FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 20, 2004
MOUNT VERNON, VA – The most generous donor in Mount Vernon's history has expanded dramatically its commitment to George Washington's home, increasing its pledge from $15 million to $24 million.
In 2001, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation in Las Vegas, Nevada, agreed to sponsor the construction of a new education center on the Mount Vernon estate. Now the Foundation has embraced the building of an adjacent museum facility. The entire structure of approximately 35,000 square feet will be named the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer and be completed by the end of 2006.
Both the museum and education center will be tucked under a pasture just inside Mount Vernon's main gate, where they will be convenient to visitors yet virtually invisible to people touring the historic area of the estate.
"We are convinced more than ever that George Washington can and should be a role model for future generations," noted Fred W. Smith, chairman of the board of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. "And no place can tell George Washington's story in a more complete and compelling way than Mount Vernon."
Washington's life story – from his crisis-ridden childhood to his death and legacies – will be told in the 15 galleries and theaters in the new education center. Although designs are still on the drawing board, these spaces will blend period objects, ranging from swords and firearms to Washington's world-famous dentures, with state-of-the-art technologies, including life-like holograms and surround-sound audio systems.
The adjacent museum will feature 18th-century objects directly related to George Washington and his family, including furniture, china, paintings, silver, books, and manuscripts. Priceless objects that have been relegated to storage facilities for decades will be on continuous display, and a changing exhibition gallery will be used to create new shows and to accept traveling exhibitions from around the nation.
"All of our surveys reveal that our visitors really want to know more about the real George Washington," said Ellen Walton of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, current Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, the non-profit organization which has owned and managed George Washington's estate for almost 150 years. "These facilities will enable us to tell so many interesting stories about George Washington that remain untold."
The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation is a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named. Reynolds was the founder and principal owner of the Donrey Media Group. When he died in 1993, the company included over 70 businesses, the majority of which were in the communications/media field. Headquartered in Las Vegas, the Reynolds Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. For more information, please visit online at www.dwreynolds.org.
The oldest national preservation organization in America, Mount Vernon communicates the character and leadership of Washington to millions of Americans each year through a variety of interpretive programs on the Estate and in classrooms across the nation. The Association does not accept grants from federal, state or local governments, and no tax dollars are expended to support its purposes. Admission fees, restaurant and retail proceeds, together with private donations, support the operation and restoration of Mount Vernon. For more information, please call 703-780-2000 or visit online at www.mountvernon.org.