Bring Me the DNA of Abraham Lincoln: Who Makes Decisions for the Dead?

Some have proposed that testing the DNA of Abraham Lincoln would provide us with valuable information. Given advances in genetic research, what are the current efforts underway to help us understand our 16th President? What are the issues involved in testing/experimenting on human remains? How do notions of the sacred intersect with our desires to know? Who does get to test/experiment on figures from the past, especially those who have reached iconic status?

Panelists

• Kim Bauer, Director, Lincoln Heritage Project (moderator)
• Russell Lewis, Executive Vice President and Chief Historian, Chicago History Museum
• Myron "Mike" Marty, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of History, Drake University
• The Honorable Frank J. Williams, Judge, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island

For more information, if you need a sign interpreter or require other arrangements to fully participate, please contact Kim Bauer at 217.424.2779.

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