973.7L63 
 EL63822r 
 
 Lincoln Centennial 
 Association (Springfield, 
 
 111.) 
 
 A record of accomplishment 
 1909-1925. 
 
LINCOLN ROOM 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 LIBRARY 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
 
 http://archive.org/details/recordofaccompliOOIinc 
 
J[ Record of Accomplishment 
 1909-1925 
 
"TO THIS PLACE AND TO THE 
 
 KINDNESS OF THESE PEOPLE 
 
 I OWE EVERYTHING." 
 
 With these words Abraham Lincoln, 
 standing on the platform of the train 
 which was to take him to Washington 
 and the presidency, bade farewell to his 
 friends in Springfield. And with these 
 words he bequeathed to Springfield, to 
 Illinois, something more than a senti- 
 ment, something more than a motto to be 
 carved on monuments and cornerstones — 
 he bequeathed a trust, a deep and lasting 
 obligation. 
 
 With the thought of Springfield's pe- 
 culiar obligation to the memory of 
 Abraham Lincoln, the Lincoln Centen- 
 nial Association was formed and incor- 
 porated under the laws of Illinois in 
 1909. As stated then, the object of the 
 Association was "to properly observe the 
 one hundredth anniversarv of the birth of 
 
A Record of Accomplishment 3 
 
 Abraham Lincoln; to preserve to poster- 
 ity the memory of his words and works, 
 and to stimulate the patriotism of the 
 youth of the land by appropriate annual 
 exercises." 
 
 For years the principal activity of 
 the Association was the observance of 
 Lincoln's birthday. Every year men of 
 distinction came to pay tribute in his 
 home city. To name these guests would 
 require more space than can here be 
 given — suffice to say that men of supreme 
 prominence in all walks of life, of foreign 
 nations as well as of our own country, 
 have here expressed their appreciation of 
 Abraham Lincoln. Most of the addresses 
 of these guests the Association has pub- 
 lished in book form and distributed, not 
 only to its members, but also to various 
 libraries and associations throughout the 
 country. Many of them contain contribu- 
 tions of permanence and value in the way 
 of sound thinking and clear utterance. 
 
4 A Record of Accomplishment 
 
 Recent years have seen a tremendous 
 growth of interest in the life and work of 
 Abraham Lincoln. As a direct result of 
 this increasing appreciation the program 
 of the Lincoln Centennial Association 
 was considerably broadened. The annual 
 meetings on Lincoln's birthday were to 
 be addressed by men competent to make 
 distinct contributions to Lincoln litera- 
 ture, and their addresses were to be pub- 
 lished in book form. An exhibition of 
 Lincoln material was to be a part of the 
 birthday celebration. It was planned to 
 offer prizes every two years for the best 
 monograph on Abraham Lincoln, and to 
 make available in Illinois colleges 
 scholarships in return for the best work 
 of the high school pupils of the state. 
 The Association further hoped to em- 
 ploy a competent person whose work 
 would be the compilation of all possible 
 information relating to Lincoln's life 
 in Springfield, and to issue an authen- 
 tic booklet in which visitors could find 
 
A Record of Accomplishment 5 
 
 pertinent facts relating to the life of Mr. 
 Lincoln. 
 
 In addition, the Association pledged 
 its support to numerous other projects. It 
 proposed to aid the State of Illinois in 
 building up a definitive collection of 
 Lincolniana. It offered its support in the 
 production in New Salem at stated inter- 
 vals of a Lincoln play or pageant. It en- 
 couraged the construction of a paved road 
 between Springfield and New Salem. 
 And finally, it looked toward the erection 
 of suitable markers on all sites in Spring- 
 field and Sangamon county connected 
 with the life of Mr. Lincoln. 
 
 Although formulated only two years 
 ago, this program is being progressively 
 realized. In 1924 appeared the first vol- 
 ume of The Lincoln Centennial Associa- 
 tion Papers. This contained an address, 
 "Lincoln as a World Figure," by Profes- 
 sor Andrew C. McLaughlin of the Uni- 
 versity of Chicago, and a history of the 
 
6 A Record of Accomplishment 
 
 old state house, "The House of the House 
 Divided," by Mr. Henry A. Converse of 
 this city. The second volume, to appear in 
 1925, will contain papers by Doctor John 
 H. Finley, editor of the New York Times, 
 and Mr. A. L. Bowen of Springfield. For 
 the 1926 volume Professor Michael 
 Pupin of Columbia University, the 
 author of "From Immigrant to Inventor," 
 and Mr. Paul M. Angle are preparing 
 papers. 
 
 These addresses are first delivered at 
 the annual meeting of the Association in 
 Springfield on February twelfth. At that 
 meeting a collection of Lincoln material 
 is on exhibit. This collection is being fre- 
 quently augmented by donations of manu- 
 scripts and other material from friends of 
 the Association, and by the accumulation 
 of photostatic copies of letters and docu- 
 ments now in private collections. It is 
 hoped eventually to build up, either in 
 the originals or in copies, a complete col- 
 
A Record of Accomplishment 7 
 
 lection of all papers in Lincoln's hand- 
 writing — a collection which will be of 
 immense sentimental and historical value. 
 
 All the projects to which the Lincoln 
 Centennial Association pledged its sup- 
 port have been accomplished in whole or 
 in part. The State of Illinois has appro- 
 priated $50,000 for the purchase of the 
 Oldroyd collection of Lincolniana, one of 
 the most complete in the country. In se- 
 curing the appropriation this Association 
 played an important part. The State of 
 Illinois has recently completed the con- 
 struction of a paved road to New Salem. 
 A Lincoln pageant, given some time ago 
 by the Lincoln League of Petersburg, is; 
 to be repeated at New Salem in the near 
 future by the same association. And 
 practically all places in Springfield and 
 Sangamon county associated with Lin- 
 coln's life have been suitably marked by 
 the Daughters of the Revolution. 
 
8 A Record of Accomplishment 
 
 In Mr. Paul M. Angle the Lincoln 
 Centennial Association now has a full- 
 time secretary. Mr. Angle is a graduate 
 of Miami University and has done ad- 
 vanced work at the University of Illinois, 
 specializing in history at both institutions. 
 As secretary of the Association, the major 
 part of his time is being devoted to re- 
 search in the life of Abraham Lincoln. 
 He is also working on a history of the city 
 of Springfield, which, when completed, 
 will be of more than local interest, reveal- 
 ing as it will the social and cultural 
 background into which Lincoln, a rela- 
 tively young man, came, and in which his 
 capacities developed to their final frui- 
 tion. From time to time Mr. Angle will 
 take up other historical projects, and will 
 eventually exhaust the sources of Lincoln 
 knowledge in the city and neighborhood. 
 
 During the past year there has been a 
 remarkable influx of group pilgrimages 
 to the places of Lincoln interest in 
 
A Record of Accomplishment 9 
 
 Springfield. At first these pilgrimages 
 were sponsored by local civic organiza- 
 tions, but as their number increased it was 
 felt that it would be of greater benefit to 
 all concerned if one central organization 
 exercised general supervisory charge. 
 Consequently, since May 1, 1925, the Lin- 
 coln Centennial Association, sometimes in 
 sole charge and sometimes in cooperation 
 with other organizations, has been taking 
 care of the arrangements for group visits. 
 During the spring and summer months of 
 1925, approximately 2,000 persons were 
 cared for. Guide service and descriptive 
 pamphlets are furnished by the Chamber 
 of Commerce, and the Association makes 
 arrangements for meals, street car service, 
 speakers, and whatever else may contrib- 
 ute to successful visits. 
 
 In addition, the Lincoln Centennial 
 Association stands ready at all times to 
 render any possible aid to individual 
 visitors. With this purpose the Associa- 
 
10 A Record of Accomplishment 
 
 tion has published — at cost — a descriptive 
 booklet, "Lincoln in Springfield/' which 
 it is hoped will be found useful by visitors 
 seeking to reconstruct for themselves the 
 life in Springfield of Illinois' greatest 
 citizen. 
 
 The Lincoln Centennial Association invites the 
 membership of any person interested in its activities 
 as herein described. 
 
 September, 1925. 
 
PUBLICATIONS OF THE 
 
 LINCOLN CENTENNIAL 
 
 ASSOCIATION. 
 
 LINCOLN CENTENNIAL 
 ASSOCIATION ADDRESSES. 
 
 1909-1910: Addresses by Ambassador 
 BRYCE, Ambassador JUSSE- 
 rand, Hon. Jonathan P. 
 Dolliver, Hon. William 
 Jennings Bryan, Hon. 
 Charles S. Deneen, and 
 Dr. Booker T. Washing- 
 ton. 
 
 1911 : Addresses of President Wil- 
 
 liam Howard Taft, and 
 Hon. Martin W. Little- 
 ton. 
 
 1912: Addresses of Senator HENRY 
 
 Cabot Lodge, Hon. Frank 
 B. Willis and Mr. John 
 Armstrong. 
 
12 A Record of Accomplishment 
 
 1913: Addresses of Ambassador 
 
 VON Bernstorff and Hon. 
 Joseph W. Bailey. 
 
 1914: Addresses of Hon. Joseph 
 
 T. Robinson, Dr. Stephen 
 S. Wise and Hon. Percival 
 G. Rennick. 
 
 1914: Addresses of Governor ED- 
 
 WARD F. Dunne, Arch- 
 bishop Glennon, Mr. Gut- 
 zon Borglum, Rev. Sam- 
 uel Fallows and Bishop 
 William Fraser McDow- 
 ell. 
 
 1915: Addresses of Hon. James 
 
 Hamilton Lewis, Hon. 
 Lawrence Y. Sherman 
 and Bishop William A. 
 Quayle. 
 
 1916: Addresses of Dr. John Grier 
 
 Hibben and Hon. Thomas 
 Sterling. 
 
A Record of Accomplishment 13 
 
 1918: Addresses of Hon. William 
 
 Renwick Ridell, Hon. 
 Thomas Power O'Connor, 
 Hon. Addison G. Proctor 
 and Hon. Hugh S. Magill, 
 
 Jr. 
 
 LINCOLN CENTENNIAL 
 ASSOCIATION PAPERS. 
 
 Henry A. Converse, The House of 
 
 the House Divided, and ANDREW C. MC- 
 LAUGHLIN, Lincoln as a World Figure. 
 Springfield, Illinois. 1924. 
 
 A. L. BOWEN, A. Lincoln: His House, 
 and JOHN H. FlNLEY, The Education of 
 Abraham Lincoln. (To appear in 192.?.) 
 
LINCOLN CENTENNIAL 
 ASSOCIATION BULLETINS. 
 
 Bulletin Number One, October, 1923. 
 Address of David Lloyd-George. 
 
 Bulletin Number Two, June, 1925. 
 Letter of Brand Whitlock. 
 
 Bulletin Number Three, September, 
 1925. A Lincoln Trip to old Kentucky. 
 
 SOUVENIR BOOKS. 
 
 The following well known works have 
 been printed for the Lincoln Centennial 
 Association in specially bound limited 
 editions: 
 
 Wayne Whipple, The Story Life of 
 Lincoln, Philadelphia, 1908. 
 
 EDWIN ERLE SPARKS, Ed., The Lin- 
 coln-Douglas Debates of 1858 (Collec- 
 tions of the Illinois State Historical 
 
A Record of Accomplishment 15 
 
 Library, Volume Three), Springfield, 
 Illinois, 1908. 
 
 J. T. HOBSON, The Lincoln Year 
 Book, Dayton, 1912. 
 
 Alonzo ROTHSCHILD, Lincoln, Master 
 of Men, Cambridge, 1912. 
 
 Frederick Trevor Hill, Lincoln the 
 Lawyer, New York, 1913. 
 
 JAMES BRYCE, Ed., Speeches and Let- 
 ters of Abraham Lincoln, London and 
 New York, 1907. 
 
 Francis Fisher Browne, The Every- 
 day Life of Abraham Lincoln, Chicago, 
 1913. 
 
OFFICERS. 
 LOGAN HAY ------ President 
 
 Mary Humphrey - - Vice-President 
 
 J. H. HOLBROOK - - - - Treasurer 
 
 George W. Bunn, Jr. - - - - 
 
 - - - - - Honorary Secretary 
 
 PAUL M. ANGLE - Executive Secretary 
 
 Office of the Secretary: Sangamo Club. 
 
 Office Hours: 8:30-9:30 A. M.; 1:30- 
 
 2:30 P. M. 
 
 DIRECTORS. 
 Philip Barton Warren 
 Frank O. Lowden 
 George Pasfield 
 Logan Hay 
 Jacob Bunn 
 Pascal E. Hatch 
 Arthur D. Mackie 
 J. Paul Clayton 
 Henry M. Merriam 
 Alice E. Bunn 
 
 Edward D. Keys 
 
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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
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