Abraham Lincoln McClerren Look-Alikes

Learning On-Line Resources by Howard Taylor

B.F. & Dorothy McClerren, Lincoln Presenters,
Tribute Page

. . . Being a Lincoln Family Look-Alike Makes for an Interesting Life
The Comparison of the McClerren Family with the A. Lincoln Family
By: Howard Taylor

    B.F. McClerren has taken advantage of his astonishing resemblence to the 16th President. He appears and orates as the bearded President, from 1860-. He says he would never consider cutting his beard, as it would ruin his act. WAND TV has described Mac as the best Lincoln orator in the country. Cowden-Herrick Schools students and teachers will agree here.
Mac, as he like to be called (or Abe), is a retired professor of Rhetoric and Public Speaking at Eastern Illinois University. He obtained his PHD at Southern Illinois University. The title Dr., is used rarely around Mac.

    Mac and his wife Dorothy have appeared with my former school 4 times during the 2002 school year. He and Dorothy, who do an excellent and awe-inspiring version of the President and wife Mary Todd, captivating the students. On the first visit, they visited with each class and attempted to answer the zillions of questions from grades 1-6 at both of our buildings.

    When Dorothy takes on her Mary role in the McClerren act, she becomes a "real" Mary Todd Lincoln to viewers. She tells the story of Mary as a child, as a wife of "Her Abraham," and the White House experiences, children and all. One spine tingling part of her depiction of Mary Todd, is when she describes the dream that Her Abraham had concerning someone dying in the White House. The President told her of the dream, and you need to see and hear Dorothy to find out "who died" and how Abraham took this. Dorothy is wonderful and all of my girls and boys from kindergarten through 8th grade were enthrolled with full attention. See below of the strong reslemblance of Dorothy McClerren to Mary Todd Lincoln.
    Mac is a renowned oratist of Lincoln speeches and stories. He dresses exactly as the President would have, and presents many mannerisms as well as a country type of voice.

Mac came back in May and actually helped muscle-bound Jr. High boys to build a real red oak split rail fence. The fence is on our website, with a special feature link on my History On-Line Site. We have our own real Lincoln-built split rail fence for people to admire and visiting kids to jump over during the Summer.

Speaking of look-alikes, study these photos of the Pre-bearded Abraham and Mac. Then study the photos of the McClerren son with young Jack Lincoln (Abe's grandson by Robert)


Above we see a beardless Lincoln reading about the announcement of a new "Ford" County in 1859. The drawing is by Lloyd Ostendorf, famed Lincoln artist and collector, now deceased.	Above we see a beardless (Mac) McClerren posing at the George Washington Headquarters on the Hudson. 1963

. . . More Resemblences to Note:

B.F. McClerren facing the real Abraham Lincoln in a mirror image drawing of both by the famed Lincoln artist, Lloyd Ostendorf. B.F. was the young Lincoln in the Charleston Lincoln-Douglas Debates broadcast on C-Span

. . .The First Lady
Mary Todd Lincoln & Dorothy McClerren, Presenter

Winner "Mary Lincoln Presenter" of the 2002 Hodgenville, Ky Lincoln Birthplace Festival Presenter Dorothy McClerren	Mary Todd Lincoln, First Lady of the United States 1861-1865	Dorothy again
Mary Todd Lincoln, the first First Lady, so-named, of our country in one of her many beautiful gowns. She loved formal parties, and had many. Mary had her own seamstress and could sew herself. Many of her dresses were made for her.		Dorothy McClerren, retired 1st grade teacher, and wife of B.F. McClerren dressed in one of her Mary Todd Lincoln Dresses, ready to tell the story of the 16th President's Wife. Another similarity with the original Mary Lincoln, is that Dorothy makes her own dresses as well.

One more look-alike comparison, the grandson of Abraham Lincoln (Jack), Robert Lincoln's child (left) and the son of B.F. McClerren (right).
Both are photographed at the same teenage period in their lives.

Young Jack Lincoln, from a photo from the Lloyd Ostendorf collection

Photo of B.F. McClerren Jr.

We thank B.F. and Dorothy McClerren for bringing our Lincoln to life. Many of the children think the real Abraham and Mary were here. No matter how hard I tried to convince many children they were actors, the resulting comment was: "They were here and I know them"
If you would like to invite the "Lincolns" for a visit, contact them at their website: The Lincolns

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