*Due to the ongoing government shutdown, Jon Grinspan had to postpone his visit. We will instead be joined by Jason Emerson*

On Thursday, October 16, 2025, The University of Illinois Springfield Center for Lincoln Studies presents the Mary and James Beaumont Endowed Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series featuring Jason Emerson and Colleen Shogan speaking on the topic of Abraham Lincoln and the Age of Disruption.

Jason Emerson is author of Giant in the Shadows: The Life of Robert T. Lincoln and will discuss Robert Lincoln's relationship with racial equality and his father's legacy. After the end of the Civil War, post-war Americans faced the continuous disruption over the issue of civil rights for Black Americans. For the son of the Great Emancipator, Robert T. Lincoln, this issue was more significant than for most. As a public servant and captain of industry, Lincoln found himself in the spotlight of racial justice, needing to make executive decisions that had -- or could have -- national implications. From confronting the hazing of Black soldiers and cadets by white officers when he was secretary of war, to dealing with Black sleeping car porters fighting for an increase in wages when he was president of the Pullman Car Company, Emerson asks us to consider if the son of Lincoln advanced racial equality or failed to uphold his father's mantle? 

Colleen Shogan, who served as the 11th Archivist of the United States and the first woman in American history appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to lead the National Archives, will bring our topic to the present and discuss our current age of disruption. Shogan's lecture will emphasize the vital role of cultural institutions, archives, libraries, and museums in preserving democratic values by safeguarding historical truth and public memory. Drawing inspiration from Abraham Lincoln and the Declaration of Independence, she will warn against the growing politicization of these institutions, arguing that nonpartisanship is essential for civic trust and national unity.

Admission to this event is free and open to the public.

Emerson is the author or editor of eight books, including The Madness of Mary Lincoln. He is also a former park ranger at Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield. Learn more about his work on his website.

Shogan is a noted author and political scientist. She is deeply committed to civics education and is a senior advisor at More Perfect, an alliance of 37 presidential centers and hundreds of civic leaders and organizations, that invites Americans to consider the most enduring lessons of our history while informing the future of our democracy.

Along with the Center for Lincoln Studies, this event is co-sponsored by NPR Illinois and Looking for Lincoln National Heritage Area.