Public Servants Past & Present Tribute Gallery

Announcing a new exhibition being created by the Dole Institute of Politics, Watkins Museum of History, and Lawrence Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture: the Public Servants Past & Present Tribute Gallery!

This exhibition will be crowdsourced. Now through June 20, you can submit an image of a Douglas County public servant and their story to the portal at publicservantstribute.douglascountykshistory.org/

We want to honor Douglas County public servants of all eras, including those in city and county government and administration, public schools, first responders, military servicemembers and veterans, libraries and museums, university, state, and federal employees who live or work in Douglas County, at any level, now or anytime in our history.

Submit your photo and basic information anytime before June 20, 2026, to be included in our Tribute Gallery, which will debut on July 4, 2026, as part of the City of Lawrence’s Summerfest Fourth of July event at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. The gallery will include select photos of submitted public servants on printed banners and a slideshow.

Public service is the foundation of our past, our present, and our future. Our community and our country depend on it. We are proud to celebrate our neighbors.