Person

Pratt, Harry E.

1901–1956

Cambridge, Illinois author, Lincoln scholar, history professor and director of the Illinois State Historical Library. Pratt graduated from the University of Illinois in 1923 and taught history in Ohio and Wyoming until he returned to the University of Illinois to obtain his Ph.D. in history in 1930. His 206 page, doctoral dissertation was titled “David Davis: 1856-1886”. He was the dean ofBlackburnCollege in Carlinville, 1930-1934 and then taught atIllinoisWesleyanUniversity inBloomington, 1934-1936. He served as the executive secretary of the Abraham Lincoln Association, 1936-1943. He was appointed director of the Illinois State Historical Library and State Historian in 1950 and served in that position until 1956 when he died