Lincoln Academy to establish Chancellors Garden at Old State Capitol
Dedication ceremony scheduled for November 11

[November 02, 2016]  SPRINGFIELD – The Lincoln Academy of Illinois will establish a landscaped garden area on the Old State Capitol State Historic Site lawn that will feature benches and a plaque recognizing past Academy Chancellors. A dedication ceremony for the Chancellors' Garden will be held Friday, November 11 at 5:30 p.m.

“The Chancellors Garden will offer a scenic and serene area for visitors that will also pay homage to the individuals who have guided the Lincoln Academy for more than 50 years,” Lincoln Academy Chancellor Stephanie Pace Marshall, PhD said. “We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the Old State Capitol and continue to hold many events there, including the Student Laureate Ceremony which will be held Saturday, November 12. This is our way of saying 'thank you' to the people who operate and enjoy this original Abraham Lincoln site.”

The Chancellors Garden is being developed as part of the Old State Capitol Foundation’s lawn renovation project. It will be located on the southeast corner of the lawn across from the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices and will feature landscaping, a walking path, benches, and a plaque recognizing all of the Academy’s past chancellors.

Illinois is unique in the United States in selecting present or former citizens who have made outstanding contributions toward the progress and betterment of humanity to be honored as Laureates of the Lincoln Academy and receive the “Order of Lincoln” from the Governor, a process that has been in place since 1964.

In addition, one graduating student from every degree-granting four-year college in Illinois is chosen by their institution, based on academic and extracurricular achievement, to be honored at a Lincoln Academy ceremony held annually at the Old State Capitol in Springfield. Each Student Laureate receives the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award of $1,000, a certificate signed by the Governor, and a Lincoln Academy medallion.

For more information visit www.thelincolnacademyofillinois.org.

[Julie Kellner, Lincoln Academy]