The National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation is laying the groundwork for further expansion in Arlington.
The foundation selected Arlington as the site for a $150-million museum in October. About 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients will be commemorated at the museum.
Now, about 100 days since the site selection, industry leaders from hospitality, real estate and entertainment are joining the foundation as its new board members, the foundation announced Dec. 30.
Seven new members, appointed to the board of directors, will oversee the construction and development of the project. The new board members are:
- Reed Cordish – Principal and Partner of The Cordish Companies; President of Entertainment Consulting International
- Charlotte Jones – Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer for the Dallas Cowboys; Chairman of the NFL Foundation
- Neil Leibman – CEO of Summer Energy; Co-Owner and Chief Operating Officer of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club
- Joel Marcus – Executive Chairman and Founder of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc./Alexandria Venture Investments
- Hill Perot – Vice President of Hillwood development company
- Craig Roberts Stapleton – Senior Advisor at Stone Point Capital; Co-owner of the St. Louis Cardinals; former U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic and France
- Alex Tisch – Vice President of Loews Corporation and Chief Commercial and Development Officer/Executive Vice President of Loews Hotels & Co.
Rafael Viñoly, founder of New York-based Rafael Viñoly Architects, will lead the design of the new $150-million museum, the foundation announced on Jan. 30.
“This museum will proudly celebrate the service and sacrifice of the most courageous members of a great American institution – our armed services,” said Viñoly.
Vinoly’s architectural firm has previously worked on designing various courthouses, museums, performing arts centers, convention centers and athletic facilities. The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston and Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York are some of its projects.
The foundation is also leasing new permanent offices in Globe Life Park, the former home of the Texas Rangers. The offices will be open to the public later in the next few months.
In addition to housing the growing North Texas-based museum foundation staff, the offices will have temporary exhibits for the public and will become the clearinghouse for Medal of Honor memorabilia and artifacts.
The offices will also be the headquarters for the national character education program being developed in cooperation with living Medal of Honor recipients and the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Foundation.
“2020 is off to an amazing start,” the foundation’s CEO Joe Daniels said. “Between a world-class site and unparalleled support in Arlington, Texas, our new Chief Architect and our tremendous new hires and board members, we have amazing partners in our mission to preserve the stories of Medal of Honor recipients and give all Americans a place to honor and learn from their courage, sacrifice and love of country.”
The museum is expected to open in 2025.