion moderated by Professor Michael Burlingame follows at 2:15 p.m., with a book signing at 3:00 p.m.
The Thomas F. Schwartz Luncheon will commence at 11:30 a.m. for $45.00, with a talk by Elizabeth Leonard beginning at 12 noon. Non-paying attendees may listen to the talk.
Make reservations now
Reserve your spot now online here or by calling Kay Smith at 217.546.2656.
Venue for all events: Abraham Lincoln Hotel, 7th and Adams, downtown Springfield. For accommodations, mention the ALA for a special rate at abrahamlincolndoubletree.bookonline.com or call 217.544.8800.
The Hay-Nicolay Dissertation Prize
The Hay-Nicolay Dissertation Prize recognizes and encourages young scholars in their research on Abraham Lincoln and his era. Jointly awarded by the Abraham Lincoln Institute and the Abraham Lincoln Association, the prize provides an annual $1,000 award. Initially, both organizations chose recipients, but now they alternate selection responsibility yearly. A panel of five scholars, representing each entity, acts as the jury.
This year, Evan Turiano is the laureate for his dissertation, “‘Secession’s Moving Foundation’: Fugitive Slave Rendition and the Politics of American Slavery” (The City University of New York, 2022). Currently, he is the 2024 Long-Term Fellow at the Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery, located in the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Evan's recent accomplishments include a term as the Walter O. Evans Fellow for the Study of Slavery and Race at Yale University. He earned his Ph.D. in History from the Graduate Center, CUNY, in 2022. Dr. Turiano will be recognized as this year’s Hay-Nicolay Dissertation Prize recipient at the ALA’s February banquet.