October 31, 2012

ELLENSBURG, Wash. -- Central Washington University's Brooks Library is hosting the exhibition, Civil War 150:  Exploring the War and Its Meaning through the Words of Those Who Lived It, now through November 19 in the library lobby. The exhibition recounts the Civil War through letters, personal accounts, and photographs to invite a better understanding of how families, soldiers, freedmen, and presidents struggled to address democracy, citizenship, the human toll of civil war, and the role of a president in wartime.

Two special lectures will be presented by distinguished nationally recognized CWU authors. On November 15 at 7:00 p.m. Daniel Herman, professor, history, will present “Civil War Personal Stories.” On November 19 at 7:00 p.m., Mark Auslander, professor, anthropology, and director of the Museum of Culture and Environment, will present "Rose's Gamble: African Americans and the Civil War, in History and Memory." Both lectures will be held in Brooks Library Room 401. Refreshments will be served.

CWU Brooks Library is one of 50 libraries in the country to be awarded the Civil War exhibition in recognition of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. The exhibit is displayed in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

All events are free and open to the public. Parking at CWU is free after 4:30 p.m. and on weekends, except in specially designated lots and spaces.

Media Contact: Valerie Chapman-Stockwell, CWU Public Affairs, 509-963-1518, valeriec@cwu.edu