Newswise — An Oxford University historian is the first British scholar to win the annual Lincoln Prize, which is endowed by Richard Gilder and Lewis Lehrman and administered by Gettysburg College.
For his book, "Lincoln" (Pearson Education Ltd.), Rhodes Professor of American History Richard J. Carwardine will receive the first prize of $30,000 and a bronze replica of Augustus Saint-Gaudens' life-size bust, "Lincoln the Man."
"This is the biography of Lincoln the world has been waiting for," Lehrman said in announcing the prize on Lincoln's birthday, Feb. 12. "Richard Carwardine has drawn a powerful portrait that highlights Lincoln's moral convictions and his political acumen, his respect for ideas and his mastery of public opinion."
The 14th annual Lincoln Prize will also include a special $20,000 award recognizing Prof. John Y. Simon of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale for editing 26 volumes to date of "The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant" (Southern Illinois University Press).
"Prof. Simon's devotion and expertise have created an indispensable resource for this and future generations," said Prof. Gabor Boritt, director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College.
Also, Steven Hahn, the Roy F. and Jeanette P. Nichols Professor in American History at the University of Pennsylvania, was named a Lincoln Prize finalist for his book, "A Nation Under our Feet: Black Political Struggles in the Rural South from Slavery to the Great Migration" (Belknap Press/Harvard University Press).
A jury of historians recommended the winners after examining 146 submissions: William J. Cooper, Jr., Louisiana State University, chair; John F. Marszalek, recently retired from Mississippi State University; and James L. Roark, Emory University. The prize's board of trustees made the final selections. The prizes will be presented April 14 in New York.
Gilder and Lehrman, together with Boritt, established the prize in 1990. It is the nation's most generous award in the field of American history. The Gilder Lehrman Institute has amassed one of the nation's great private collections of American historical documents, recently placed on deposit at the New-York Historical Society. The institute devotes itself to education by supporting magnet schools, teacher education, curriculum development, exhibitions, and publications.
Past Lincoln Prize winners include Ken Burns in 1991 for his documentary, "The Civil War," and James M. McPherson in 1998 for his book, "For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War." Last year's winner was George C. Rable for his book, "Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!"
Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences. With approximately 2,500 students, it is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park. The college was founded in 1832.
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