Dole Institute to commemorate the Battle of Gettysburg’s 150th anniversary

LAWRENCE — July will mark 150 years since the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas will honor the event with a full day of programming on Thursday, June 20. 

The afternoon will be a conference-style event in which military historians and Civil War experts will focus on the three individual days of battle: Day 1, 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.; Day 2, 2:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m.; Day 3, 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m. The evening program at 7:30 p.m. will focus on the seven critical decisions made during the battle. Each afternoon session and the evening program can be enjoyed as a whole or individually. All programs are free and open to the public.

“This epic battle was a crucial moment in the Civil War that really set our nation on course for today. In order to create interaction and get a real dialogue going among our experts, we’ll be utilizing the same discussion format as our Post-Election Conference,” said Dole Institute Director Bill Lacy. “The quality of the conversation will be excellent.”

The expert panelists include: Steve Lauer, professor at the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies; Ethan Rafuse, professor of history at the Command and General Staff College; Terry Beckenbaugh, professor of history at the Command and General Staff College; Jennifer Weber, associate professor of history at KU; Debra Sheffer, associate professor of history at Park University; and Kevin Benson, professor at U.S. Army University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies.

Gettysburg remains the most significant battle fought on American soil. More men fought and died during the Battle of Gettysburg than in any other battle before or since 1863. Today Gettysburg sees more than 1 million visitors each year, and efforts are still being made by the National Park Service and the Gettysburg Foundation to preserve the monuments, memorials and grounds of this historic site.

For more information on the Gettysburg event and other summer programming, please visit the Dole Institute website.