Friday, May 30, 2008

Dallas Museum of Nature and Science receives $50 million gift from Perot kids

By Pegasus News wire

DALLAS — Calling it "an extraordinary tribute and a momentous gift that makes the dream of a new museum at Dallas' Victory Park a reality," Museum of Nature & Science officials today announced that fundraising efforts have topped the $100 million mark with a $50 million gift made by the Perot children in honor of their parents, Margot and H. Ross Perot.

The Victory Park facility, which will supplement the existing Fair Park facilities to address the growing demand for math and science education, will be named the Perot Museum of Nature & Science.

"The Perot children's incredible gift of $50 million is significant because, by reaching the $100 million milestone, it will allow us to break ground at the Victory Park site in 2009," said Nicole G. Small, CEO of the Museum of Nature & Science, in Dallas. "We are honored to receive this meaningful tribute from the Perot children celebrating their parents' amazing contributions to society."

Mr. and Mrs. H. Ross Perot and their five children - Katherine Perot, Carolyn Perot Rathjen, Suzanne Perot McGee, Nancy Perot Mulford and Ross Perot, Jr. -- were joined today by Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, Museum leadership and other guests at the W -- Dallas Victory Hotel. The Perots' gift is the largest made to the Museum of Nature & Science and is believed to be one of the single-largest cash gifts to a Dallas museum.

Including the Perots' gift, the Museum has secured nearly $106 million in capital towards its current project goal of $155 million to fund site acquisition, exhibition planning and design, construction of the new building, education programs and an endowment. Other major gifts include $10 million from Hunt Petroleum, $10 million from the Hoglund Foundation and Family, $10 million from The Rees-Jones Foundation, $10 million from T. Boone Pickens, and $2.5 million from the Corrigan Family.

The Perot Museum of Nature & Science will be constructed on a 4.7-acre site adjacent to Victory Park in downtown Dallas. In January 2008, the Museum named 2005 Pritzker Prize Laureate Thom Mayne of Morphosis as architect for the new facility.

Source: Museum of Nature and Science

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