Abraham Lincoln Society

The Abraham Lincoln Society recognizes and honors individuals, corporations and foundations that treasure Kentucky's history and have expressed their commitment through generous major gift support of the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS). Each Lincoln Society donor has made a cumulative gift of at least $25,000.


The Abraham Lincoln Society has six tiers of membership:

Presidential Advisors - $1 million or more.
Chancellor's Friends - $500,000 or more.
Director's Fellows - $250,000 or more.
Founding Trustees - $100,000 or more.
Trustees - $50,000 or more.
Members - $25,000 or more.

All Lincoln Society members receive a scale model of the Lincoln bust, sculpted by Robert Berk, on display in Hilary J. Boone Commonwealth Hall. Berk's creations are internationally recognized. His first rendition of Lincoln, his Gettysburg Lincoln, was designated in 1959 by Congress as the official Lincoln Sesquicentennial likeness. Additionally, all members are presented with a lapel pin, which is a replica of a watch fob worn by Lincoln. The actual watch and fob are now part of the KHS collections, thanks to the generosity of Lincoln Society member Joe Murphy, Jr.

Each year, Lincoln Society participants gather to acknowledge the contributions of new honorees and to celebrate the continuing generosity of existing members.

Lincoln Society Policies

Past gifts may be applied toward membership in the Lincoln Society.

Gifts may be designated by the donor for immediate use or for endowment purposes. Separate named endowed funds can be established for gifts or bequests of $50,000 or more to create one's own legacy or to honor a family or family member. The fund can be tailored to the donor's program interests. Gifts of $10,000 or more can be designated to general endowed funds already established in areas such as unrestricted, collections, education, exhibitions, library, research, oral history, publications or statewide outreach. Bequests qualify donors to be recognized via Kentucky History Legacy, our planned giving organization.

Husband and wife may be recognized as joint Lincoln Society members with no additional commitment.

A Lincoln Society pledge may be paid over a multi-year period. While a pledge does not legally bind the donor or his/her estate, it is hoped that the donor will provide for any unpaid portion through testamentary provision.

A person may become a member of the Lincoln Society by having this honor conferred upon him/her by another contributor or by the KHS Foundation board of directors. Similarly, a deceased person may be named a Lincoln Society member in memoriam.

Undesignated gifts allow the flexibility to respond to pressing needs and to seize educational opportunities. The KHS Foundation board of trustees determines which KHS projects receive funding from undesignated gifts.

Abraham Lincoln Society membership

The individuals, corporation and foundations recognized below represent the membership of the Lincoln Society as of Oct. 24, 2011. Incoming members are inducted annually at KHS's headquarters, the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, Frankfort.

Presidential Advisors - Hilary J. Boone, Sara Shallenberger Brown, James Graham Brown Foundation, Rosenthal Foundation, Martin F. Schmidt and Toyota.

Chancellor's Friends - Mr. and Mrs. Ralph G. Anderson, Brown-Forman Corporation, National Endowment for the Humanities and Thomas A. Courtenay and Mary Ann Courtenay Davidson.

Director's Fellows - Anonymous, Dr. Richard C. and Genevieve Brown, Mary D. Kelly Living Trust, Owsley Brown Frazier, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Keeneland Foundation and The Stewart Home School.

Founding Trustees - Mary and Barry Bingham Sr. Fund, Joan Cralle Day, Thomas P. and Clara Dupree, Farmers Bank and Capital Trust, Fidelity Investments, Gheens Foundation, James N. Gray Foundation, Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, Humana Foundation, William B. Sturgill, William T. Young Sr. and Bill and Barbara Young.

Trustees - Abercrombie Foundation, Cinergy Foundation, Cralle Foundation, CSX Transportation, Delta Airlines, Richard L. Frymire, John R. and Donna S. Hall, James F. Hardymon, Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, W. Paul and Lucille Caudill Little Foundation, PNC Bank Foundation and Robert E. Rich.

Members - A. J. Alexander, M.D.; Muhammad Ali; American Legion Post #6, Madisonville; Colonel (Ret.) Armando J. Alfaro; Ashland Inc.; Ball Homes; BellSouth; Ray Black and Son, Inc.; Gov. Edward T. Breathitt; Katherine Alexander Brewer; Dr. Richard C. Brown; Martin Brown Jr.; Budd Company; C. Michael Davenport; Cincinnati Bell Foundation; Dr. Thomas D. Clark; Clay Ingels Company; Corporex; R. C. Durr Foundation; First Southern National Bank; Charles and Melba P. Hay; Jacob and Edith Horn Family; Mr. and Mrs. Frank F. Hower Jr.; Johnson Controls Foundation; Gov. Brereton and Libby Jones; Mr. and Mrs. William Kirkland; Kentucky Bankers Association Inc.; Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance; Kentucky Genealogical Society; Kentucky Veterans Program Trust Fund; Dr. Glenn and Judy Marsh; Lois Mateus and Tim Peters; Moninger-Schmidt Fund; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Murphy Jr.; Pilot Corporation; Henry E. and Betty Pogue IV; Rhodes Bequest; Rosenstein Family; James and Lynne Shepherd; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Silhanek; Frank W. Sower; Steele-Reese Foundation; Charles Stewart; Stock Yards Bank and Trust; Sumitomo Corporation and John E. and Joanne Tobe.

Your Invitation to Join the Abraham Lincoln Society

Private giving at the Kentucky Historical Society has entered a new era. To date, over $8 million toward the $10 million "Campaign for Kentucky: The Thomas D. Clark Education Challenge" has been secured. The Abraham Lincoln Society, Annual Fund and planned giving programs represent the cornerstones of our development efforts.

Philanthropy has played a vital role for the KHS from its inception in 1836. Funds provided by Abraham Lincoln Society members and other generous donors help cherish and share our history in ways not otherwise possible.

Our board acknowledges with pride the vision and accomplishments of the Society's founders. Our goal, one we believe that you also share, is to endow the Society's education, collections, and community outreach programs so as to ensure excellence and to lead KHS into the ranks of the nation's finest state historical societies.

To all who share this vision and provide the necessary support to realize it, we are pleased to offer, as a small token of our thanks and appreciation, membership in the Abraham Lincoln Society.