Cullom, Shelby M. Letter, 1912

This collection consists of a letter from United States Senator Shelby Cullom to Senator Boies Penrose requesting his support of a resolution to approve the site and design of the Lincoln Memorial.

Shelby Moore Cullom (1829-1914) was a lawyer and Republican politician from Illinois, beginning his political career as Springfield's City Attorney in 1855. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1865 to 1871, the Governor of Illinois from 1876 to 1883, and a United States Senator from 1883 to 1913. He chaired the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations from 1901 to 1913, holding the position longer than any predecessor. In 1911 Cullom was appointed to Congress's Lincoln Memorial Commission to determine a site and design for a memorial to Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C.

Boies Penrose (1860-1921) was a lawyer and Republican politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Senate from 1897 until his death in 1921.

The collection is comprised of a typescript, signed letter on letterhead from the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, dated November 20, 1912. The letter, sent by Senator Shelby Cullom to Senator Boies Penrose, requests Penrose's support of a resolution put forth by the Lincoln Memorial Commission to approve the location of the Lincoln Memorial in Potomac Park and the design for the memorial by architect Henry Bacon. Accompanying the letter is a printed copy of the 1911 Congressional Act establishing the Lincoln Memorial Commission.

The Library purchased this item in 2020 with support from the Dr. Harlan Horner Estate.