Lessons Learned

 

Over 300 in Wesley Chapel

What a week it has been. The visit of Ronald C. White, Jr. has left me with a lot of good things to think about! It seemed a great time to try and write them down to share. I have organized them into three main categories (like a librarian) and named the categories with alliteration (thanks to Dr. White’s suggestion that this was a great tool often used by Lincoln). So, here goes…..

Lincoln – Libraries – Learning

• Lincoln had very little formal education, and yet he is one of the best educated people in history. We have a lot to learn today – even about this one thing! He read everything he could get his hands on. Dr. White has done much research as to the kinds of things that Lincoln read. They were the classics, the Bible, Shakespeare, and even books on spelling and elocution.  One of my favorite quotes from Dr. White is that, “Each book that Lincoln read by the fireplace in Indiana became a log in the foundation of the schoolhouse of his mind.”
• Dr. White knew much about what Lincoln read (and thought and did) because he has travelled to libraries and archives large and small to do the research. He has read primary sources including transcripts of interviews from the 1860s. Reading things in that form is extremely powerful. Primary source documents give us information that is untouched by interpretation by others. No opinions or fake news.

History – Healing – Hope

• As the old song says, “Don’t know much about history…”. (What???? I just looked it up to make sure I had it right, and found that this was written by Herb Alpert, Lou Adler, and Sam Cooke. Didn’t know that!)
• It is true. We don’t know much about history. If we are lucky, we were not absent in the 4th grade on the day that covered part of the Civil War, or Lincoln, or (fill in the blank). Many of us had history teachers who believed that it was enough to make us pass a matching test consisting of names or dates. Not expecting us to know the full stories about these people and events. What were they thinking?  The word history even contains the word “story”. We needed to know much more than they had the time or inclination to teach us. (Apologies, many thanks, and much appreciation to those who actually DO teach history in a better way. I know you are out there, but we don’t all get the benefit of your enthusiasm and skill in sharing it.)
• Students in West Virginia in particular need to know more about this. Our state exists because of Lincoln and the Civil War. Our people and our towns played major roles in the things that happened. Our streets are named after Civil War Generals. Buckhannon has Meade Street and Sedgwick Street. Who ever even stopped to wonder why? General George Meade defeated General Robert E. Lee at a place called Gettysburg.  General John Sedgwick, after leading his troops in many major engagements, was one of the two highest ranking officers to be killed in the war. General George McClellan and his troops camped in what is known today as City Park in Buckhannon on the way to the Battle of Rich Mountain.
• How can WVWC help to make this information more available???
• The words and the thoughtfulness of Abraham Lincoln have much to say to us today. It was a powerful moment last Wednesday evening in Wesley Chapel when Dr. White asked the entire audience of about 300 people to read the last paragraph of the Second Inaugural Address in unison. It spoke of national reconciliation at a time when that seemed all but impossible. As the audience read these words aloud together, there were tears in many eyes. Some have said that it was the most healing thing that they had done since last November. Older people, younger people. And not all who said this voted for the same person. History can bring healing and hope.
  • “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations”

Wowed by Wesleyan

• I was once again wowed by Wesleyan. So many people did so much to make this event run smoothly! From Erica Byrd’s amazing work on publicity, to Chef Patrick’s excitement and initiative to create a dinner of Lincoln’s favorite foods for Dr. White, to Kim Haney’s skills and enthusiasm at creating and printing posters and materials, to Robert Osburn’s eye to detail to make the audio and visual parts of it work, to the Physical Plant folks bringing tables and chairs for the book sales and signing, to Beth Rogers and Alice Teets for carrying books over and running a one-night book sale, to Brett Miller for the amazing work in preparing our Lincoln collection “for company” and giving Dr. White a personal tour of it, WVWC welcomed Dr. White as an honored guest.
• I was once again wowed by our faculty and students. In Dr. Rob Rupp’s class on the American Presidency, I watched as 25 of our students suddenly sounded and acted as scholars. They had great questions prepared, and engaged in some wonderful discussions with Dr. White. It was impressive!!!
• Dr. Rupp did a wonderful job getting those students ready, but many of our faculty were also engaged with Dr. White at lunchtime discussions and beyond. Several required students to attend the lecture, or offered extra credit for doing so. This told the students that it was important. Some came grudgingly, but left feeling like they had been in the presence of something that mattered.  
• I was once again reminded how important WVWC has been to so many alumni through the years. Many were in attendance on Wednesday evening. It was because of Charles Aubrey Jones (class of 1904) that we have a Lincoln collection and that we had funds to bring Dr. White to campus.
  

  

  Dr. White, Paula McGrew, Kevin Spear

   It was because of Kevin Spear (class of 1976) that we were able to make the connection with Dr. White. Charla Stewart Reger (class of 1978) and her husband, Jack, were wonderful hosts for Dr. White’s stay at A Governor’s Inn.  Where else would a historian stay on a visit to Buckhannon!  We come – we grow – we have interesting lives – we want to stay connected, and to give back to the place that is so important to us.

• Dr. White was also wowed by Wesleyan. He reports that his experience here exceeded his expectations, and he appreciated all of the preparation and connections. He has spoken on the national and international stage, he has consulted with presidents and traveled with generals. He has written great books. And, he can see the power of WVWC and the Liberal Arts education we so value.  Well done, Wesleyan!