Crafton Students Attend Watchorn Lincoln Dinner at Smiley Library

Publish Date: Feb. 11, 2023

The annual Watchorn Lincoln Dinner returned to the University of Redlands’ Orton Center on Saturday, February 11 for the 91st time, and seven lucky Crafton Hills College students were among the attendees. The Crafton Hills College Foundation paid the cost for each CHC attendee. History professor Sabrina Jimenez was tasked with selecting Crafton history enthusiast attendees. The seven students, all declared social science majors and self-proclaimed history buffs, enjoyed the night tremendously.

The event honors the Watchhorn family and their generous gift of the Lincoln Shrine to the city of Redlands in 1932. The shrine is a tribute to Lincoln, a research center for scholars, and a museum. It was erected to honor Ewart Watchorn’s memory, as both Ewart and his brother, Robert, had admired President Lincoln.

Dr. Nathan D. Gonzales -- historian, archivist, curator of the Lincoln Memorial Shrine and San Bernardino Community College District Board Trustee -- took time from his duties as presenter to personally welcome the students and thanked them for attending. Redlands Mayor Eddie Tejeda and Mayor Pro Tem Paul Barich also introduced themselves to the students and thanked them for their interest and support.

The event allowed the CHC students to hone their networking skills as they were encouraged to interact with history experts, researchers, educators, philanthropists, university professors, policymakers and other students.

Crafton student outings like the Watchorn Lincoln Dinner are a great opportunity to enrich academic knowledge while supporting a meaningful cause.

To learn more about the Lincoln Memorial Shrine visit www.lincolnshrine.org.