session james mcpherson, a life in american history. i have a privilege of introducing the panelists. i'm vernon burton. for 37 years i taught history from university of illinois, about 130 miles south of where we are this morning. i wrote a book, age of lincoln, became a lincoln scholar, moved back to north carolina where i found many folks don't like lincoln as they do here in the land of lincoln. i now teach at clemson built on the plantation of calhoun. clemson was founded by the prototype of the demagogue tillman and where do they put my office strom thurman institute. i hope my choice of what i study and where i love will not have you questioning my judgment on these historians who are assessing the many contributions of jim mcpherson princeton

george henry davis 86 professor of american history emeritus. jim mcpherson served on the society of history sans and american historical association. he contributed a slew of important laws, published books, journals, essays, written introductions to numerous published works. both for cause and comrades and tried by war. abraham lincoln as commander in chief won the lincoln prize. among the many things that distinguished mcpherson's career is relevance of his work as we struggle not to only understand civil war and reconstruction but our own times. his dissertation and first book, struggle for equality 1964 and during the heroic years of the civil rights movement during a time that his advisers termed the second reconstruction. both reconstructions, northern activists went south to work for racial justice and were accused

of doing so for less than noble reasons. before argued they were motivated by status, greed, other unflattering factors. mcpherson showed many during civil war and reconstruction were religiously motivated, sincerely altruistic, committed to democracy and mashl justice. mcpherson was a pioneer in african-american history. he followed his dissertation with an argument among other things black soldiers were crucial to the winning of the war and preservation of the union. this book opened the door to scholarship on african-americans as active agents in winning their freedom for slavery. his blacks in america bibl graphical essays help to staff african-american history as legitimate scholarly discipline. as the vietnam war came to the foreof american consciousness, a conventional truism assumed

those who oppose the war would later become conservatives or certain of their children would, an idea so common it became a premise for the popular tv show "family ties" that propelled j. michael fox to stardom. mcpherson examined ab listis and children's after the war and demonstrated most abolitionist's children stayed the course, reflected strong religious idealism and continued to work for reforms. by the 1980s mcpherson was a caldwe well respected historian. this changed with battle cry of freedom, the kifl war era. to date it sofld sold more than 700,000 copies making it one of the most popular works of history ever published. it reached number six on the "new york times" best seller list. critical claim included pulitzer prize, christopher award and best book award of the american

military institute and became one of those rare books that resonated with both professional historians and general readers. mcpherson revised the tradition of the public intellectual. he's devoted to history as a form of literature and when written with beauty and power history is a form of literature and jim's work exemplified history as literature. the sheer breadth of mcpherson's work is amazing. i don't want to cite his entire vitae, if you have a few weeks to spare you can read it. made him the dean of american civil war scholars and the most famous historian in the country, famous historian being an achievement in itself if not an oxymoron. mcpherson has never been limited by traditional boundaries and works incredibly rich for flouting academic routines. he reached past ivory covered walls, on television, radio, documentaries, talking to civil groups, elementary school

children, civil war round tables all while continuing to thrive as an academic and to advance the frontiers of knowledge. he is and has been the face of the history profession to the general public for nearly three decades. i learned about civil war and race relations in classes at princeton university taught by a young james mcpherson, who since emerged as a great historian of the united states and whose work encompasses the themes of democracy, freedom and equality. and this morning i speak not just for myself but for all his graduate students. mcpherson was not only my phd adviser but role model, not just as a scholar but as a person. i know from experience that all the work a teacher does for his students is not always appreciated until much later. mcpherson was quick to respond to graduate students always putting us as a priority where letters of dissertation. i admire dedication to field of history and scholar inquire and

always kept family time and spiritual life in balance. some of you have heard me say about historical research, it is rare the more you study someone, the more you admire them. the more i studied abraham lincoln, however, the more i came to admire him, even to love him. the same is true for another hero of mine. the more i studied jim mcpherson and come to know him, the more i admire and have come to love him. one quick note aside, years later when i was professor at illinois someone told me a story about jim. i was a little different than most graduate students at princeton, pretty much having stepped off the farm from south carolina. reputed by one of the colleagues asked how i was doing in class and he allegedly responded. i have no idea. i cannot understand a word vernon says. [ laughter ] but what is important is that i and his graduate students tried to understand and learn from the words that jim mcpherson has spoken and written, and i know

they influenced us, and i believe they influenced and made the world a better place. it's been said nice guys finish last. this is not true for jim mcpherson. jim has been a winner since the game started. life is marked by trial and uncertainty and jim mcpherson showed wisdom and courage and strength in the most trying of times. it helped to have a partner and soul mate. one of the best and wisest decisions jim mcpherson ever made, and clear evidence of his insight is his marriage to pat. good job there, jim. if he had done nothing else in his life but marry pat, veld been a winner. i cannot properly introduce jim mcpherson without acknowledging his greatest aset. we're privileged to have with us today patricia mcpherson who has always been an integral part of the mcpherson team. i remember they would go on

research camping in tents. a scholar as generous with his time and person, patricia always dealt with jim's students with much dignity and grace. in this world where most of us make a living by what we get, jim mcpherson made a living by what he gives to others. jim mcpherson teaches us they have to face but not resolve life's am big wits. that is why he and his work are so important to us. truly he is america's historian. seven score and ten years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a conflagration because they were dedicated to the proposition that all men are not created equal. it is most appropriate, then, that we assess jim mcpherson's work during the sesquicentennial in illinois lincoln's home.

to honor jim mcpherson his honor students put together struggle for equality, essays on conflict, civil war and the long reconstruction to come inside with this session at the aej. students have asked me to read the dedication we did for jim and pat mcpherson with affection, gratitude and respect opening history doors to us. to offer a shameless plug, you can go to university of virginia press who we appreciate working with us to do this. it's not easy to get it done in the university of virginia press and dick stepped up to work with us and do what we are proud of a book to honor jim and pat. go down to virginia press and prach copy this morning or go to the website. each speaker that we have today life and career has intersected with jim mcpherson. i'll introduce the panelists in the order they are listed in the program and then we will turn the podium over to jim.

katherine, is the power point ready? our first speaker katherine clinton who really needs no introduction. she has chaired -- she is the chaired professor of u.s. history at belfast. she did her graduate work with jim. she is a pioneer in many areas. people particularly of my generation remember her as a pioneer in women's history, southern women's history and her reaching out beyond the profession to bring history to all sorts of groups including children. katherine. >> thank you very much. >> we're going to have power point here. >> thank you for your in you dullingence, those who know jim mcpherson, he's not in favor of relying on technology. i thought on this one occasion he might be indulgent because i did conspire with his life partner pat to try and present some unknown sides of mcpherson

which are best demonstrated visually. so this kind gentleman has volunteered from the office -- from the audience. okay. there we go. we are pleased to be here to honor the private man and the public historian. as we were given only a brief time to sum up the legendary career of a man whose influence is beyond, the halls of congress and american airwaves and whose international statue as america's premier civil war historian remains unchallenged but i will give awe portrait of both the public historian and private man in my brief time. others will be ex tolling his virtues and aspects but i wanted to emphasize him as a preservationist and public historian. i hope i'm reading from typed notes as he would have urged me not to be reading from an ipad. it seems to be working and i hope, again, he will forgive me for this. it's early in the morning.

for those of you who aren't familiar with northern ireland, the presbyterian churches all use power points. i believe i'm really in some ways following a tradition. three score fifteen years ago a young man developing his sar torial style and becoming a budding cyclist. but the tour de france's loss is the history profession's gain as young man mcpherson moves from college to john hopkins university for his doctorate where his unknown southern origins are rediscovered through c-van woodward. also he was there at a time when civil rights in baltimore and the scenes of desegregation struggles had such a powerful impact on the work of jim mcpherson. then he went to princeton and was a lecture in 1962 staying

there very steadfastly until his retirement from his chair in 2004. and from 1964 to 2011 we can look at his career and those of people following in his wake as one of the struggle for equality. i know others will be talking about his 20th century titles, most particularly the battle cry of freedom, his pulitzer prize winning study. it was a long 20th century for jim mcpherson and the 21st century he continues to dazzle us as a prize winning historian. again, his volume, the negro civil war retitled marching to freedom was the basis i used 40 years after it was published for my children's volume, "hold the flag high." jim became a public historian and took to the airwaves to reach a larger audience. he was a lincoln favorite, on tour, fearless guide.

with henry ballone, "sieve war snut" who london me pictures of jim, all over the battle fields, leader of the pack, leading the charge, keeping listeners, the bob hope of civil war studies and also taking to the other waves in a way if to by sea of good cheer. there is the winning team w "ordeal by fire" it was let the civil war studies begin. right up to recently where mcpherson's statue -- not this mcpherson, was part of the occupy wall street movement in d.c. as a young scholar all the way to collecting his honorary degrees, i think most of us have benefited in one way or another for him becoming a serious editor. severalfold becoming serious editors. most recently vernon serious at the university of virginia. i have one at oxford university

press where he introduced me to my editor there. certainly the american negro history and literature, multi-volume reissue of lost classic is something that jim really pioneered in his day and really encouraged his students and fellow scholars to follow, so they could be surrounded by titles. as he was with the sesquicentennial firing of fort sumter surrounded this year with another wonderful hit. as a reviewer and author of more than 125 reviews and these kinds of professional journals, he still takes time to meet with national history day winners, to meet with politicians. hmm, the civil war wasn't about slavery. where have i heard that before, governor? the mcphersons at cornell. you can find him on the website. if you google, an interesting way to find mcpherson piercing all kinds of pioneers. princeton, this is jim getting his earliest graduate students

in shape the early years. this is the p-rade, the year he came to princeton. here he is protecting a statue. he was there with princeton in transition. a picture of one of his students from the 1970s and one from the 1980s. i would like to point out my colleague michelle gillespie has a future princetonian in utero in this particular picture. as lecturer, as biographer, jim eyeing the camera suspiciously shooting him with shelby foot. he was smooth sailing onto the lincoln memorial, fame, fortune, fabulous students were coming his way in the '70s, '80s and '90s, we need to reflect this public historian had other roles to play. as a family man. there he is with his father jenny. father of an equestrian. as an extended family adding first a son-in-law and then grandchildren as a story teller. she wants her grandpa to come

out of the box to play with her. when does jim ever take time to stop and smell the roses? those of us who follow him know at the huntington library is the only place you can catch him at risk. pilgrimage to normandy, as a babysitter. here he's reminding future students don't even think of getting me a kindle. here he is, jim and pat in the early years. there they are over half a century later still going strong. the napa valley tourist, father of the bride, favorite new role. on tour in israel with his most recent and last graduate student. posing for preservation. winning his prizes. a hopkins reunion gathering. a neither rain nor sleet will keep jim from his appointed rounds. mcpherson family, father and daughter celebrating. again, in the "new york times."

how many of us get our pick being best by our daughter winning a lincoln prize. many of us know so much about his really splendid scholarly career, splendid public historian. as a preservationist? some of us need to think about what this battle-worn man has done as the battle of walmart most recently saving the wilderness for future generations is something we really need to celebrate and honor as well. jim lighthizer, dean of civil war studies. go to www.civilwar.org and find jim mcpherson was a driving force behind the civil war battlefield trust, a commitment that goes back to long before its founding. the historical document of 1993, which whittled down a list of

over 10,000 civil war battle sites into 384 of the most significant, which are still being preserved. this is land preservation as well as historic preservation. his seal of approval is often needed, often sought. his assistance for campaigns of national importance are rarely refused and his spirit of volunteerism exemplary, which is how he probably earned his earliest nickname among graduate students as the holy warrior. his other nickname means mcp, his legible, extremely valuable signature bares weight. he's lent his name to thousands of causes, a letter to decisionmakers weighing the wisdom of building a casino near the gettysburg battlefield and defeating this in the battle of 2006 and again in a renewed campaign in 2010, '11. over 300 historians opposed this recently with jim mcpherson

leading as a signatory will the way in which modern construction can destroy historical preservation for future generations is the theme of jim mcpherson's current work. some of you may think of him as retired. many of us know him as reserved but he has generously put himself forward to earn his other nickname, big mack. when big mack weighs in, congress, justices and corporations are forced to listen. recently i was told he was on a -- he was asked to come to a wilderness battlefield press conference. he had been on tour with a civil war group for four days and was worried about getting shuttled in time to make this important day. so he has a demanding and engaged career. hundreds at princeton passed through his classroom and thousands if not millions enjoyed his publications, i think we need to multiply the very exciting work that he's

doing. dwight pitcaithley, his service has been invaluable. we also need to remember he is above all patriotically inspiring us. when his uncle roy volunteered to serve with the british raf in world war ii before the u.s. entered the fray, jim very much saw him as a hero and this is a picture of him in uniform, the kind that his family is willing to share to demonstrate his marvelous values and patriotism. here he is with pat overlooking fort sumter. for the final word, it won't be mine but rather as is his due, james mcpherson taking his final words to us from his jefferson humanities lecture. in 1861 the struggle for the union involved not only the fate of these united states but also the whole family of man. it was a struggle not all

together for today but for a vast future also. we are living in that vast future. lincoln's word resonate in the 21st century with as much relevance as they did serve score years ago and these words of jim mcpherson become more true with each passing year in the 21th century. thank you very much. [ applause ] >> judith hunter is senior research scholar in history at the state university of new york. she did her phd in yale with david brian davis but was an undergraduate student of jim mcpherson's and was a member of the princeton class 1983 and his civil war class in 1989. so judith.

>> i'd actually appreciate some lights on. others will speak at length about professor mcpherson's scholarship, but i'd like to say a little about him. as a teacher and a mentor to someone who wasn't even one of his grad students, he once remarked to me that he came to write about the civil war through his teaching, that his research interest at first had been regarding the abolitionist and the war itself was not his subject of study. but through teaching the civil war, he realized how much there was to say and how important it was to say it. and i think we can all agree he's succeeded marvelously well on that. in 1982, i took jim's civil war

and reconstruction class, and i bring that up to say that princeton students really hadn't included in yet to what they had on their hands with jim mcpherson. every year jim would take any students who wanted to go on a tour of gettysburg. well, it did involve getting up very early on a saturday morning. but what an opportunity. my year i went and i dragged along a buddy. we were the only two undergraduates who took advantage of the opportunity. of course the grad students and jim's faculty colleagues knew better and were in strong attendance but we were the only two undergraduates. we discovered, after the very early morning ref lee and drive to gettysburg, setting out at

the very beginning of the battle and retracing all three days that james mcpherson did not need to rest. he did not need to drink water. he did not need to eat, and he did not need to use the bathroom. eventually we prevailed upon him to stop somewhere for lunch, i think it was a hardee's. professor mcpherson is a man of many nicknames. he'll forever after that trip be known to my friend and me as general jim. and at the end of this very long day we are in front of long streets woods and jim just said, this is where they stepped off. let's go. we all kind of looked at each

other and he's heading across the field so we followed him. about halfway across, i turned to my friend, and i said, jordan, i think we would have been dead by now. and jordan turned to me and said, i think that's the point. well, after i went off to graduate school, life brought me back to princeton where i was a lecturer for a few years. i had the privilege of being a teaching assistant, or what they call at princeton precepting jim's civil war and reconstruction course the year that "battle cry of freedom" had been published. let me tell you the students had included in. the course had to be moved to the largest lecture hall on campus. the gettysburg trip that year was busloads full of people. it was a time of great

transition for jim, who had been working along very steadily. all of a sudden, the popularity, "the new york times" best selling stature of his book revolutionized how he was regarded by students in the university. and then in the middle of the semester, word came that "battle cry of freedom" had been awarded the pulitzer prize. i will never forget how james mcpherson handled that honor, with equanimity, grace, and humility. he didn't change. nothing changed a bit. jim was just jim. that was a marvelous thing to see. what an example. but what i really want to stress today is jim mcpherson's

generosity. that's the only word for it. i've had the pleasure of working with jim, assisting him on a series of trips. princeton runs something they call alumni colleges, which are trips where alums come to be lectured to and kind of feel the excitement of being a student again with princeton faculty as we tour the appropriate places. we've been to harper's ferry, richmond, on the delta queen together. we've done a lot of great trips. jim's patience and enthusiasm for his subjects with audiences of lay people is both remarkable and constant. i've seen him treat self-taught civil war buffs with the same respect as he accords his professional colleagues.

this is very personal to me, because my dad is one of those buffs. he is a self-taught civil war aficionado of the highest order. he can tell you the detail of every battle ever fought. i will never be a military historian, ever, ever, ever. i'm a political historian. you know, i just -- i wasn't giving dad what he needed. so i introduced dad to james mcpherson. it was a marvelous thing to see. at the end of the first civil war trip, i was able to bring my dad on. he came to my hotel room the last night, knocked on the door. he said, judith, i would never presume, but do you think you could get jim to