Read time:
Dr. Jonathan W. White, associate professor of American studies, is emerging as one of the nation’s foremost scholars on the life of Abraham Lincoln and has now assumed leadership positions with the three major organizations dedicated to the study of the 16th president.
White is president of the Abraham Lincoln Institute, on the board of directors of the Abraham Lincoln Association and, most recently, was unanimously elected vice chair of the Lincoln Forum.
“Being able to teach about Abraham Lincoln at Christopher Newport University has been a wonderful way for me to think through ideas that wind up in my books and articles,” says White. “I am fortunate to be at an institution where I can engage with students who are also interested in these subjects.”
White is the author or editor of eight books, including Abraham Lincoln and Treason in the Civil War: The Trials of John Merryman (2011), and Emancipation, the Union Army, and the Reelection of Abraham Lincoln (2014), which was a finalist for both the Lincoln Prize and Jefferson Davis Prize and the winner of the Abraham Lincoln Institute’s 2015 book prize. More recently he has published histories of the USS Monitor and of dreams during the Civil War, including Lincoln’s dreams.
“Jon has the unique ability to do scholarly research about Lincoln while also discovering and sharing stories about Lincoln that Civil War buffs and amateur historians of all ages find fascinating,” says Quentin Kidd, dean of the College of Social Sciences. “His involvement with the Lincoln Forum and other prominent Lincoln associations enhances his and the University's reputation and creates great opportunities for our students.”
The Lincoln Forum is an assembly of people from all backgrounds who share an interest in Lincoln and the Civil War. They hold a highly regarded annual symposium at Gettysburg. A similar organization, the Abraham Lincoln Association, is based in Springfield, Illinois, and promotes and protects Lincoln landmarks and celebrates his birthday with an annual conference. The Abraham Lincoln Institute, headquartered in Washington, D.C., focuses on academic research. White is one of only two people currently serving on all three boards.
“It is exciting to see so many people from around the country interested in studying the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln,” White says, “I am truly honored to be able to serve the Lincoln community through these three distinguished organizations.”