Frautschi closes Wisconsin History Center funding gap with $12M donation

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Madison philanthropist Jerry Frautschi helped close the fundraising gap for the Wisconsin History Center with another $12 million donation, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. That brings his total contribution to the museum, which is currently under construction on the Capitol Square, to $37.1 million.

The $160.5 million project’s $66.5 million fundraising campaign has now reached its goal. The five-story, 100,000-square-foot museum is set to open in fall 2027.

Frautschi contributed $1.5 million between 2012-18, $13.6 million in 2021 and $10 million in early 2024. He and his wife, Pleasant Rowland, have provided millions of dollars of support to many other major city projects over the past decades.

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