Abraham Lincoln was invited to the Kansas Territory in 1859 by Colonel Mark W. Delahay, a relation to Lincoln by marriage. This tour ended in Leavenworth, Kansas, then the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco.
This visit to the Kansas Territory intrigued Bernard H. Hall, M.D. Hall was a clinical psychiatrist at the famous Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas. He would later move on to Roosevelt Hospital in New York and serve as Chief of the Department of Psychiatry. His lifelong passion was the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln, the catalyst of which were the stories told by his grandparents about life in the United States in the era of and after the "Great Rebellion."
Dr. Hall left his collection of Lincoln memorabilia to the Sisters of Charity beginning in 1969. A collector truly indiscriminate in his pursuit of Lincoln’s legacy, the Bernard H. Hall, M.D. Abraham Lincoln Collection is composed of manuscripts, rare books, images as well as souvenirs. Altogether, the Hall Collection is significant, reflecting not only one man’s interests but also a nation’s constant preoccupation with a legacy that reverberates to our present day.
The Bernard H. Hall, M.D. Abraham Lincoln Collection is complemented by the Sir John T. Craig Manuscript Collection also at the University of Saint Mary. This extensive collection of manuscripts allowed the curator’s to illustrate the slavery question, particularly through the words of slave owners.
Udell (Chick) Harris and his wife, Ceil have been generous supporters of Saint Louis University in the past. Their collection of presidential campaign memorabilia from the elections of 1860 and 1864 is rare and significant.
Sister Diane Steele, S.C.L., Ph.D., President, University of Saint Mary
Sandra Van Hoose, Ph.D., Vice president and Academic Dean, University of Saint Mary
Penelope Lonergan, Director of Libraries, University of Saint Mary
Mr. Adam Aronson and Dr. Judith Aronson
Mr. Gary C. Werths
Mr. Ronald S. Poe
Dr. William D. Merwin
Patrons of the arts at Saint Louis University who wish to remain anonymous
Petruta Lipan
Andrew J. Tiehen
Mary Marshall
Willie Meadows
J.R. Mooningham
Ty Dennison
David J. Suwalsky, S.J., Director
Saint Louis University would like to thank our exhibition sponsors: