The 64th Annual Robert Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture

The Robert Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture is presented annually on November 19, the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. In recognition of the America 250th anniversary and the week of special programming surrounding Dedication Day, the 2026 lecture will include collaboration with Sunderman Conservatory of Music to commemorate the legacy of the Gettysburg Address in a multi-sensory way.

The 2026 Fortenbaugh Lecturer is Matthew Pinsker, who holds the Brian Pohanka Chair of Civil War History at Dickinson College. Prof. Pinsker’s lecture is entitled “Twelve Score and Ten: Lincoln, Gettysburg, and America 250,” and will be followed by a performance of Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait” by the Sunderman Conservatory Wind Symphony, narrated by actor Bruce Boxleitner.

The program will begin at 7:00 pm at the Majestic Theater (25 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg); free tickets can be obtained from the Majestic box office at 717-337-8200. For those who cannot attend in person, the event will be livestreamed through the CWI YouTube channel.

Click here for more information on Gettysburg’s November to Remember.