The Birks Museum recognizes and honors two sisters whose love of the decorative arts and their alma mater, Millikin University, made creation of the museum possible.

Florence Birks, who died in 1995, and her sister, Jenna, who died in 1980, lived for many years in Mariemont, Ohio, and spent most of their adult lives pursuing avocational interests in fine glassware, china and porcelain.

Their curiosity was first aroused by tourist items they purchased during a trip to England. In the next half century they spent countless hours in study research, learning the history of the pieces they would come to collect.