Attorney General’s office of Arkansas will give the Cold War museum $500,000

Little Rock, Arkansas – According to a press release, the National Cold War Center will receive a $500,000 donation from the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office spread out over two years.

Attorney General Tim Griffin authorized the center’s financing request and included a $250,000 check to “continue the development of the museum,” according to a letter he sent on October 10.

The museum states that the National Cold War Center is housed on the grounds of the former Blytheville Air Force Base, formerly the Blytheville Army Airfield. The base was established in 1942 as a training ground for pilots serving in World War II.

After being transformed into an alert mission for Strategic Air Command in 1958, the base served as a vital U.S. military headquarters for thirty years, during which time it saw action in the Cuban Missile Crisis and the signing of the treaties that officially ended the Cold War in the early 1990s.

“I will donate an equal amount next year, bringing the total donation to $500,000,” wrote Attorney General Griffin.

The National Cold War Center’s chair, Mary Gay Shipley, expressed gratitude to Attorney General Griffin’s office for their support of the center’s continuation.

“We greatly appreciate Attorney General Griffin’s incredible generosity and his valuable vote of confidence in our effort to build a world-class tourist attraction here in the Arkansas Delta,” said Shipley. “These donations will go a long way in helping us become the world’s premier destination for Cold War history and a major contributor to our local and state economies.”