Presidents

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

On August 21, 1858, Abraham Lincoln participated in the first of seven debates against Stephen Douglas.  Part of a race for an Illinois seat in the US Senate, they became known as the Lincoln-Douglas Debates or the Great Debates of 1858.

George Meany

Birth of George Meany

William George Meany was born on August 16, 1894, in Harlem, New York City. One of the most influential labor leaders in US history, Meany is credited with successfully merging the American Federation of Labor, or AFL, and the Congress of Industrial Labor, or CIO.

Chautaqua

Chautauqua Institution 

On August 6, 1974, the USPS issued the Chautauqua Institution stamp, the second in the Rural America series, honoring the organization’s centennial.  Initially founded to train Sunday school teachers, “Chautauqua” became a term for commercial traveling companies who pitched tents and presented lecturers, orators, and performing artists to rural areas.