KrisAnn Sullivan
Frank House director, 308.865.8284 OR sullivankw@unk.edu
“The Panic of the 1890s: Frank Lessons for Today” will feature a panel discussion of today’s economic environment beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Frank House.
The Saturday Frank Talks series discussion, which has limited seating of 50, is part of the University of Nebraska at Kearney fifth annual $martMoney Week offerings. The Frank House is located on the UNK West Campus. Reservations to attend the event, which is free and open to the public, can be made by calling Frank House director KrisAnn Sullivan at 308.865.8284.
A panel of scholars will compare and contrast the current national and global economic environment with that of the 1890s to see what lessons can be borrowed from the past. Discussion topics will include the Franks, Kearney in the 1890s, and the social, political, financial, and economic patterns and issues, both then and now.
UNK economics lecturer and UNK Center for Economic Education Director Mary Rittenhouse will lead the discussion with guest speaker Lori Sizer, a Kearney Public Schools educator. Sizer will present her paper titled “How to Grow a Town,” which is based on how the Franks helped Kearney become the town it is today and what happened after the depression of the 1890s.
“The 1890s ‘boom to bust’ period was a time very similar to our own,” Sullivan said. “‘Conspicuous consumption’ marked the boom period when the Frank House was built. The bust brought many people back to the basics. Looking in our not-so-distant mirror of the 1890s raises some questions: ‘Will we ever learn?’ and ‘What will the next generation learn from us about money?’”
