The Farmville Herald

Appomattox Publisher Named Advisor To Civil War Centennial Commission

Six prominent residents of Virginia, chosen on a basis of their knowledge and interest in the Civil War, have been named to the Advisory Council of the Civil War Centennial Commission, established by Congress to plan and coordinate observances that will be held during the Civil War Centennial years.

They are: Author James I. Robertson Jr., architect and analyst of Civil War battles; L. Van Schreeven, state archivist; the Virginia State Librarian, Richmond; Calvin H. Robins, publisher of the Times-Virginian, Appomattox; William J. Newman, a farmer and cattle breeder, Gloucester Point; and Virgil Carrington Jones, Centerville, author and public relations counsel.

As members of the council, they will be asked from time to time to confer with the National Commission on production with its efforts to stimulate interest in the forthcoming ceremonies and to bring about a proper coordination of civil observances. Major General U. S. Grant, 3rd, chairman of the Commission, said he looked upon the appointment of this advisory group, all members of which will serve without compensation, as one of the most important steps taken to date.

National Commission

In its initial plans, the National Commission, now set up with its headquarters at 70 Jackson Place, N. W., almost directly in front of the White House, has made it clear that the actual planning of individual observances shall be carried out at the grass-roots level. Each state, county and community will be expected to work out its own program at the same time maintaining contact with the Commission at Washington and keep in mind the historical dates involved in the particular phase of the war with which it is concerned.

The Federal Government, with the blessing of President Eisenhower, honorary chairman of the Commission, began steps for the entertainment during the Centennial years of an unprecedented 80,000,000 visitors to the national park areas. The National Park Service, to provide for this greatly increased tourist travel and also to execute projected improvements in the park properties, worked out a special program, known as Mission 66, that received early approval from Congress. It is now in operation, and already the staffs and park facilities of the entire national system have been greatly augmented.

Many of the projects, especially in battle sites, will be timed for completion to coincide with historical incidents to be commemorated during the observances.

Robinson An Authority

Calvin H. Robinson, newly appointed member to the Advisory Council of the Centennial Commission, has been a long-time student of the Civil War and much of his writing career has been spent dealing with various aspects of the conflict. He is a past president of the York Democratic Club of Appomattox.