richard carwardine was -- handicap. richard carwardine was educated at corpus christi and queens colleges oxford and at the university of california at berkeley. for three decades he taught history at the university of sheffield before being appointed rhodes professor of american history and institution at oxford university and a fellow of saint catherine's college. he was elected president of corpus christi college oxford in 2010 and served in that post until 2016. he is the author of one of the finest modern biographies of the 16th president, "lincoln, a life of purpose and power," which was awarded the lincoln's prize in 2000 seven. and "lincoln sense of humor: a double edged sword," on which today's lecture is based. ladies and gentlemen, professor richard carwardine. [applause] prof. carwardine: good morning fellow lincolnonians. the occasion was an evening banquet and illinois. a month was february of the year 1856. there was a convention of republican newspaper editors of decatur. abraham lincoln was there and he

ladies and gentlemen, professor richard carwardine. [applause] prof. carwardine: good morning fellow lincolnonians. the occasion was an evening banquet and illinois. february of the year 1856. there was a convention of republican newspaper editors of decatur. abraham lincoln was there and he spoke. he apologized for being an interloper, as he put it, and cast himself as the subject of a story about a man, and i quote, with features the ladies could not call handsome. riding through the woods he met a lady on her spec -- on horseback. he waited for her to pass but instead she stopped and scrutinized him before saying, ess manou are the homeli i ever saw. yes, madam, but i can't help it. no, i suppose not, said the lady, but you might stay at home. [laughter] once the editor stopped laughing, he said with propriety, he might have stayed at home. i chose it because it is particularly apt. i was scheduled to speak your last year, but when it came to it i stayed at home. [laughter] now i may possibly be the ugliest man you have ever seen, though i certainly

. >> author richard carwardine abraham lincoln symposium about lincoln's sense of humor. the abraham lincoln institute and ford peter society hosted this symposium and washington, d.c. to highlight the 16th presidents of life, career, and legacy. this is 50 minutes. >> good morning, ladies and gentlemen. i a board member of the institute. executive director of the abraham lincoln's bicentennial commission. thank you for joining us today. unlike winston churchill, tended lincoln's humor to go toward self-deprecation. during one of the debates in illinois, the spectator shouted that lincoln was being two-faced.

. >> >> author richard carwardine spoke at the abraham lincoln symposium about lincoln's sense of humorthe abraham lincoln institute and ford peter society hosted this symposium and washington, d.c. to highlight the 16th presidents of life, career, and legacy. this is 50 minutes. >> good morning, ladies and gentlemen. i a board member of the institute. the former executive director of the abraham lincoln's bicentennial css

. >> author richard carwardine spoke at the abraham lincoln symposium about lincoln's sense of humor. the abraham lincoln institute ord's theater society hosted this symposium and washington, d.c. to highlight the 16th presidents of life, career, and legacy. this is 50 minutes. michael: good morning, ladies and gentlemen. my name is michael bishop and i am a board member of the abraham lincoln institute. the former executive director of the abraham lincoln bicentennial commission. thank you for joining us today. unlike that of winston churchill, abraham lincoln's humor tended to go toward self-deprecation. during one of the debates in illinois, the spectator shouted that lincoln was being two-faced.