Surratt Conference Makes A Special Award

[L Verge]

For those of you who were unable to attend the Surratt Conference this week, I want to fill you in on a special award to a special person. The Surratt Society membership now numbers in the 1600s. There are four various categories of membership: Volunteers, General, Life, and Honorary.

The latter category is the smallest because few people have earned the level of service to both the Society and the Lincoln assassination field to be awarded the honor. In its forty years, the Society has only honored less than ten people.

At this conference, however, we added another name to the list when we announced that MR. ROGER J. NORTON has been named an Honorary Member for his all-around service to the Society and the Lincoln history field in general through his Abraham Lincoln Research Site, which has assisted students and scholars for nearly twenty years (and was the first internet site of that type to be acknowledged by placement on the Library of Congress' Resource Center), and of course, for this wonderful forum dedicated to Lincoln studies.

Roger could not be present at Saturday night's banquet to receive his award in person, but we were able to get him on the phone for the presentation. Congratulations to our friend and teacher!