Lincoln College marks 150th anniversary by making its grand soiree public

Posted on September 12, 2015
The Lincoln Heritage Museum reopened at 1115 Nicholson Road in Lincoln last year. (Photo by Eric Stock/WJBC)
The Lincoln Heritage Museum reopened at 1115 Nicholson Road in Lincoln last year. (Photo by Eric Stock/WJBC)

By Eric Stock

LINCOLN – Lincoln College is honoring its namesake and its 150th anniversary with a first-time public fundraiser.

The headline event for the school’s sesquicentennial is its grand soiree on Sept. 26 and for the first time is being opened to the public.

“We have a really special place in the Lincoln Heritage Museum to share Lincoln’s important life lessons, and the Soiree is another opportunity to invite people to learn both from our nation’s great president and about how Lincoln College has grown out of his legacy,” Lincoln College President David Gerlach said. “We encourage everyone to come celebrate and support this jewel of a Museum we have as we look back at the past 150 years and forward to the successful years ahead.

The black-tie optional dinner at Jack D. Nutt Arena is the school’s primary fundraiser for the Lincoln Heritage Museum which opened its doors at a new location last year.

Vice President of Institutional Advancement Debbie Ackerman said about 200 attended the event last year and they hope to reach 300 this year.

“The more we talked about it, we decided it is our primary fundraier for the Lincoln Heritage Museum and why not open it up and draw an even bigger crowd and raise money for the museum,” Ackerman said.

Ackerman said the museum has had more than 5,000 visitors since it reopened.

The event will include a visual history of the college which started shortly before President Lincoln’s death in 1865. It will follow a Civil War theme and will include Lincoln funeral artifacts and images.

The cost is $95 per person for open seating. Tables may be reserved for $760 for a table of eight. Special sponsorship tables are available at $1,000. Table sponsors will be recognized and receive four VIP passes to the Lincoln Heritage Museum.

The fundraiser will include a benefit auction and entertainment from the College Jazz Combo.

Reservations are due by Wednesday. You can make a reservation by calling (217) 735-7217 or 877-522-5867 or visiting the museum website http://museum.lincolncollege.edu.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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