Foundation for the National Archives Receives $100,000 GM Foundation Grant

Press release (Feb. 3, 2012) — The General Motors Foundation has donated $100,000 to the Foundation for the National Archives in support of the National Archives Experience's upcoming exhibition exploring the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin.

The grant will be used to provide support and educational outreach for "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World," which opens at the Lawrence F. O'Brien Gallery of the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., on February 10, 2012, and runs through May 6, 2012.

"Benjamin Franklin's legacy of innovation, scientific studies, and entrepreneurship embodies the very spirit that has driven the automotive industry for more than a hundred years," said Bob Ferguson, chairman, GM Foundation. "The exhibit is sure to inspire our next generation of leaders and inventors destined to develop technologies that will advance our nation's global competitiveness."

Organized by The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary and redesigned for a national tour by the Minnesota Historical Society, the exhibition explores how Franklin helped found a new nation and cultivated the character of its society, leaving a legacy of scientific, civic, and political achievement. The exhibit examines Franklin's background, his self-education, his philosophical and religious beliefs, and their influence in his life.

"We are so pleased to have the General Motors Foundation partner with us on this exhibition celebrating Benjamin Franklin and American innovation," said Thora Colot, executive director of the Foundation. "Our new focus on STEM education and programming through the use of primary sources from the National Archives works perfectly with the GM Foundation's emphasis on promoting science, technology, engineering, and math education."