The U.S. Marshals Museum is $1 million closer to reaching its approximately $55.5 million total campaign goal thanks to a new contribution.
The future Fort Smith museum announced Tuesday that it will receive a $1 million contribution from Donnie Pendergraft and family in honor of her late husband, Ross Pendergraft.
The museum will use the money to construct the Ross Pendergraft What We Stand For: "Why Marshals?" Theater. The theater will be a permanent exhibit in the museum's Marshals Today gallery.
The museum aims to raise an estimated $55.5 million to build the museum, develop the exhibits, and fund an endowment, contingencies and operations. More than $26 million had been raised as of May 31.
Ross Pendergraft, who died in May 1998, retired in 1994 as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Donrey Media Group, formerly based in Fort Smith.
Museum President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Dunn said in a news release that it was an honor to name the theater after Pendergraft, and the museum looked "forward to carrying on his legacy of giving back to the Fort Smith community."
The theater will serve as an orientation to the U.S. Marshals Service and the planned 50,000-square-foot national museum, the news release said. An eight-to-12-minute show projected onto the theater's three large screens will highlight the history of the agency and its connection to Fort Smith.
"We commend the entire Fort Smith community for their enthusiasm and support of the U.S. Marshals Museum," said Neal Pendergraft, son of Donnie Pendergraft, in the news release. "We know this project would be so important to Ross. We hope our gift will encourage others to contribute and make this museum a reality."
The Marshals Service chose Fort Smith in January 2007 as the site for its national museum. The property is along the Arkansas River.
Last week it was announced that the Robbie Westphal family had completed the transfer of 16.3 acres of riverfront property to the museum.
The property still is subject to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers navigation easement for channel alignment, a news release said. The museum is working with the Corps of Engineers' regulatory and real estate division on a plan to allow construction on the site.
It might take four to six months to secure final approval from the Corps. When the approval matter is resolved, museum architects will be able to address the construction timeline, museum media developer Mason Kesner said in an email.
State Desk on 09/23/2015