Jeff Bezos, Amazon and Blue Origin founder will donate $200 million to the Smithsonian, the largest gift in the history of the institute, a statement said Wednesday.
$70 million portion of the donation will support the renovation of the National Air and Space Museum while $130 million will launch a new education center to be named after Jeff Bezos, the world’s wealthiest person.
The Bezos Learning Center will be housed in a new facility to be constructed on the National Mall and will feature programs and activities to inspire students to pursue science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
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“Since its inception, the Smithsonian has benefited from both federal funding and the generosity of visionary donors,” said Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch.
“This historic gift will help the Smithsonian achieve its goal of reaching every classroom in America by creating a world-class learning center with access and inspiration at its heart.”
“At this moment, the first human to set foot on Mars might be in elementary school,” said Ellen Stofan, the Smithsonian’s Under Secretary for Science and Research and former director of the National Air and Space Museum.
“As the largest and most visited aerospace museum in the world, the museum wants to spark that passion and enrich the imagination and ingenuity of every student who visits the Smithsonian.
For many years, Jeff has been an avid supporter of the Smithsonian and the museum’s mission to ‘ignite tomorrow.’ With this gift, we will be able to continue our transformation and further expand the National Air and Space Museum’s ability to reveal the possibilities of space exploration.”
“The Smithsonian plays a vital role in igniting the imaginations of our future builders and dreamers,” Bezos said. “Every child is born with great potential, and it’s an inspiration that unlocks that potential. My love affair with science, invention and space did that for me, and I hope this gift does that for others.”
Bezos has a long history of supporting the Smithsonian. He was a founding donor to the National Museum of African American History and Culture and has previously contributed to the National Air and Space Museum.
