The Lincoln Leadership Prize Dinner
More than 350 civic and corporate leaders gathered on February 9, 2012 in support of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The highlight of this inspirational evening was the presentation of the prestigious Lincoln Leadership Prize to the former President of Poland, Lech Walesa. In his poignant acceptance speech, President Walesa recounted his journey from work in the massive Lenin shipyard at Gdansk, Poland, to the first democratically elected president in Poland’s postwar history. His lifetime commitment to individual equality, reform and democracy also shined through in his thoughtful and insightful words.
Proceeds from this very special night will support the Museum’s effective educational and cultural programming.
PJH Contacts: Kellie McGinnis, Kate Somen & Christy Sherding e-mail
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is the premier repository for materials relating to the history of the Prairie State. The Illinois State Historical Library was created in 1889 by the Illinois General Assembly, which charged the new library with collecting and preserving “books, pamphlets, manuscripts, monographs, writings, and other materials of historical interest and useful to the historian, bearing upon the political, religious, or social history of the State of Illinois from the earliest known period of time.”
More than a century later, the mission is continued at the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. The Library is a public, non-circulating research facility that contains material on all aspects of Illinois’ history. Particularly noteworthy are the Library’s holdings in published resources, manuscripts, newspapers, audiovisual, and Lincolniana.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is a division of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. In addition to the Library, the Agency oversees state and federal preservation programs in Illinois and manages 58 state-owned historic sites and memorials.