(defeo.biz) — Trustees of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency have named a research historian at the Lincoln Presidential Library as the new Illinois state historian.
Dr. Samuel Wheeler, an expert on the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln, will be the 10th state historian. Wheeler, 38, has worked at the Lincoln Presidential Library since 2013.
As state historian, Wheeler will direct research and collections at the state historical library, a part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. He will also lead efforts to use the state’s historical resources, such as museums, library collections and historic sites, to educate the public about Illinois’ heritage.
“I’m excited about the many challenges that await the Illinois state historian. It’s a tremendous honor to serve the state and the many institutions dedicated to our incredible legacy,” Wheeler said in a news release. “We can make Illinois a nationwide leader in preserving and promoting history.”
Wheeler will report to Alan Lowe, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The previous state historian, Thomas Schwartz, is now director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum in West Branch, Iowa.
The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency protects the state’s historic resources, and its 56 sites include ancient burial mounds, forts and buildings erected by settlers and homes connected to famous Illinoisans. The agency also oversees the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, which tells the story of America’s 16th president through old-fashioned scholarship and modern technology.
Click here to read an earlier feature of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum that features an interview with Wheeler.