The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society announced a $10 million lead gift to the National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations from The Starr Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in the United States. The Foundation makes grants to education, medical research/healthcare, human needs, public policy/international relations, culture and the environment.
The museum will educate the American public about the importance of strategic intelligence and special operations to the preservation of freedom, honor Americans who have served at the “tip of the spear”, and inspire future generations to serve their country. It will be built within Kincora, a 424-acre mixed use development in Loudoun County, Va., which is being co-developed by the TRITEC Real Estate Company and Norton Scott.
Rendering of the National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations PRNewsfoto/The OSS Society, Inc.
The museum’s breathtaking design was inspired by the spearhead, a symbol used by the intelligence and special operations communities since World War II. It was conceived by the renowned architect Curtis Fentress and will be visible from the flightpath of Dulles International Airport. Patrick Gallagher, the founder of Gallagher & Associates – one of the world’s leading museum planning and design firms – is designing its groundbreaking exhibits that will enable visitors to experience the world of intelligence and special operations through an immersive and interactive experience unlike any other. MGAC is serving as the museum’s project management firm.
Charles Pinck, president of The OSS Society, said: “We are incredibly grateful to The Starr Foundation and its Chairman, Maurice Greenberg, for their extraordinary generosity. This grant continues The Starr Foundation’s commitment to educational programs that preserve and convey important aspects of American history.”
The OSS Society, which is building the museum, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that honors the OSS, its successor organizations, and educates the American public about the importance of strategic intelligence and special operations to the preservation of freedom.