By Philip Winterstein, Staff Reporter.
Dr. Michael Burlingame, the Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois in Springfield, was the last to speak as a guest of the Delta College President Speaker Series.
In his presentation held on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Delta College Lecture Theater (G-160), Dr. Burlingame discussed his years of research on President Abraham Lincoln leading up to his most recent published work “Lincoln: A Life”.
Growing up in Washington D.C., Burlingame recalled working at the Library of Congress, being a ‘constant library researcher’. As he studied Lincoln, he explained, he found different methods of discovering information that had been limited in published works or hadn’t been published at all.
“Eventually, I figured that I shouldn’t just focus on the manuscripts of the early biographers,” he said. “I should also look the manuscript collections of people who served with Lincoln in Congress, people who served with him in the Supreme Court, and generals and other associates. In those collections, you can find real gold.”
Inney Prakash, 22, a Delta College student who attended the event said, “I was confused as to why he focused on defending Lincoln’s reputation as a ‘Black Martyr’.”
“Lincoln is popularly known for having been the ‘Great Emancipator’ by grade scholars across to country, whereas the civil rights leaders Burlingame suggested Lincoln be recognized alongside are largely unknown to even college-aged students.”
Another student Christian Montney, 19, is currently studying History and Political Science during his first semester at Delta. “[Dr. Michael Burlingame has] a masterful knowledge of diverse affairs in relation to Lincoln and today, and is overall a great speaker. I’m glad I got the opportunity to see him.”
After his presentation, Dr. Burlingame’s works were available to be signed and purchased by him outside the Lecture Theater.
For more information about the event, or to learn more about the Delta College President’s Speaker Series, contact Barb Handley-Miller at 989-686-9198.
