MCCORMICK TRIBUNE FOUNDATION AWARDS $1 MILLION TO GETTYSBURG NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD MUSEUM FOUNDATION
Media contact: Pegeen Hopkins
Director of Communications
McCormick Tribune Foundation
phopkins@tribune.com
(312) 222-5022
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YORK, Pa., Jan. 10, 2005
The Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation (GNBMF) has been granted $1 million by the McCormick Tribune Foundation (MTF), one of the nation’s largest charitable foundations. The grant, part of MTF’s 50th anniversary celebration, will be used to create the McCormick Tribune Foundation Gallery that is being built in conjunction with a major revitalization project at GNBMF, which includes a new museum, visitor center and educational complex.
“We are delighted to support this initiative,” said Richard A. Behrenhausen, president of the McCormick Tribune Foundation. “This grant will honor Colonel Robert. R. McCormick’s legacy well because the gallery will examine journalistic and military perspectives of the Civil War, which represent two important facets of McCormick’s life as a soldier and newspaper publisher.”
The McCormick Tribune Foundation Gallery will honor Maj. William H. Medill. Medill was the great-uncle of McCormick, the founder of MTF. Medill, a major in the Union army, died from wounds he received during the Gettysburg Campaign.
The McCormick Tribune Foundation Gallery will be located within the “Campaign to Gettysburg” exhibit and will showcase the contributions of Illinois troops, specifically the 8th Illinois Calvary Regiment, 12th Illinois Calvary Regiment and 82nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The museum contains 38,000 artifacts and 700,000 documents, maps and photographs relating to the battle.
The gallery will also feature an exhibit entitled “Voices of Correspondents,” which will showcase the role of journalists in the Battle of Gettysburg. This exhibit will include newspaper accounts of the battle and related political developments and it will illustrate the experiences and challenges faced by journalists during the Civil War.
About the McCormick Tribune Foundation
The McCormick Tribune Foundation is one of the nation’s largest charitable organizations, with current combined assets of close to $2 billion. In 2004 the foundation gave more than $90 million in the form of grants designed to invest in communities, address human needs and promote the ideals of a democratic society through innovative partnerships. The foundation, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2005, was first established as a charitable trust upon the death of Col. Robert R. McCormick, longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune.
The foundation provides assistance in four program areas — communities, education, journalism and citizenship — and funds a special initiatives program. Through its grants, the foundation seeks to improve the social and economic environment; encourage a free and responsible discussion of issues affecting the nation; enhance the effectiveness of American education; and stimulate responsible citizenship. For more information, visit http://www.mccormicktribune.org/.
About the Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation
The Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation was established in 1998 to preserve the importance of Gettysburg National Military Park and to educate the public and future generations about the events which took place at the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg National Military Park receives 2 million visitors annually and serves about 15 million students through on-line and off-site educational programs. For more information, visit http://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/.
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