Lincoln’s Legacy Invoked
at Presidential Library Ceremony
Americans should look to the legacy of Abraham Lincoln—particularly his ability to bring the nation together in a very uncertain time—for guidance in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Illinois Gov. George Ryan said at a ceremony September 21 on the construction site of the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.
The governor and his wife joined state and local dignitaries in signing their names on a steel beam that was later raised to the top of the section that will become the library’s reading room, the Springfield State Journal-Register reported September 22.
“I have no doubt that, during this time of national crisis, we’re going to draw on the lessons of our 16th president,” Ryan said. “Perhaps he’ll be a source of strength for our 43rd president.”
Officials broke ground for the presidential library and museum February 12. The 98,000-square-foot library is scheduled for completion in late 2002; construction on the 100,000-square-foot museum across the street will begin next year and is to be completed in 2004.
Posted October 1, 2001.
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