NEWS FROM THE WISCONSIN VETERANS MUSEUM FOUNDATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Madison, Wis. (March 28, 2023)
W. Jerome Frautschi Gives $10 million to Building a New Wisconsin Veterans Museum
MADISON, WI – Madison philanthropist, W. Jerome Frautschi, pledged $10 million to the Wisconsin
Veterans Museum Foundation to help the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs and Veterans
Museum build a new state-of-the-art facility.
“I support the Wisconsin Veterans Museum’s goal of building a brand-new state-of-the-art facility at 30
West Mifflin Street, as it continues to advance my goal for a cultural arts district in downtown Madison.
The proximity to the new Wisconsin History Center, the State Capitol, and the Madison Children’s
Museum creates the opportunity for great synergies between the organizations” said Frautschi.
Significant philanthropic support is essential to fulfill the vision for a new Wisconsin Veterans Museum.
Since its opening in 1993 at 30 West Mifflin Street on the most-prominent corner of Capitol Square in
Madison, the existing museum has grown and developed within a building never imagined hosting an
institution like this museum. The constrained space leaves no ability to expand within the building, which
limits the museum’s ability to execute its mission. In 2021, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and the State
of Wisconsin embarked on a process to validate the museum’s requirements and develop a vision for a
facility that will ably showcase the stories of Wisconsin’s veterans. SmithGroup was hired to facilitate the
validation of the project need, program requirements as well as defining initial site requirements for any
future facility. The projected cost for the project will be an estimated $120 million, with the Foundation’s
goal to raise $40 million in private contributions.
“Mr. Frautschi’s gift represents the cornerstone of the foundation’s campaign to fund the new facility
capable of housing the legacy of our current and past Wisconsin Veterans’ service and sacrifices to our
nation and her people. On behalf of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation board of directors and
Wisconsin veterans past and present, we thank him for his continued and generous commitment to
support this new endeavor on the Capitol square” said Daniel Checki, Chairman of the Wisconsin
Veterans Museum Foundation board.
About the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and Foundation
The Wisconsin Veterans Museum dates to 1901 when it was established as the Grand Army of the Republic
Memorial Hall in the Wisconsin Capitol. It is an educational activity of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans
Affairs and a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate since 2014, one of only three in Wisconsin, which gives it
access to the Smithsonian’s unparalleled collections and scholarship. For more on the museum’s exhibits,
collections, and events, log on to https://wisvetsmuseum.com.
The Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity whose sole purpose is assisting the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in
raising funds. The Foundation helps the Veterans Museum develop exhibits, implement public educational
programs, acquire historical collections, and engage in other activities that further the Museum's mission. For
more information on the foundation, visit https://wisvetsmuseum.com/wisconsin-veterans-museumfoundation/.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Jen Carlson | Executive Director of the WVM Foundation | (608)576-2553 |
Jennifer.carlson@wvmfoundation.com