Gettysburg Foundation Gala

Special Guest Doris Kearns Goodwin

Friday, Nov. 7, 2025

Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center

An Unforgettable Evening of Vision, Purpose & Possibility

Some moments are more than events—they’re turning points. They mark a moment in time when vision meets purpose, when history speaks to the future and when a shared mission becomes a movement.

The Gettysburg Foundation was pleased to host a diverse group of guests who were part of just such a moment.

Gala 2025 was an unforgettable evening of celebration, connection and inspiration—and an extraordinary night set against the hallowed backdrop of Gettysburg. This cocktail attire gathering featureed presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin, whose words have influenced leaders of many professions across the nation.

Together with leaders, friends and supporters from across the country, attendees experienced a powerful vision of how Gettysburg’s legacy continues to shape our shared future.

5:30 p.m. | Reception

6:30 p.m. | Dinner and Program

8:45 p.m. | Private Post-reception with Doris Kearns Goodwin

9 p.m. | Dessert Reception, Live Music and Dancing

Cocktail Attire

Doris Kearns Goodwin,
Author, Historian and Public Speaker

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a world-renowned, presidential historian, public speaker and Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times #1 best-selling author and partner in Pastimes Productions. Goodwin is often called upon by the news media and late night TV hosts as well as hundreds of companies, educational institutions, government agencies and nonprofits to share her vast knowledge of leadership and provide historical context for current day events.

Goodwin’s career as a presidential historian and author was inspired when as a 24-year-old graduate student at Harvard, Doris Kearns was selected to join the White House Fellows, one of America’s most prestigious programs for leadership and public service. 

In Fall 2024, Goodwin’s first book for young readers, The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became President, was published. Especially tailored for educational use, Goodwin brings to middle-grade books decades of rich research combined with deep knowledge of Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. Adapted by Ruby Shamir from Goodwin’s seventh book, Leadership In Turbulent Times, both books provide an accessible and essential road map for aspiring and established leaders in every field, and for all of us in our everyday lives.

Goodwin previously authored six critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling books, including Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, in part the basis for Steven Spielberg’s film “Lincoln,” which earned 12 Academy Award® nominations, including an Academy Award for actor Daniel Day-Lewis for his portrayal of the 16th president. Team of Rivals is often cited as an inspiration for business and political leaders and was awarded the prestigious Lincoln Prize and the inaugural Book Prize for American History.

In 2016, Goodwin was the first historian to receive the Lincoln Leadership Prize from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation. Goodwin has received numerous awards for her books and career.

Updated Nov. 6, 2025

Gala Reservations

Whether joining us as an individual guest or with a full table for friends, colleagues or clients—attendees had the opportunity to be part of a purpose-filled night supporting the ongoing work of the Gettysburg Foundation and our enduring partnership with the National Park Service.

Guests stepped into an evening where past, present and future come together—and left with renewed purpose, new connections and a deeper commitment to the story that still shapes and inspires our nation.

Hotel Accommodations

Special rates for hotel accommodations were provided by Hotel Gettysburg on Lincoln Square in downtown Gettysburg.

Sponsors

Your support as a sponsor of the Gala benefits the education and preservation mission of the Gettysburg Foundation.

Together with the National Park Service at Gettysburg, we help preserve and protect the resources associates with the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg and share its important story of conflict, courage and remembrance with the broader public.

The Gettysburg Foundation is grateful to our generous sponsors and patrons of the Gala on Nov. 7, 2025.

Updated Nov. 10, 2025