Museum honors 2 backers

FORT SMITH — The U.S. Marshals Museum announced Tuesday that it will name its future facility in honor of the Mary Carleton and Robert A. Young III family.

“Since its inception, Mary Carleton and Robert have been instrumental to the museum’s progress,” said Jim Dunn, president of the Marshals Museum Foundation. “They have given their support, enthusiasm and resources to make this project a reality.”

Young, chairman of the foundation since 2009, said he and Carleton were humbled to lend their name to the museum and its mission and that the museum will be a catalyst for change.

“We look forward to seeing the impact it makes not only in our children and grandchildren’s lives, but for other families across the state and nation,” he said in a news release from the museum.

The Youngs have played a key role in raising money for the museum’s capital campaign, the release said. The foundation has been responsible for such initiatives as the Winthrop Paul Rockefeller Distinguished Lecture Series. The Youngs also cochaired the Kickin’ Up the Dust gala with Kathy and Doug Babb.

Construction on the 50,000-square-foot museum is scheduled to begin this spring. It will be a national museum on the banks of the Arkansas River focused on providing visitors with a transformative storytelling experience.

The museum recently unveiled virtual-reality technology that allows users to see inside and outside the museum before its doors open Sept. 24, 2019.