How Abraham Lincoln viewed the U.S. Constitution played a more important role in preserving the Union during the Civil War than previous scholarship has indicated, according to a new book by Mark E. Neely Jr., McCabe Greer Professor of History at Penn State. In "Lincoln and the Triumph of the Nation: Constitutional Conflict in the American Civil War," published this month by the University of North Carolina Press, Neely goes beyond the previous focus of historians on Lincoln and First Amendment freedoms and sees the iconic president in the broader context of nationalism.

At the beginning of the spring semester, Penn State Harrisburg instructor in art Paul Manlove issued a challenge to the 25 students in his graphic design class. The results of that challenge will be on public display at The National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg beginning with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. on May 14.