LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency, notified the Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence, Kansas, it's federal grant was terminated on April 8.
In 2022, the museum began using the $50,000 grant to create digital resources to help local teachers teach their students about the history of the Underground Railroad in Douglas County.
The museum was waiting on the final disbursement of $13,000 when it was notified the grant was terminated, according to Steve Nowak, executive director of Douglas County Historical Society.
The letter read in part: "Upon further review, IMLS has determined that your grant is unfortunately no longer consistent with the agency's priorities and no longer serves the interest of the United States and the IMLS Program. IMLS is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in futherance of the President's agenda."
IMLS cited an executive order from President Donald Trump.
"I think that these kinds of cuts were made based on a misunderstanding of how much the American people appreciate their cultural institutions," Nowak said.
The Douglas County Historical Society operates the Watkins Museum of History at 11th and Massachusetts streets in Lawrence. It's exhibits span Douglas County history from the settlement of Lawrence to present day.
Artifacts include a broken printing press. It's fragments piece together the history of a Lawrence abolitionist newspaper. Pro-slavery forces destroyed it in 1856.
"It reminds me that we're living history everyday," Will Haynes, Watkins Museum of History deputy director for engagement and learning, said of the printing press. "It reminds me of attacks on freedom of information and our first amendment rights that are happening all the time."
Nowak said he found the letter to pass off the grant as irrelevant, which he called "unfortunate."
"Reading those words made you feel a little under attack," he said.
Watkins Museum of History has received over $416,000 in federal grants over the last five years, according to Nowak. He said those funds have helped the museum grow and create new experiences for the public.
"The exciting thing about federal resources is it's new money coming into the community," he said. "It's not money that we're competing with other kinds of organizations for charitable giving locally."
Looking forward, Nowak says future funding remains uncertain.
A GoFundMe has been created to help recover costs lost following the termination of the grant.
"It seems like we're receiving confirmation that what we're doing is valuable to people," Nowak said.
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