photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

The Watkins Museum of History

The Watkins Museum of History will have a 2025 sponsor for upcoming exhibitions that celebrate three notable community anniversaries — and one fierce rivalry.

The Watkins Museum, 1047 Massachusetts St., announced that it will host exhibits that commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Lawrence law firm Stevens & Brand, the 75th anniversary of Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, the 50th anniversary of the Watkins Museum and one about the rivalry of Kansas and Missouri athletics.

Stevens & Brand has signed a deal to sponsor and financially support the four exhibitions.

“Stevens & Brand has proudly served Lawrence and northeast Kansas since its founding by Richard Stevens and John Brand in 1925”, said Brad Finkeldei, Managing Partner of Stevens & Brand, in a press release. “The partners that shaped our growth dedicated much of their energy towards community and state organizations. We are proud to continue that legacy and extend our congratulations to Bert Nash Center and Watkins Museum of History for their respective anniversaries. Our firm is grateful to see so many organizations succeed in providing such essential educational, social, health, and cultural services.”

According to a press release, the museum is grateful for the firm’s support of the following temporary exhibitions:

* Century of Experience: Stevens & Brand Celebrates 100 Years, located in the community gallery from Feb. 7 to Mar. 29.

* The Watkins at 50: Making History with our Community, located in the third floor gallery from Mar. 7 to July 5.

* The Bert Nash Center Legacy: Responding to Needs, Restoring Lives, and Building a Healthy Community, located in the community gallery from Apr. 18 to May 31.

* Jayhawks vs. Tigers: The Kansas/Missouri Athletics Rivalry, located in the third floor gallery from Oct. 17, 2025 to Mar. 14, 2026.

The first exhibition, Century of Experience: Stevens & Brand Celebrates 100 Years, will explore how the firm has been an integral part of Northeast Kansas for 100 years. There will also be a timeline display that will share about the firm’s response to local and national changes since 1925. After the exhibition is shown at the Watkins Museum, it will be permanently installed in Stevens & Brand’s Lawrence office.

The museum’s next temporary exhibition is The Watkins at 50: Making History with our Community. The exhibition will be based on materials from the operational archives of the museum. The exhibition will explore the early years of the museum and its growth and change over the decades, with an emphasis on community partnerships.

“The Watkins Museum of History is honored to commemorate a trio of milestone anniversaries in 2025, including our own. For 50 years, thanks to the strength of the community, including our volunteers, visitors, and supporters, the Watkins has celebrated Douglas County’s unique and inspiring heritage,” Steve Nowak, Executive Director of the Douglas County Historical Society and Watkins Museum of History, said in a press release.

The Bert Nash Center Legacy explores the life of Professor Bert Nash, who was a pioneer in the fields of educational psychology and mental health. The exhibition will trace the growth and community impact of his mental health center, which was founded in 1950, three years after his death. The exhibition will span National Mental Health Awareness Month.

“The Bert Nash Center was founded in honor of Professor Bert Nash, whose advocacy for mental health – especially for children – left a lasting impact,” Patrick Schmitz, President & CEO of the Bert Nash Center, said in a press release.

The exhibit will help tell the story of how the mental health center has grown from its original staff of three people in 1951 to an organization of more than 400 professionals that now provides outpatient therapy, housing support and crisis care, Schmitz said.

The Watkins Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday. Admission to the museum and these special exhibitions are free.