Meet Our Donors

The people who make planned gifts to the Science Museum are just like you. They come from a variety of backgrounds, but they all have a passion for the museum. Hear what inspired our Fibonacci Society donors to make their planned gifts.

"It's important that my legacy include a gift that can benefit future generations."

Sid Munson has always been intrigued by science. His childhood involved family moves to several rural Minnesota communities but he never encountered a significant mentor or role model to inspire that love for the sciences.

Nevertheless, he graduated with a biology degree and ultimately pursued a career in the insurance industry which allowed him to experience his deep interest in the biological sciences. A lifelong love for learning subsequently developed which led him to regular Science Museum visits. It ultimately paid an unexpected dividend. "After my wife died, I experienced overwhelming grief," Munson said. "While searching for an uplifting experience I was quickly drawn to the Science Museum where feeling the sense of wonder and high energy of the children was nothing short of wonderful. This experience and subsequent visits became a primary factor in my return to normal life. The Science Museum has since become an integral part of my life and I feel that leaving a gift to the museum is the right thing for me to do."

With a gift in his estate, Sid wraps together those warm feelings, the joy of learning and the possibility of sparking young minds. His gift will support our work with school children throughout Minnesota. "It's important that my legacy include a gift that can benefit future generations."

For information about leaving a designated gift in your will, please contact us.

"Science is near and dear to our hearts"

Richard and Joan Newmark have both had an interest in science since they were children. They met at the University of California at Berkeley where they both earned their PhD's in chemistry. Their careers brought them to Minnesota where both worked at 3M as chemists.

As charter members of the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Newmarks have been visiting the Museum for 30 years. They enjoy looking at the dinosaurs and visiting the traveling exhibits. Joan volunteered in the Experiment Gallery for several years as well. Now they are also Fibonacci Society members because they wanted the Science Museum to be a part of their legacy.

"We believe education is important and science education is very important", states Richard. "But even more important is educating non-scientists to make informed decisions in today's technology-driven world." When they determined it was time to give back, Joan states with a smile that "we chose organizations that we were interested in and have been giving money to all along."

Do you share Richard and Joan's passion for science? For more information on how you can share that passion with others, please contact us.

"As a parent and a scientist this is a great way to leave a legacy for future generations"

Bonnie Holub credits growing up on a farm in Minnesota for her love of learning, especially science and math. "Nature teaches you the big lessons of the universe. It is like a biology class." Bonnie's insatiable curiosity has led her along a path of science and technology, culminating in a PhD in Computer Science and a career where she is able to meld all of her skills and interests into her own research and development company—Adventium Labs. She believes that "technology and creativity are the basis for a strong and vital Twin Cities economy."

Because of the breadth and outreach of the Science Museum of Minnesota, Bonnie believes that the Museum is a wonderful vehicle to "bring science and technology to all members of our community." Her first memories of the Museum are of the dinosaurs and the mummy. Today, she says she "can't get my girls to leave the Museum." She credits the hands-on opportunities like the cell lab for this.

When asked about her desire to have the Science Museum of Minnesota be a part of her legacy, she states that "taking care of the Science Museum is like taking care of my children's future while, at the same time, enriching the whole community." Bonnie feels that becoming a Fibonacci Society member is a meaningful way to teach her girls about philanthropy because it is "an essential part of their education" and it is also a way to "leave a legacy for future generations."

Contact us to find out how you can inspire future generations of learners just like Bonnie.

"You help to assure the future"

Bill and Renate Sperber have been members of the Science Museum of Minnesota since they moved to Minnesota in 1972. Having a natural inclination towards science since a child, Bill found the museum an ideal place to stimulate interest and curiosity in science with Renate and their two children. They recall the excitement when, after visiting Lake Itasca as a family, they came to the museum and saw the Lake Itasca exhibit, expanding their experience and knowledge of the origin of the Mississippi River.

The Sperbers have both worked hard and decided that they want to do something useful with their assets through planned gifts. They focus on organizations that are special to them, placing a strong value on education, environmental protection, and the arts. Bequeathing a percentage of their estate to the Science Museum provides them the opportunity to support all three of these areas.

Bill especially values that the museum is "teaching the world through artistic means" with the exhibits we create, Omnitheater films we produce, research we conduct, education we provide, and the stewardship we give the 1.75 million artifacts and specimens in our care. He and Renate want their legacy to help assure the future of our country by supporting an organization that is helping to do the same.

If you believe in our mission like Bill and Renate, help us continue our work. Contact us to set up a planned gift that will benefit both you and us at the same time.

"I would like to see all of this continue"

When Art talks about what the Science Museum means to him, his eyes light up and a smile crosses his face. He enjoys everything about the museum. Recently, he and a friend attended the opening of A Day in Pompeii. He shares that "we were the third and fourth person here, so we were able to be alone in the galleries and take it all in. It was amazing to be so close to things that someone else had made with their own hands so many years ago."

Art also enjoys coming to the Science Museum during the day to watch the kids interact with science. He says that "watching the kids play with scientific toys and learning through play is very important."

When asked why he chose to leave a portion of his estate through a bequest to the Science Museum, Art said "I wanted to give to places that improve the quality of life for others." It makes Art feel good to know that "whatever is left will benefit the community that has given me so much."

Help us continue to host great exhibits, events, and programs that people of all ages enjoy. Contact us to make a gift that supports the community just like Art did.

"I am delighted to provide this enduring support in memory of my father"

When young Charlotte Fitzpatrick was growing up in St. Paul, she was always impressed by her father's interest in "The Science Museum," as it was then known. He was President of the Board of Trustees in the early 1960's. At that time, Bruce Erickson joined the staff as chief paleontologist. She says, "my father reacted most enthusiastically when Bruce (winsomely!) suggested acquiring a Triceratops to embellish the new museum." Charlotte was extremely happy to see the magnificent specimen in the museum floor.

That was the start of Charlotte's close association with the Science Museum until her father's death in 1970. Twenty years later, having kept up with Bruce Erickson and his varied discoveries and fascinating publications, she established the Science Museum's Chair of Paleontology in the name of her father, the P. W. Fitzpatrick Paleo Endowment, with the help of generous donations from friends and family.

She writes, "It is to this Endowment that I will leave a legacy. It will continue the bond between the Fitzpatrick family and Bruce Erickson's inspired paleontology department, benefit the Science Museum of Minnesota, and contribute to an outstanding asset for the community of St. Paul and the State of Minnesota. I am delighted to provide this enduring support in memory of my father."

If you wish to remember a loved one through a special contribution, please contact the museum.