News Release

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Kicks Off 2023 Presenter Series, “Lincoln In Historical Memory”, With Guest Speaker Todd Van Beck

Date: April 3, 2023
Contact: Stacy Humphreys, [phone]

HODGENVILLE Ky – The first presenter of the year, Todd Van Beck, will kick off the 2023 presenter series, “Lincoln in Historical Memory”, on Friday, April 21, at 1:00 p.m. (EDT). This free program will take place at the Abraham Birthplace National Historical Park Visitor Center Auditorium.

Abraham Lincoln’s assassination shook the country, even after the end of a long and violent Civil War. The outpouring of grief in the country was expressed by the large crowds that paid their final respects, and his body was displayed in various cities and eventually brought back to his home in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln’s death also elevated his memory to a legendary status, in which he became the most written about of all American presidents and as a result he went from man to myth.

Todd Van Beck is an expert on the Lincoln funeral and Civil War embalming, and he will share the story of the immediate aftermath of Lincoln’s death and how he was remembered by the grief-stricken country. Mr. Van Beck has over 50 years’ experience in funeral service and bereavement care and started his career at the Heafey and Heafey mortuaries in Omaha, Nebraska. He is an expert and speaker on a wide variety of topics ranging from funeral customs and practices, burial and cremation history and trends, to bereavement counseling, sociology of death and dying, and the psychology of grief.

The theme for our 2023 presenter series is “Lincoln In Historical Memory”. Historians will shed light on how Abraham Lincoln has been remembered through time, and how his memory has changed. On August 19, Dr. John Barr from Lone Star College will present findings on Lincoln’s Critics; on October 14, Dr. Matthew Norman from the University of Cincinnati will discuss African American memory of Lincoln, and on December 16, Timothy Good, superintendent of Lincoln Home National Historical Site, will discuss how Lincoln was remembered in the nineteenth century.

For more information about the events, visit the park’s Facebook page at https:www.facebook.com/LincolnBirthplaceNPS or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/abli. Any delay or cancellation of the event will be posted on our Facebook page.
 

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