Paul Beaver hosts banquet for associates and contributors to new Lincoln book [October 27, 2010]  Paul Beaver treated his associate authors, staff and their families with dinner at the Lincoln College faculty dining hall on Monday evening. The highlight of the evening was Beaver's presentation of his latest book -- "Abraham Lincoln in Logan County, Illinois 1834-1860" -- to each member of his team and two special guests.

Associate authors Ron Keller (left) and Phil Bertoni (with book) are pictured with Paul Beaver, author of the new book on Abraham Lincoln's Logan County connections.

Chef Warren Wendlandt of the college once again put on a delicious meal, this time chicken cordon bleu with all the trimmings.

Beaver's associate authors for the new book were Ron Keller, Lincoln College professor and curator of Lincoln Heritage Museum at the college, and Phil Bertoni, a retired secondary math and computer teacher and adjunct math instructor at Lincoln Land Community College. Editor-in-chief was Lynn Spellman.

Along with the writing team, Betty Hickey and Margaret Lanterman were honored guests and also received a copy of Beaver's new treatise.

Mrs. Hickey's late husband, Jim, former curator of the Lincoln Collection at the Illinois State Historical Library in Springfield, had inspired the author, as his Lincoln College instructor many years ago, to enter the field of history education. Beaver has done just that -- teaching many years at Lincoln College, once serving as the curator of the Lincoln College Heritage Museum and writing several books pertaining to Logan County. He retired from teaching at the college in 2000 and was recently was named professor emeritus of history.

Mrs. Lanterman had taught Bertoni, one of the associate authors, as well as Sue Beaver, the author's wife, in third grade at Mount Pulaski Grade School. Remarkably, she also taught Jim Hickey during her very first year of teaching, at the Lakeside country school east of Elkhart in 1935-1936. She had just received her teaching credential from Normal College in Bloomington in the spring of 1935.

The official book signing will be Friday evening, 6:30-9:30, in the Johnston Center for Performing Arts. A PowerPoint presentation will run throughout the evening, showing all the major pictures and illustrations that were used in the book as well as a few candid shots of the staff hard at work.

A few additional pictures that are historically noteworthy will also be shown. These were not included in the book as they were not directly tied to Abraham Lincoln's work in Logan County, but nevertheless they are connected with our 16th president.

The book includes mention of a letter President Lincoln received from Robert B. Latham in regard to the new college being established in the president's name in his namesake town. Lincoln College was founded during President Lincoln's second term of office.

In attendance at the banquet were Les and Theresa Rickert and granddaughter, Skip and Jackie Baker, Gene and Wanda Rohlfs, Phil and Gini Bertoni, Ron and Cindy Keller and two children, Richard Sumrall, Patty Guzouskis, Margaret Lanterman, Betty Hickey, and Paul and Sue Beaver. Lynn Spellman was out of town with her husband on a family outing.

[Text from file received]