San Antonio's showcase Witte Museum will open its five year, $100 million dollar expansion next week, and the main building of the 'New Witte' will be named in honor of local philanthropist Susan Naylor, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
"My family's involvement with the Witte goes way back," Naylor said. "My father came here as a little boy. I came here as a little girl, my boys grew up here."
Naylor, who is a prominent philanthropist and oil and land heiress whose grandfather built the St. Anthony hotel, has made numerous previous bequests to the Witte.
"The New Witte is making a powerful, positive impact in San Antonio, and I am very excited to be a part of the journey," Naylor said. "I am honored that my gift will allow for future generations of fmailies to come to the Witte and continue to learn."
Businessman Sam Dawson, who helped head the capital campaign, says we will never see anything like this again in our lifetime.
"This $100 million campaign for this once in 100 years transformation."The New Witte includes several new purpose-built galleries, including the Valero Great Hall, the Naylor Family Dinosaur Gallery, the McLean Family Texas Wild Gallery, and the Kittie West Nelson Ferguson Gallery.In conjunction with the Kleberg South Texas Heritage Center and the B. Naylor Morton Research and Collections Center, the Nayor Center will complete a major transformation of the Witte which will add 100,000 square feet of exhibition space, and a total of 170,000 square feet of renovation and expansion.
The New Witte will open to the public with ceremonies on March 4.