About Us

When the Lincoln Museum in Fort Wayne was closed in 2008, a nationwide search for a recipient of the $20,000,000 Collection was begun. The eventual decision was that the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection would be donated to the State of Indiana, the three dimensional artifacts to be curated at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis, and the two dimensional material (documents, 18,000 books, 19th Century newspapers, etc.) would be preserved at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne.

Friends of the Lincoln Collection of Indiana, Inc. is the 501(c)(3) organization that supports the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection in both Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. Activities include: publication of Lincoln Lore; outreach to schools through onsite and offsite education programs; a Lincoln Essay Contest for high school students; public programs at both the Indiana State Museum and Allen County Public Library; funding for new acquisitions and preservation of the Collection at both sites; and responsibility for a website.

In 2017 the decision was made to develop the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research at the Allen County Public Library as a memorial to Ian Rolland, former Chairman & CEO of Lincoln National Life and Director of Friends of the Lincoln Collection of Indiana. A public display was created so that library visitors and school groups would be able to see and study the material in the Collection.