Lincoln Pilgrimage History

The Abraham Lincoln Council, Boy Scouts of America sponsored the first Lincoln Pilgrimage in 1946, and it has been an annual event for over 60 years now. Today it may well be the largest one day gathering of Scouts in the United States. On the last Sunday of April each year, Scouts gather to pay tribute to Abraham Lincoln at his final resting place. The Tomb of President Lincoln is located in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois. Throughout the years Scouts have been joined in this tribute by governors, senators, representatives, and astronauts, to name but a few. This page remembers those honored speakers of the Lincoln Pilgrimage, and the patches that have marked the Pilgrimages of years gone by. Today's Lincoln Pilgrimage is a full weekend event with camping, hiking, and The Pilgrimage Parade on Sunday. 

In 1972 the Abraham Lincoln Council started another Pilgrimage tradition by selecting an honor guard each year. This group of Scouts has the honor of posting the Colors at Oak Ridge Cemetery on Pilgrimage Sunday, and then mounting a guard inside Mr. Lincoln's Tomb. Following the program at the Tomb, the honor guard leads the parade with The American Flag, Illinois State Flag, Abraham Lincoln Council Flag, and over 20 Historic Flags. You may also view the listing of each year's honor guard on this page.

The planning for each Pilgrimage begins more than a year in advance. Many volunteers work on making the Pilgrimage a success, and while it is not possible to name them all, we have included a list of the Chairman of the Lincoln Pilgrimage Committees.   

1946 Speaker: Hon. Harlington Wood, Sangamon County Judge.

Chairman: A. R. Booth

1947 Speaker: Hon. Dwight H. Green, Governor of Illinois.

Chairman: None Listed

1948 Speaker: Vernon L. Nickell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Chairman: H. Langdon Robinson

There was no patch issued from 1949 thru 1953

1949 Speaker: Bruce E. Wheeler: Asst. Superintendent of Schools, Springfield, IL.

Chairman: C. L. Morris

1950 Speaker: Earle Benjamin Searcy, Clerk, Illinois Supreme Court.

Chairman: Joel D. Eastham

1951 Speaker: William E. Hoffman, Scout Executive, Abraham Lincoln Council, BSA.

Chairman: H. Francis Shuster

1952 Speaker: Hon. Henry F. Schricker, Governor of Indiana.

Chairman: Carroll W. Neeld

1953 Speaker: Dr. Elbert K. Fretwell, Chief Scout Executive Emeritus, BSA.

Chairman: Albert M. Meyers

1954 Speaker: Paul H. Love, Regional Scout Executive, BSA.

Chairman: Jule Bohn

1955 Speaker: Hon. Everett M. Dirksen, United States Senator, Illinois.

Chairman: William E. McElroy

1956 Speaker: Dr. Marcus Bach, School of Religion Director, University of Iowa.

Chairman: William E. McElroy

1957 Speaker: Hon. Maurice H. Stans, Deputy Postmaster General of the United States.

Chairman: William E. McElroy

1958 Speaker: Hon. William G. Stratton, Governor of Illinois.

Chairman: William E. McElroy

1959 Speaker: Hon. Harold Handley, Governor of Indiana.

Chairman: William E. McElroy

1960 Speaker: Lt. Gen. Truman H. Landon, Deputy Chief of Staff, United States Air Force.

Chairman: William E. McElroy

1961Speaker: Karl Betts, Director, Civil War Centennial Commission.

Chairman: William E. McElroy

1962 Speaker: Hon. J. Edward Day, Postmaster General of the United States.

Chairman: William E. McElroy

1963 Speaker: Hon. Otto Kerner, Governor of Illinois.

Chairman: William E. McElroy

1964 Speaker: Hon. G. William Horsley, State Representative, Illinois.

Chairman: None listed

1965 Speaker: Hon. Paul Findley, United States Representative, Illinois.

Chairman: Paul F. Evans

1966 Speaker: Bob Feller, Pitcher for Cleveland Indians.

Chairman: G. William Horsley

1967 Speaker: Dr. Wayne C. Temple, Illinois State Archivist and Lincoln Scholar.

Chairman: Wayne C. Temple

1968 Speaker: Dr. Ralph G. Newman, Chairman, Illinois Sesquicentennial Commission.

Chairman: Wayne C. Temple

1969 Speaker: Hon. Paul Powell, Secretary of State, Illinois.

Chairman: Wayne C. Temple

1970 Speaker: Dr. Lloyd Ostendorf, Lincoln Artist, and Scholar.

Chairman: Wayne C. Temple

1971 Speaker: Hon. Richard B. Ogilvie, Governor of Illinois.

Chairman: Wayne C. Temple

1972 Speaker: Ronald A. Phillippo, Director of Public Relations, BSA.

Honor Group: Troop 61, Virden, IL.

Chairman: Wayne C. Temple

1973 Speaker: John M. Claerhout, Director of Operations, Boy Scouts of America.

Honor Group: Troop 68, Taylorville,IL.

Chairman: Wayne C. Temple

1974 Speaker: Colonel Royal B. Brown, United States Army Command School.

Honor Group: Troop 2, Springfield, IL.

Chairman: Wayne C. Temple

1975 Speaker: L. Robert Kilmer, Regional Director, Boy Scouts of America.

Honor Group: Troop 113, Jacksonville, IL.

Chairman: Wayne C. Temple

1976 Speaker: Alden G. Barber, Chief Scout Executive, Boy Scouts of America

Honor Group: Troop 27, Springfield, IL.

Chairman: Wayne C. Temple

1977 Speaker: Arch Monson, National President, Boy Scouts of America.

Honor Group: Troop 100, Hillsboro, IL.

Chairman: Wayne C. Temple

1978 Speaker: Frances R. Hesselbein, National Executive Director, Girl Scouts of America.

Honor Group: Troop 14, Springfield, IL.

Chairman: Wayne C. Temple

1979 Speaker: James R. Tarr, Chief Scout Executive, Boy Scouts of America.

Honor Group: Troop 107, Jacksonville, IL.

Chairman: Wayne C. Temple

1980 Speaker: M. Gene Cruse, Director of Operations, Boy Scouts Of America.

Honor Group: Troop 62, Carlinville, IL.

Chairman: Walter R. Lohman

1981Speaker: Charles Marshall, President, Illinois Bell Telephone.

Honor Group: Troop 40, Rochester, IL.

Chairman: Donald C. Kramer

1982 Speaker: Hon. Alan Dixon, United States Senator, Illinois. (Senator Dixon was unable to attend at the last minute) Tribute was delivered by G. Jay Heim.

Honor Group: Troop 109 Jacksonville, IL.

Chairman: William D. Forsyth, Jr.

1983 Speaker: George R. Cahill, President, National Flag Foundation.

Honor Group: Eagle Scouts from 1981, 1982, and 1983.

Chairman: Dr. David Kenny

1984 Speaker: Frances R. Hesselbein, National Director, Girl Scouts of America.

Honor Group: Troop 53, Springfield, Il.

Chairman: J. Michael Houston

1985 Speaker: Roland W. Burris, Comptroller, State of Illinois.

Honor Group: Troop 90, Hillsboro, IL.

Chairman: Jim Stefl

1986 Speaker: Theodore S. Hanley, Area 3 Director, East Central Region, BSA.

Honor Group: Troop 140, Winchester, IL.

Chairman: Nell & Kenneth E. Petit

1987 Speaker: Hon. John Davidson, State Senator, Illinois.

Honor Group: Troop 76, Kincaid, IL.

Chairman: Nell & Kenneth E. Petit

1988 Speaker: Hon. Jim Edgar, Secretary of State, Illinois.

Honor Group: Troop 216, Springfield, Il.

Chairman: Nell & Kenneth E. Petit

1989 Speaker: Sanford N. McDonnell, CEO McDonnell Douglas Corporation.

Honor Group: Troop 109, Jacksonville, IL.

Chairman: J. Michael Houston

1990 Speaker: James A. Lovell, Astronaut, Executive Vice President, Central Corporation.

Honor Group: Troop 68, Taylorville, IL.

Chairman: Ossie Langfelder

1991 Speaker: Chief Justice Ben K. Miller, Supreme Court, State of Illinois.

Honor Group: Troop 13, Springfield, IL.

Chairman: General Thomas Napolitan

1992 Speaker: Richard A Leet, National President, Boy Scouts of America.

Honor Group: Troop 107, Jacksonville, IL.

Chairman: William Schnirring

1993 Speaker: Hon. Jim Edgar, Governor, State of Illinois.

Honor Group: Troop 89, Litchfield, IL.

Chairman: Richard M. Ware

1994 Speaker: Harlington Wood, Jr., Circuit Judge U.S. Court of Appeals.

 Honor Group: Troop 202 Springfield, IL.

Chairman: Robert A. Stuart, Jr.

1995 Speaker: Yolanda King, Daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King.

 Honor Group: Troop 310 Springfield, IL.

Chairman: Robert A. Stuart, Jr.

1996 Speaker: Cullom Davis, Professor of History, UIS.

 Honor Group: Troop 107 Jacksonville, IL.

Chairman: Dr. Curtis O. Floyd

1997 Speaker: Togo A. West Jr., Secretary of the Army. 

 Honor Group: Troop 46, Riverton, IL. and Troop 2 Christ the King Church Springfield, Il.

Chairman: Dr. Curtis O. Floyd

1998 Speaker: Joseph H. Hartzler, Assistant U.S. Attorney.

 Honor Group: Troop 89 Litchfield, IL  & Troop 125 Ashland, IL.

Chairman: Dr. Curtis O. Floyd

1999 Speaker: Ray LaHood, Representative  U.S. Congress.

 Honor Group: Troop 13 Springfield, IL.

Chairman: W. William Denby

2000 Speaker: Astronaut Scott Altman( Commander U.S.N.)

Honor Group: Troop 20 Springfield, IL.  & Troop 140 Winchester, IL.

Chairman: W. William Denby

 2001 Speaker:  Dr. Gerald J. Prokopowicz, Lincoln Scholar, The Lincoln Museum.

Honor group:  Troop 132 Taylorville, IL & Troop 305 Pleasant Plains, IL.

Chairman: W. William Denby

2002 Speaker:  United States District Judge Richard Mills (Maj. Gen. Ret.)

Honor Group: Abraham Lincoln Council Eagle Scouts.

Chairman: W. William Denby

Special patch issued for first ever closing of the Lincoln Trail during Pilgrimage weekend.

2003: Speaker Vice Admiral N. Ronald Thunman United States Navy (Retired).

Honor Group: Abraham Lincoln Council Eagle Scouts.

Chairman: W. William Denby

2004: Speaker Former Illinois Governor Jim Thompson

Honor Group: Abraham Lincoln Council Eagle Scouts.

Chairman: Martin Green

2005: Speaker: BSA National Commissioner Don Belcher

Honor Guard: Abraham Lincoln Council Eagle Scouts

Chairman: Martin Green

2006: Speaker: Gene Reineke, of Hill & Knowlton, Inc.

Honor Guard: Abraham Lincoln Council Eagle Scouts

Chairman: Martin Green

2007: Speaker: Doug Whitley, Illinois Chamber of Commerce

Honor Guard: Abraham Lincoln Council Eagle Scouts

Chairman: Zack Stamp

2008: Speaker: William F. "Rick" Cronk, National President, Boy Scouts of America

Honor Guard: Abraham Lincoln Council Eagle Scouts

Chairman: Zack Stamp

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