TAMIU Library to Present Special Lincoln Exhibit in April

A national traveling exhibition for libraries, “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War,” will open in Texas A&M International University’s newly-expanded Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library Colonnade, Thursday, April 14.

An opening reception will be held at 6 p.m. followed by a lecture by TAMIU Regents Professor Dr. Jerry D. Thompson. The exhibition will be on display through Wednesday, May 18.

The exhibit is opening during National Library Week, April 10 - 16. National Library Week is an annual celebration of the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians, celebrated in an effort to raise awareness of all types of libraries – school, public, academic and special. 

Organized by the National Constitution Center and the American Library Association Public Programs Office, the traveling exhibition was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). It was developed by the National Constitution Center and is currently touring the United States. TAMIU is one of only 50 sites across the nation to host the exhibit.

Elected as the 16th President of the United States in 1860, Lincoln became President of a nation on the brink of war.

The exhibit explores the struggle faced by President Lincoln to meet the constitutional challenges of the Civil War and reconcile his policy preferences with basic American ideals of liberty and equality. The exhibition generates an understanding of Lincoln as a president dealing with the secession of Southern states from the Union and issues regarding slavery and wartime civil liberties. 

Broadly referred to as one of America’s greatest presidents, President Lincoln’s reputation has also been disputed.  During his presidency, Lincoln struggled to resolve basic questions that divided Americans when the nation was in a time of crisis: Was the United States truly one nation, or a confederacy of separate and sovereign states? How could a nation, established on the principle that “all men are created equal” allow slavery? Would civil liberties be secure during a time of national crisis?

The TAMIU exhibition includes informative themed panels including “The Civil War as a Constitutional Crisis,” “Secession,” “Slavery,” “Civil Liberties,” and “Legacy.” All feature photographic reproductions of original documents, including a draft of Lincoln’s first inaugural speech, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Thirteenth Amendment.

TAMIU is offering free programs and other events in connection with the exhibition; all open to the public and free of charge.

TAMIU, the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library and its Special Collections and Archives are hosting the exhibit. 

For more information, please contact Jeanette Hatcher, Reference/ Special Collections librarian at 326.2404, e-mail jhatcher@tamiu.edu or visit offices located in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 205B.

 University information is also available on the University’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube sites.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu