REC/GOV/052. Civil War Centennial Commission.

In 1959, the General Assembly created this Commission to promote and publicize the history of Connecticut’s participation in the Civil War. The Commission consisted of twenty-five appointed members and had an office in the State Library. It held about twenty meetings between November 1959 and March 1965. It encouraged the formation of local groups to organize pageants, celebrations, and commemorative events, provided speakers, promoted publication of pamphlets about Civil War leaders from Connecticut, and distributed publications. John Niven wrote his book, Connecticut for the Union: the Role of the State in the Civil War, for the Commission. The group contains administrative files, minutes of meetings, general correspondence, correspondence with towns and other states, newsletters, drafts of unpublished works, publications and related materials of the Commission, and publications from other state Centennial organizations.