LAWMAKER PROMINENT IN LINCOLN EVENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00965R000200080022-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 12, 2000
• Sequence Number: 22
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2001/07/27 : CIA-RDP91-00965R000200080022-7
The Washington post Times Herald
Prominent in
Lm~ker s
~~.__n _._YenS
By JejLj1 "cite
~- 11
"If some little girl would
write me a letter now, I'd be
tempted to grow a beard,+'
Rep. Fred Schwehgel (R-Iowa)
said the other day.
Schwengel, who admits to
having "lost" himself to Abra-
ham Lincoln years ago, has so
far resisted any temptation to
grow a beard. But he's. been
so immersed in Lincolnia the
last year that he doesn't know
what he would do if he got
that letter from a little girl.
Lincoln started growing a
beard after 11-year-old Grace
Bedell of Westfield, N. Y., told
him he would look better with
one.
Although Schwengel hasn't
grown a beard, he has shown
his loyalty to Lincoln in an-
other way:, his daughter Doro-
thy, was born on Feb.. 12. She
will be 22 this Feb. 12, the
150th anniversary of the birth
of Lincoln.
As president of the Lincoln
sums up so much of America."
.The Joint Session on Feb. 12
will be the second called to
honor Lincoln. The first came
on Feb, 12, 1866, on the first
observance of Lincoln's' birth-
day after his assassination.
Then George Bancroft, the
eminent historian, delivered a
21/2-hour address.
Sandburg to Pay Tribute
This year, when the two
Houses of Congress assemble
at 11 a. in., Carl Sandburg, the
Harris and Ewing Photo
REP. FRED SCHWENGEL.
.. immersed in Lincolnia
session of Congress, the Iowa
k
.
Congressman has been wor
ing for nearly a year to pre-
pare for the Lincoln Sesqui-
centennial.
Will Be Toastmaster
He will be toastmaster at a
banquet Feb. 11 at the Statler,
and he has helped line up an
all-star cast for the joint ses-
sion of Congress the next day.
The $20-a-plate dinner is being
cosponsored by the Lincoln
Sesquicentennial Commission.
For the banquet, Schwengel
still hopes to have President
Eisenhower and former Presi-
dents Hoover and , Truman
sitting together at the banquet
table. Mr. Truman has indi-
cated that he. may keep a
dental appointment rather
than attend. He has not met
with President Eisenhower
since they shook hands briefly
at funeral services for Chief
Justice Fred M. Vinson in
September, 1953.
"Having all three of them
together would have tremen-
Group of the District and
chairman of the Committee on
Arrangements for the Joint
ird
that "we fairly captured it,"
and asked the band to play the
sprightly strain.
From the joint session, Vice
President Richard Nixon and
House Speaker Sam Rayburn
will. go to the. Great Hall of
the Library of, Congress to
open the biggest display of
important L i n colniana as-
Sandburg will lecture on
Lincoln at 8:30 that evening
in the Library's Coolidge Audi-
torium. The tribute will be
sponsored by the Gertrude
Clarke Whittal Poetry and
Literary Fund. .
The sesquicentennial com-
mission has just published the
first issue of a 4-page news
letter, the "Intelligences;` de-
scribing Lincoln celebrations
new Lincoln penny, with
the Lincoln Memorial replac-
ing the present wreath on one,
side.
Schwengel first became in-
terested in Lincoln and his
times when he was a student'
at Northeast Missouri Teach-1
ers College in Kirksville. Then I
he went into teaching, but he
didn't have "enough money-to
begin ' collecting" until he
shifted to the insurance busi-
ness.
Since then, he's been a col-
lector and student of Lincoln.,
This year he heads the 300-I,
member Lincoln group here
the largest in the Nation.
eminent Lincoln biographer
and trubadour poet, will pay
the tribute to Lincoln. Fred-
eric March, the actor, will read
the Gettysburg Address,-and
the Army Band will play
A i WN' 1 For Release 2001
After all, Schwengel points
out, "Dixie" was one of the
President's favorite tunes. He
t0R000200080022-7
The sesquicentennial will
also bring a new Lincoln