Harold Holzer. Photo by Don Perdue.		 "As America's 44th President has said again and again so inspiringly, America's 16th President remains a beacon of hope that continues to light the way to our country's future. Barack Obama is the latest in a long and distinguished line of writers to explore Lincoln's legacy and apply it to our current and coming challenges. That is the goal of this contest--to invite 21st-century writers to look back at our history in order that we may more successfully look ahead to our future."

-Harold Holzer, writer, lecturer, and one of the country's leading authorities on Abraham Lincoln. His most recent book is Lincoln President-Elect.
To learn more visit haroldholzer.com
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Looking for Your Lincoln Hero
A Contest in Partnership with the Looking for
Lincoln Heritage Coalition.

Abraham Lincoln exemplifies the qualities of a great leader, and remains as one of history's brightest stars, and a role model for people even today. Do you know a Lincoln of today? Your Lincoln-like hero can be someone you know personally, or someone you admire from afar.

Now, Tell Us About your Lincoln Hero! Write an essay that describes the heroic qualities in Abraham Lincoln you most admire and tell us about the person in your life who most represents those qualities. Or create a piece of artwork to illustrate how your hero is like Lincoln.

Grand Prize! Four finalists will be awarded trips for two to Springfield, Illinois, to visit the world-class Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, The Old State Capitol where Lincoln gave his famous "House Divided" speech and where President-elect Barack Obama launched his campaign for the White House, The Lincoln Law Office and Home, among a number of other historic sites in Illinois.
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Finalist Judges for Essays:

Paul Rusesabagina, the real-life hero of "Hotel Rwanda" who saved more than 1000 people from the Rwandan genocide; Dr. Daniel Stowell of the Papers of Abraham Lincoln Project at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library; Eileen Mackevich, Executive Director of the US Lincoln Bicentennial Commission; Congressman Ray LaHood, Co-Chair of the US Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and retiring Congressman representing Lincoln's former seat in Congress; Dr. Marcia Young, Looking for Lincoln Board member, Harvard PhD., and historian in Illinois; and Harold Holzer, one of the country's leading authorities on Lincoln, and Honorary Co-chair of Looking for Your Lincoln Hero Essay Contest.
Finalist Judges for Artwork:

Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee and Kay Smith, Artist Laureate of Illinois.


Contest Guidelines & Details

  • Essay entries must discuss all of the following points when relating your contemporary hero to Abraham Lincoln:

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    1. Identify the personal or moral characteristics that Lincoln represents to you and how that makes Lincoln a hero.
    2. Describe the person you have chosen as "your" Lincoln.
    3. Offer specific examples of how your Lincoln hero is like Abraham Lincoln.
    4. Discuss how your Lincoln hero has impacted your life and/or the lives of others.
    5. Your essay should also suggest why someone should emulate Lincoln's characteristics and in those of your Lincoln-like hero.

  • Drawing entries should feature your contemporary Lincoln hero, and may include a brief description relating your hero's qualities to those of Lincoln.
  • Categories will include: elementary school stories, middle school stories, high school stories, college and graduate stories, adults and professional stories. We will also have artwork categories for elementary school, middle & high school, college & graduate, and adult and professional. (A total of 10 categories)
  • Word limit: 750 words.
  • One essay or drawing per person.
  • Photos and/or drawings accompanying essays are encouraged.
  • Entries must be submitted electronically through myhero.com/Lincoln (see STEP 1 to the top right side of this page to start) and a paper copy, accompanied by a completed, signed entry form will need to be mailed through "snail mail" to the contest address listed below. Teachers may wish to send essays from an entire classroom in one mailing.
  • For those entering drawings, please do not send original artwork. If the artist does not have the ability to scan items, MY HERO will scan after receiving a copy (no originals) of the artwork in the mail and the completed entry form online.
  • Entries due by March 1, 2009
    Mail to:
    Looking for Your Lincoln Hero
    C/O The MY HERO Project
    P.O. Box 1077
    Branford, CT 06405

    Remember to include the Looking for Your Lincoln Hero Entry Form with your submission. Click here to download the form.
  •   Winners announced in April 2009.



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    The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, enacted this year by Congress, is managed by the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to preserving, interpreting and promoting the Lincoln Legacy sites in Illinois, including the icons of Lincoln’s Home, Law Office, Old State Capitol, Lincoln’s Tomb, historic New Salem, and the world-class Presidential Library and Museum. To read more and plan travel to learn first-hand about Lincoln’s life journey, visit:

    www.lookingforlincoln.com