of the birth of Abraham
Lincoln will occur on the twelfth day of February, 1909; and,

"Whereas, it is fitting and proper that the State of Illinois should
celebrate the anniversary of the birth of this greatest of all
American statesmen; therefore, be it

"Resolved, by the Senate of the State of Illinois, the House of
Representatives concurring therein, that the one hundredth anniversary
of the birth of Abraham Lincoln be celebrated in the City of
Springfield, on the twelfth day of February, 1909, and, be it
further

"Resolved, that the Governor is hereby authorized and empowered to
appoint a commission of fifteen representative citizens of this
State to have charge of all arrangements for such celebration."

The Governor thereupon appointed fifteen of the most distinguished
citizens of Springfield as the State Centennial Commission to have
charge of the celebration.

It was determined that the celebration should not be a local one,
but should be more in the nature of a State celebration, and that
it would be well to incorporate it under the name of "The Lincoln
Centennial Association." The original incorporators were:

The Hon. Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice of the United States;
the Hon. Shelby M. Cullom, United States Senator; the Hon. Albert
J. Hopkins, United States Senator; the Hon. Joseph G. Cannon,
Speaker of the National House of Representatives; the Hon. Adlai
E. Stevenson; the Hon. Charles S. Deneen, Governor of Illinois;
the Hon. John P. Hand, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the
State of Illinois; the Hon. J. Otis Humphrey, Judge of the United
States District Court; the Hon. James A. Rose, Secretary of State
of Illinois; the Hon. Ben. F. Caldwell, Member of Congress; the
Hon. Richard Yates; Melville E. Stone, Esq.; Horace White, Esq.;
John W. Bunn, Esq.; and Dr. William Jayne.

I was requested to secure speakers of national reputation, and it
at once occurred to me that I would invite the Ambassadors of France
and Great Britain, and Senator J. P. Dolliver, to visit Springfield,
on February 12, 1909, and deliver addresses. These distinguished
gentlemen at once accepted the invitation which I extended them on
behalf of the Governor and the committee. Later, the Hon. William
Jennings Bryan was invited to be present also and deliver an address,
which invitation he accepted.

The memorial exercises celebrating the hundredth anniversary of
Lincoln's birth were held under the direction of th