This past weekend, I had the privilege of participating in the Order of Lincoln awards ceremony in Chicago. I am an Academic Trustee of the Lincoln Academy and each year the Academy selects a few Illinoisans who have achieved greatness in one of several areas of achievement. Among the awardees this year was former First Lady of the United States, Secretary of State and U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
It was a pleasure to talk with her before the ceremony and share memories of participating in the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women back on 1995. Secretary Clinton remarked during the ceremony that Illinoisans and Americans need to support the next generation in honor of Abraham Lincoln and continue to do all that needs to be done to unify this exceptional country on behalf of the values that he gave his life for. I second that.
(For more information about the 2014 Lincoln Laureates, see the article from the Chicago Tribune.)