The Lincoln Club of Delaware
Starting as an informal group in 1929, The Lincoln Club of Delaware was formally established in 1941 as a non-partisan organization to promote a better understanding of the ideals and achievements of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States.
Annual Dinner and Events
Each year, on or near February 12, the anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, the Club meets for a memorial dinner to honor the memory of Mr. Lincoln. The central focus of the evening is an address on some aspect of the life and times of our sixteenth president, often delivered by a renowned Lincoln scholar. The list of speakers since 1929 is a virtual who’s who of major Lincoln scholars and enthusiasts, ranging from political figures (e.g., Senators Thomas Bayard, Mark Hatfield, and Paul Simon and Congressman Fred Schwengel) to prominent academic historians (e.g., John Hope Franklin, James H. McPherson, Richard N. Current) to individuals recognized among Lincoln buffs as real students of the Lincoln era. These and other topics exploring our sixteenth president have been addressed at the annual memorial dinner: “Lincoln: Theologian of American Anguish,” “Mr. Lincoln’s Health,” and “A Southerner Looks at Lincoln.”
Annual Dinner Speakers and Topics
In addition to the annual formal dinner, the Club sponsors a fall reception for its members and guests. A program on some aspect of Lincoln history is included during the reception traditionally held at the University of Delaware’s Goodstay Center in Wilmington. A spring event is occasionally planned.
Leadership
A Board of Directors, elected at the annual dinner meeting, governs The Lincoln Club of Delaware.
Board of Directors
- President: Joan DelFattore, Ph.D.
- Vice President: Hon. Noel Eason Primos
- Secretary: Samuel Waltz, Jr.. APR, Fellow PRSA
- Treasurer: Martin S. Lessner, Esq.
- Hon. Michael W. Arrington
- Hon. Myrna L. Bair, Ph.D.
- Hon. James Hanby
- Christopher L. Kenny, Esq.
- Shawn L. Nesbit, MBA
- Hon. Mardi F. Pyott
- Hon. William L. Witham, Jr.
- Administrator: Karren Helsel-Spry
- Ex officio, Lincoln Collection liaison: L. Rebecca Johnson Melvin, MILS