The Bemis Free Lecture Series was launched in 1892. It is part of the enduring legacy of Lincoln entrepreneur George Bemis, who built Bemis Hall to be a town office, meeting place and lecture/performance space. The lecture series was modeled after the Chautauqua movement of the time, which aimed to democratize entertainment and culture. Through the Bemis Trust's charge for the lecture series, the ordinary folk of Lincoln enjoyed what had previously been reserved for a wealthy and elite society. Today as a century ago, the series is dedicated to "bringing education and edification to the citizens of Lincoln.” The endowment for the lecture series was doubled in 1982 at the bequest of native son, John Todd, and the charge expanded to include “entertainment and recreation."