Harold Holzer currently serves as the Jonathan F. Fanton Director of Hunter College's Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute and has authored, co-authored, or edited 52 books. Holzer recently received the prestigious 2017 Empire State Archives and History Award from the New York State Archives Partnership Trust. His latest major book, Lincoln and the Power of the Press: The War for Public Opinion, won the Lincoln Prize in 2015. In addition, Holzer has written more than 560 articles and reviews for both popular magazines and scholarly journals, including Smithsonian, Life Magazine, and American Heritage. Holzer served for six years (2010-2016) as Chairman of The Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation. For the previous 10 years he co-chaired the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, appointed by President Clinton. President Bush awarded Holzer the National Humanities Medal in 2008. Holzer is founding vice chairman of the Lincoln Forum, which has met annually in Gettysburg for 21 years.
The anniversary of the Gettysburg Address and the Dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery was formally designated as Dedication Day, by a joint resolution of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, on Nov. 19, 1946. Over the years, many influential and noteworthy national figures including: Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Tom Ridge, John Hope Franklin, Shelby Foote, Carl Sandburg, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Stephan Lang, Sandra Day O’Connor, Ken Burns, Stephen Spielberg and others have spoken at the ceremony to help all of us remember Lincoln’s words and to rededicate ourselves to the ideals Lincoln conveyed there in 1863.
At 10:00 am, the day's events will begin with the wreath-laying ceremony at the Soldiers' National Monument, followed by the Dedication Day Program at 10:30 am at the rostrum in the Soldiers' National Cemetery, Gettysburg National Military Park. Lincoln portrayer George Buss will recite the Gettysburg Address and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service will hold a naturalization ceremony for citizen candidates.
This event is free and open to the general public. A limited number of seats will be available to the general public, so feel free to bring lawn chairs. Parking for the event is provided at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center in Lot #3 with free shuttle service on the Gold Line Shuttle to the Cemetery. The Gold Line will operate from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. For more information visit, www.lincolnfellowship.org.
In the event of severe inclement weather, the program will relocate to the Gettysburg College's Majestic Theater, 25 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg, PA.
Tags: abraham lincoln civil war gettysburg gettysburg address gettysburg national cemetery gettysburg national military park military battlefield national cemeteries presidents monuments memorials slavery abolition reconstruction
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
