Third Thursday Presentation What it Means to Commemorate War

(Hartford, CT) – Dr. Matthew Warshauer, Steve Thornton, and John Monahan were part of a special Third Thursday panel discussion about how we commemorate war. The event was held on April 20, 2017, at the Connecticut State Library, 231 Capitol Avenue, Hartford.

Libraries, museums and archives around Connecticut (and around the country) continue to develop and offer exhibits and programs relating to the 100th anniversary of World War I. The panel will consider such questions such as: Why do we commemorate wars and other, often very tragic events? What does it mean to commemorate an event? And what are some of the issues that we should consider when planning commemorations?  This distinguished panel was moderated by State Librarian Kendall Wiggin.

Dr. Warshauer, professor of History at Central Connecticut State University, was the Founder, Co-Chair, and Project Coordinator, of the Connecticut Civil War Commemoration Commission, 2008-2015. In addition, Professor Warshauer has published several books on Connecticut and the Civil War.

 John Monahan is one of twelve members of the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission. A Connecticut resident, Commissioner Monahan is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Army who served in uniform both as an enlisted soldier and as an officer and is a national leader in the American Legion.

Steve Thornton is a retired union organizer who now writes for the Shoeleather History Project, which documents and explores progressive organizing from Hartford’s grassroots.  He is also the author of the book, A Shoeleather History of the Wobblies: Stories of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in Connecticut, and has written about issues that tend to be forgotten when commemorating war.

This panel discussion was part of the State Library and Museum of Connecticut History’s Third Thursday Brown Bag Lunchtime Speaker series.  This series of programs, sponsored by the Connecticut Heritage Foundation, features a variety of speakers on various aspects of Connecticut History.  All programs are free and open to the public and attendees should feel free to bring their lunch.