The Motorola Foundation Donates $1 Million to Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

CHICAGO -- Illinois First Lady Lura Lynn Ryan today accepted a $1 million gift from the Motorola Foundation for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The $115 million, two-building complex to be built in downtown Springfield will house the state's 46,000 item Lincoln collection, while serving as the new home of the Illinois State Historical Library.

"We are delighted that a high-tech corporation with strong ties to Illinois has joined us in building this state-of-the-art learning facility dedicated to one of America's greatest Presidents," said Mrs. Ryan, President of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Foundation. "This generous donation is another example of how Motorola participates in our communities at home and around the world."

"The Motorola Foundation is proud to be able to support an institution that will promote and preserve the work of Abraham Lincoln and his great ideas," said Roberta Gutman, executive director of the Motorola Foundation. "The Lincoln Library and Museum will provide Illinois residents and visitors with the opportunity to learn about one of our state's great citizens and our nation's most admired leader. The Lincoln Library will be a center of education and excellence for young and old alike."

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library will house a historical collection equal to the combined Lincoln collections of the National Park Service, the National Archives and the Smithsonian Institute. The Museum building's interactive exhibits and artifact displays will tell the story of one of the great leaders in American history.

Groundbreaking ceremonies will take place on February 12, 2001, in honor of Lincoln's birthday. Construction of the library will be completed by late 2002 and the museum should be completed sometime in 2003. The Presidential Library and Museum are being paid for with a combination of state, federal and City of Springfield funds, as well as private donations. The Illinois Capital Development Board will oversee construction of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

The Motorola Foundation was established by Motorola to provide donations and gifts for community initiatives such as funding for higher education and a multitude of primary and secondary education programs designed to help individuals reach their greatest potential. The Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established in 1953, primarily to support leading universities in the United States. Today, it funds programs around the world.

This is the second major corporate donation to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.