Learning On-Line Resources by Howard Taylor
B.F. & Dorothy McClerren, Lincoln
Presenters,
Tribute Page
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A
Tribute Page
to B.F. and Dorothy McClerren, My Friends
A
Learning
On-Line Resource Page by Howard Taylor
After
working on many learning activities as listed in
Learning On-Line by Howard
Taylor, I have retired from teaching, but did write
a book about the teaching of Lincoln entitled "Learning Lincoln
On-line". Mac was the inspiration for me becoming interested in
Lincoln.
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I'm proud to have met many of the presenters at the 2002 event. It
was awe inspiring to sit with so many Lincolns, that presented the
original man in a similar way. There was even a Georgia Abe (far
left)
 
Abraham
and Mary with me at the February, 2006 presentation at Carl Sandburg
Elementary School.
B.F. McClerren as the 16th President at the
Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum, May, 2006 for my 2nd grade class
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A
Biography of B.F. McClerren and Dorothy McClerren
B.F. McClerren, Ph.D., is a retired college professor. His educational background includes history, philosophy, theology, and rhetoric. He was a professor at Eastern Illinois University for thirty years. There the courses that he taught included the Lincoln Senior Seminar. In 1990 he made a transition and is now on the stages for all ages. Honors bestowed include the following. On Sept. 18,1994 McClerren portrayed Lincoln for the C-Span reenactment of the 1858 Lincoln/Douglas debate at Charleston, Illinois. In 1994 the Association of Lincoln Presenters honored him with "The Lincoln Presenter of the Year" award. In 2002 City Lights: Time Elevator Productions of New York City selected McClerren from a list of twenty-five applicants to portray Lincoln in a full length movie. Through his presentations a variety of audiences now witness the soul of Lincoln as he wrestles with questions of liberty, truth, and forgiveness. They philosophize with Lincoln the lawyer and politician, weep with Lincoln the war weary president and grieving father, laugh with Lincoln the story teller, and hear the heart of Lincoln as he delivers some of his most famous speeches. Dorothy A. McClerren is a retired elementary teacher. With similar facial features, same height, same color of hair and eyes, Dorothy became Mary Lincoln both on and off stage. She realistically presents the life of Mary Todd Lincoln of Kentucky, now of Illinois, and later in the White House. Audiences laugh and weep with the First Lady. Honors received by Dorothy include the following. In 1995 she received the "Best Mary Todd Lincoln Presenter of the Year Award" from the Association of Lincoln Presenters. In 1995 Dorothy entered the Mary Lincoln Look-Alike contest at Hodgenville, Kentucky, and there claimed first place. When she entered the same contest again in 2002, Dorothy was again acclaimed the number one Mary Lincoln. When asked her purpose in portraying Mary Lincoln, Dorothy replied: "I believe that Mary Lincoln has been much maligned. I want to realistically represent her life in Kentucky, Illinois, and in the White House. When my audiences hear Mary Lincoln I want them to feel and understand her soul, to laugh and weep with her." The McClerrens have demonstrated that they are one of the best Lincoln teams on stage today. In April, 2002 The Association of Lincoln Presenters bestowed upon them the award: "Best Lincoln Team of the Year." A neat little pose with several Lincoln Presenters at the annual Hodgenville, Kentucky Lincoln Birthplace Festival. B.F. McClerren is on the far right (I'm in the center of course). B.F. knows he is a little too short to match the 6'4" real thing, but has the oratorical ability and knowledge of most important Lincoln speeches, including the Debates. He has been awarded the title of "best Lincoln orator in the U.S." and the same by WAND TV News, Decatur, Illinois. |
PHOTO ALBUM BY
HOWARD TAYLOR
During the
2001-2002, during my big Abe Lincoln Technology grant, I had the help
of a nearly perfect presenter of Abraham Lincoln. The children at
Cowden-Herrick Schools, grades K-8 had a difficult time understanding
that Abraham and Mary Lincoln were not "really" present at our school.
When trying to explain that Abe and Mary were actors, it was very
similar to explaining that Santa Claus is not Santa Claus. I was
amazed that even older children were true believers.
Here are some photos of the visits of Mary and Abraham Lincoln. The time was during the Civil War. Abraham was showing fatigue and age since his first inauguration. In actuality, Abraham Lincoln never returned to Illinois after moving to Washington D.C. into the White House, but the presentation by Mac and Dorothy, depicted him and his wife fictionally making a trip to Central Illinois to visit with family and take care of winning support for his war efforts. He was able to make a stop at our little school in Shelby County. This is much what presidents in modern times like to do. We were the lucky school this time. You can also hear and see the two in action with short MPG blips from our Sony 1200 digital camera. CLICK THE LINKS YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO VIEW--CLICK YOUR BROWSER AREA TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE. EACH PAGE YOU VISIT WILL HAVE A LINK TO RETURN TO MY McCLERREN TRIBUTE PAGE. |