Frankfort, KY - Donors to the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation were honored at its annual Abraham Lincoln Society Gala at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History on October 22. The event celebrated progress on the Foundation's $10-million Campaign for Kentucky: The Thomas D. Clark Education Challenge. Since it was first announced publicly in July 2005, the campaign has received more than $7.3 million in commitments toward its $10-million goal.
The 2007 inductees to the Abraham Lincoln Society include: Colonel (Retired) Armando J. Alfaro of Frankfort; Ashland Inc. of Covington, the R. C. Durr Foundation of Florence; the W. Paul and Lucille Caudill Little Foundation of Lexington, William B. Sturgill of Lexington, Joan Cralle Day of Louisville, Brown-Forman Corporation of Louisville, and Sally Brown of Louisville.
Individuals and groups are inducted into the Abraham Lincoln Society when their cumulative gifts to the KHS Foundation reach the level of $25,000 or more. The Abraham Lincoln Society has six tiers of membership. Donors of $1,000,000 or more are recognized as Presidential Advisors. Contributors at the $500,000 level join as Chancellor's Friends. Those donating $250,000 or more become Director's Fellows. Founding Trustees have contributed funds equal to or greater than $100,000 while donors of $50,000 or more are designated Trustees. Eligible gifts may be made through cash or pledges fulfilled over a period of up to five years or cumulatively. Corporations, foundations, and organizations are also eligible for membership in the Society.
Warren and Betty Rosenthal Honored with Named Space
The Permanent Exhibits Gallery at the Kentucky Historical Society has been named for Warren and Betty Rosenthal of Lexington.
During the Abraham Lincoln Society Gala program on October 22, the Kentucky Historical Society unveiled a new name for a public space at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History-the Warren and Betty Rosenthal Permanent Exhibits Gallery.
"There couldn't be a more appropriate honor for two extraordinary Kentuckians who have done so much to ensure that Kentucky's story is cherished and shared," says Kent Whitworth, executive director of KHS. "The Warren and Betty Rosenthal Permanent Exhibits Gallery is an enduring tribute to a truly exceptional Kentucky journey that continues to this day."
Warren Rosenthal is the founder of Jerrico, formerly the parent company of Jerry's, Long John Silver's, and Fazoli's restaurants. Warren and Betty Rosenthal are advocates for many state and community organizations, including Transylvania University, the University of Kentucky, Child Development Centers of the Bluegrass, and the Kentucky Historical Society.
The 20,000-square-foot Kentucky Journey exhibition tells stories of Kentuckians from the first prehistoric inhabitants to Muhammad Ali. Among the 3,000 cherished artifacts on display, visitors see Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch, the bullet-pierced coat worn by assassinated Governor William Goebel, rare portraits of free nineteenth-century African Americans, and period textiles, stitched with care by generations of Kentucky women. A Kentucky Journey has been visited by hundreds of thousands since it first opened in 1999, including more than 30,000 schoolchildren annually who come on school field trips.
-30-
An agency of the Kentucky Commerce Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, since 1836, has provided connections to the past, perspective on the present, and inspiration for the future. KHS operates the Old State Capitol, the Kentucky Military History Museum, and its headquarters, the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. Since 1999, the thirty-million- dollar Center has welcomed more than one million visitors. For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit our Web site.