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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
[DATE]
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Local Project Director, Title and Organization
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Presentation Explores Disney and Lincoln Connection
[Community Name] – [Organization Name] in [Community Name] will host “Great
Moments with Mr. Lincoln and Walt Disney,” a presentation and discussion by Brian
Craig Miller on [Date] at [Time] at [Location and Address of Presentation]. Members
of the community are invited to attend the free program. Contact the [Host
Organization Name] at [Phone Number] for more information. The program is made
possible by the Kansas Humanities Council.
[List any details about local event here]
Abraham Lincoln remains one of the most recognizable figures in history, yet it has
not always been an easy road for his memory. During the 1960s as the Civil War
Centennial got underway, the leadership of the commemorations thought Lincoln
would not appeal to young people. The commemorations would have been a
disaster if it were not for Walt Disney, who forged on his own to bring Lincoln to the
1964 World’s Fair in New York through an attraction called “Great Moments with Mr.
Lincoln.”
Brian Craig Miller is an associate professor of history at Emporia State University and
is finishing a book on Walt Disney and Civil War Memory. He has researched,
published, and lectured extensively about the public memory of the Civil War and
serves as editor for the journal Civil War History.
“Many Americans think of Walt Disney as the consummate entertainer, through his
creation of theme parks, television shows, and films,” said Miller. “Yet, Disney had a
deep appreciation for American history and utilized the various entertainment
mediums to tell a unique historical narrative centered on American exceptionalism.”
Miller continued, “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln emerged as Walt’s own personal
passion project, and he used the exhibit to both honor the memory and legacy of
Abraham Lincoln and inform audiences of the need for democracy and freedom to
triumph in a world shadowed by communism and the Cold War.”
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Page 2 – Presentation Explores Disney and Lincoln Connection
“Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and Walt Disney” is part of the Kansas Humanities
Council’s Kansas Stories Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and discussions
that examine our shared human experience—our innovations, culture, heritage, and
conflicts.
The Kansas Humanities Council conducts and supports community-based programs,
serves as a financial resource through an active grant-making program, and
encourages Kansans to engage in the civic and cultural life of their communities. For
more information about KHC programs contact the Kansas Humanities Council at
785/357-0359 or visit online at www.kansashumanities.org.
For more information about “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and Walt Disney” in
[Community] contact the [Host Organization] at [Phone Number] or visit [Website].
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