RICHARD AND PAT JOHNSON DONATE $1.25 MILLION TO NAME HISTORY MUSUEM
PALM BEACH, Fla. (February 26, 2007) --- Today, Palm Beach residents Richard and Pat Johnson will “make history” with a $1.25 million “lead gift” to the Historical Society of Palm Beach County’s capital campaign to build the first county-wide history museum. The much-anticipated, 8,000-square-foot museum and the Society’s headquarters are scheduled to open in March 2008 within the historic 1916 Courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach. The Museum will be named “The Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum.”
“Dick and I feel very strongly about giving back to the community that we love so much. It is our hope that by giving this gift, others will join us and help make this important cultural and educational institution a reality,” said Mrs. Johnson, who serves as the chairman of the campaign. “This museum will serve many thousands of children each year. They will learn so much about local and Florida history, which in turn will give them a better sense of who they are. That will translate into pride in their community, self-respect, and respect for others. It makes you appreciate who we are and the advantages of where we live. There are few places in the world that are as beautiful as Palm Beach County”
The Johnsons are both from pre-eminent pioneer families and were born and raised in Palm Beach County. Mr. Johnson’s great-grandfather moved to the area in the late 1800s and was one of the first to settle in the area. Mrs. Johnson’s family, the Seatons, moved to this area following the devastating hurricane of 1928. Each successive generation of the Johnson family has made important contributions to the growth and development of Palm Beach County, and they maintain a large archive of significant historical documents, journals and photographs that document their families’ lives in Palm Beach County.
The Johnsons have a long history of supporting philanthropic causes in the Palm Beaches, and are particularly committed to education and health-related endeavors. They are strong supporters of the Rehabilitation Center for Children and Adults, the Palm Beach Membership of Hospice Foundation of Palm Beach County, Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Duke University Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center, the Junior League of the Palm Beaches and the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
In keeping with the family tradition of supporting the community in which they live, the Johnson’s five children – Patricia Sned, Catharine Flagg, Helene Austin, Richard S. Johnson, Jr. and Scott A. Johnson – are also significantly involved in several local organizations.
“Pat and I have a long-term relationship with Palm Beach County. We were both born here, we raised our children here and they are raising their children here. My father even worked in the 1916 courthouse,” said Mr. Johnson. “Most people who live in this county don’t know enough about its rich history. This new Museum will offer them very exciting opportunities to learn more.”
“The Johnsons have secured their legacy in Palm Beach County with this generous gift,” said Loren Mintz, President and CEO of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. “With their contribution we’re on our way to funding one of the best history museums in Florida, worthy of being listed alongside the prestigious Norton Museum of Art and the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. It will undoubtedly be one of the cultural cornerstones of South Florida and we owe a great debt of gratitude to the Johnson family.”
About the campaign
The $9 million Cornerstone Campaign will fund the design, construction and ongoing operation of the new Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum. The campaign, currently in Phase Two, is divided in three phases of $3 million each. The Historical Society reached its Phase One goal through prior gifts, including pledges from the organization’s board of governors, plus a $1.5 million cultural, recreational and parks bond approved by Palm Beach County voters in 2002. The majority of these funds have already been allocated to designing the museum and its exhibits, which are currently being created by Maryland-based
Design firm, Gallagher & Associates.
The campaign steering committee includes Marshall Criser, Katharine Dickenson, Karl Watson, George Elmore, Ted Brown, David Goodlett, Kathy Bleznak, John Murphy, Doyle Rogers, Diana Ecclestone, F. Malcolm Cunningham, Jr., Emery Newell, William Caler, William Benjamin, Edward Rodgers and other notable business and philanthropic leaders from all parts of the county.
Major donors to the Cornerstone Campaign will be prominently recognized through naming opportunities for their individual, family or corporate contributions. The opportunities
range from the naming rights to the rotating and permanent galleries, to exhibits, to the audio theater, interactive timeline and fiber optic map of the county’s growth, among many others.
About the Museum
The county-wide history museum will enrich the lives of children and adults alike by making local history accessible, interesting and meaningful. The Historical Society has already partnered with the School District of Palm Beach County to create and implement history
programming for the area’s fourth and seventh grade students. The combined programs, which are delivered to classrooms at no cost to the taxpayers, reach approximately 25,000 local students annually. The history museum will provide a critical dimension to those studies, enhancing the educational experience by bringing classroom lessons vividly to life through state-of-the-art, interactive exhibits.
The Historical Society has entered into a 30-year lease agreement with Palm Beach County to house the museum and its headquarters on the first, second and fourth floors of the 1916 Courthouse, which is currently undergoing an $18.5 million restoration. As part of its agreement, the Historical Society will offer free museum admission to all Palm Beach County residents.
The design plans include permanent and temporary exhibit space, each reflecting the influence of the many cultures in Palm Beach County’s diverse history, from the earliest Native American inhabitants to the present day. A central component to the museum experience will be
a visit to the seat of the county’s judicial and legislative beginnings, the courthouse’s two-story, 2,897 square foot historic courtroom, located on the third and fourth floors in the center of the building. This unique venue will offer fascinating lectures and provide children with an opportunity to participate in mock trials.
The museum’s east wing will house permanent exhibits themed around “The People” who have been integral to the area’s development. The People Gallery will feature a large theatrical diorama projecting images of notable individuals from all walks of Palm Beach County
life. Kiosks and exhibits with artifacts will also contribute to unfolding the stories behind these significant and colorful characters of the past, including Pre-Columbian inhabitants, Seminole Indians, early pioneers, the business and philanthropic community, educators, and influential leaders in arts, law, medicine and politics. The opportunity to learn about the lives of these individuals will further resonate when the Achievers exhibit is built. Approximately 50 individuals and families who have had a positive impact on the growth and well being of the county will be featured.
The west wing will focus on “The Place,” exploring Palm Beach County’s natural environment and the many communities that have contributed to its distinct identity. Features of this gallery include an interactive fiber optic map that will demonstrate the dramatic changes in the county, decade by decade; touch-screen computers providing virtual tours of the county; and individually-themed exhibits that will take visitors back in time to experience pioneers conquering the Everglades’ “black gold” and the lives of Gilded Age robber barons and industrial magnates. The temporary exhibit hall/rotating gallery will be located adjacent to these two permanent galleries.
“This campaign is an opportunity of a lifetime — a chance for individuals to leave a legacy of history to the community,” said Harvey E. Oyer, III, chairman of the Historical Society. “The transformation of our county from an inhospitable tropical “jungle” to a prosperous “oasis” is the stuff of legends—full of rich, colorful and inspirational stories of struggles and successes that will be illuminated through this history museum. There is no doubt
that history education is a key link to the future success of our children, instilling in them a sense of pride and respect for their communities, and giving them a bigger context for life as we know it today.”
About the 1916 Courthouse restoration
After many individual and collective efforts to save the historic courthouse from demolition, led by community preservationists and Historical Society leaders, the Board of County Commissioners voted in April 2002 to preserve and share the building with the public, committing to pay the estimated $18.5 million required to restore the building to its original, neoclassical grandeur. The opportunity paved the way for the Historical Society of Palm Beach County to request space for the county’s first history museum inside the restored courthouse. In February 2003, Palm Beach County’s Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to grant space to the organization to house its headquarters and the museum inside the building. Hedrick Brothers Construction of West Palm Beach, Fla., is the Construction Manager for the 1916 courthouse restoration project, working with REG Architects, also of West Palm Beach.
For more information about the Cornerstone Campaign, contact Historical Society of Palm Beach County president, Loren Mintz, (561) 832-4164, ext. 102. For more information about the restoration of the 1916 county courthouse, contact Palm Beach County Public Affairs, (561) 355-2754.
Palm Beach Post - February 27, 2007
Palm Beach Daily News - February 27, 2007
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