The Brown University Library, as part of its ongoing programming for the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial, is pleased to announce that it is co-sponsoring a Lincoln Essay competition open to all eighth-graders in Providence County. The Hildene-Brown Lincoln Essay Competition brings to Providence the successful Vermont state essay program sponsored by Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home annually since 2006.
The contest, open to all eighth grade students living in or attending public, private, or home schools in Providence County, asks students to read two letters, an open letter from Horace Greeley to President Abraham Lincoln printed in August 1862 and Lincoln’s response to it. Then students are asked to write a 500-word essay assessing why Lincoln responded to Greeley’s letter. The contest exposes students to Lincoln’s writing and encourages the development of writing and research skills. Prizes include a first place award of $1,000, second and third place awards of $750 and $500, respectively, as well as up to ten honorable mentions of $200 each. The top three winners will attend a luncheon in Providence on Sunday, January 31, 2010.
Application packets are available from the John Hay Library at 20 Prospect Street on the campus of Brown University, and the submission deadline is 5 p.m. on November 28, 2009. For more information contact Holly Snyder at Holly_Snyder@brown.edu or (401) 863-1515.

Winners will be announced in early January, and prizes distributed at the January 31, 2010 luncheon. Students, their parents, and teachers will be guests of Hildene and Brown University at this special event marking Lincoln’s birthday, at which former Rhode Island Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and noted Lincoln scholar Frank J. Williams will present the keynote address.
The Hildene-Brown Lincoln Essay Competition is part of an ongoing joint effort by the Brown University Library and Hildene to promote public knowledge of the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. Hildene, located in Manchester, Vermont, was built by Robert Todd Lincoln in 1905 and was the home of Lincoln descendents until 1975. Today, it is a non-profit museum and education center. Brown University’s John Hay Library, named for the 1858 Brown alumnus who served as Lincoln’s private secretary, holds an extensive collection of manuscripts and printed materials documenting Lincoln’s life and legacy, a portion of which are now available to the public online: http://dl.lib.brown.edu/lincoln/index.html