Dunn, On Riding Herd Over U.S. Marshals Project

In July 2009, Jim Dunn was named president and CEO of the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith, taking on the responsibility of steering the project from idea to reality.

Dunn came to the organization with more than three decades of experience in the legal field, practicing since 1974 at prominent Fort Smith firm Warner Smith & Harris PLC.

Ground was broken in September last year for the $55 million national museum near the banks of the Arkansas River. Museum plans include three permanent exhibit galleries, a temporary exhibit gallery, the Samuel M. Sicard Hall of Honor and a National Learning Center. 

Depending on fundraising efforts, the museum could be open late in 2017.

Dunn, 67, spoke recently with the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal about what he enjoys most about his job, fundraising efforts, his views on downtown Fort Smith and more.

Northwest Arkansas Business Journal: “Why did you want to switch gears from a legal career to a community nonprofit project such as this?”

Jim Dunn: “In early 2009, my predecessor, Dr. Sandi Sanders, came to see me in my law office. She asked if I would consider succeeding her at the end of the year. I was of counsel at my law firm and ready to retire. My wife had just retired from teaching and we had three grandchildren. Taking on a $50 million capital project in the worst economy in 80 years was the furthest thing from my mind. I said, ‘No.’

“A few weeks later, I attended the design unveiling, learned more about the depth and breadth of the project and was irresistibly drawn to it. My family, especially my dad and brother, had been extremely active in my home community of Booneville. I had done a lot of challenging things — climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, long-distance hiking and hiking rim-to-rim at the Grand Canyon. The challenge of this civic project was just too appealing, so I changed my mind.”

NWABJ: “Looking back to when you were hired in 2009, what direction were you given? And what goal did you begin working toward your first week on the job?”

JD: “There was a huge learning curve, both in terms of managing a fundraising campaign and learning about the U.S. Marshals Service and national museums. Dr. Sanders remained until the end of the year and I used that time to familiarize myself with the many facets of the project.”

NWABJ: “When was the idea for the U.S. Marshals Museum originally conceived?”

JD: “The U.S. Marshals had a museum in Laramie, Wyoming, but decided to seek a new location in 2002 or 2003. The Marshals Service formed a U.S. Marshals Museum selection committee and the search process began. In 2003, independent of the U.S. Marshals Service effort, then-U.S. Congressman John Boozman and U.S. Marshal nominee Richard O’Connell of Fayetteville began discussing the possibility of a Marshals Museum in Fort Smith. O’Connell and Claude Legris [executive director of the Fort Smith Advertising & Promotion Commission] established a steering committee to promote the effort. Ultimately, the U.S. Marshals conducted a competition among 16 American cities, including Los Angeles/Hollywood, Staunton, Virginia, and other prominent cities. In January 2007, then-U.S. Marshals Service Director John Clark, now a museum board member, announced that Fort Smith had won the competition.”

NWABJ: “Fundraising efforts are ongoing, and this is a pay-as-you-go project. You have a total campaign cost of $55 million. How much has been committed thus far? Where are you financially as it relates to the timeline of the construction?”

JD: “A total of over $26 million has been committed to the project, including real estate. We periodically update our fundraising status at usmarshalsmuseum.org. The board of directors should make a decision by year’s end when to start actual construction.”

NWABJ: “In terms of fundraising and development, what does the remainder of 2015 look like to you?”

JD: “We’ve been successful in fundraising and development, and we’re optimistic we will continue this strong trajectory through the end of the year.”

NWABJ: “What’s the most critical part in fundraising for an organization like the U.S. Marshals Museum?”

JD: “The U.S. Marshals’ culture has been to serve quietly and without fanfare. That ethic in today’s world is rare. Informing people of the importance of their 225-year history of spreading and enforcing the rule of law, supporting the Constitution of the United States and playing a pivotal role in making us all safe has been a major challenge. Many people think the U.S. Marshals ceased to exist when ‘Gunsmoke’ went off the air years ago. In addition to their historic role in enforcing school desegregation court orders, the marshals have protected us [in the aftermath of] terrorism such as 9/11 and the Oklahoma City bombing. They’re on the scene when disaster strikes, such as Hurricane Katrina, and they’ve taken down high-profile fugitives from justice. They have done this at the risk of their lives with more than 250 line-of-duty deaths in their 225-year history. More marshals have died in the line of duty out of the Western District of Arkansas than any other district in the nation. Americans need to know of the challenge and sacrifice of the U.S. Marshals, and the role they have played in making our great nation.”

NWABJ: “What do you plan to do to increase donor engagement and/or outreach to the business community?”

JD: “We will continue to reach out to donors, the business community and others as we have in the past, most notably with the Winthrop Paul Rockefeller Distinguished Lecture series. We will be using our website to show the uniqueness of the project’s exhibit design and architecture. Our educational programming, which has been very successful in the past, will continue. We will bring [the community together] for events such as Descendant’s Day. We will be announcing important artifact acquisitions in the near future. We will continue to tell the important stories of the marshals, which are so important to the fabric of our democracy. We will follow up on the success of the U.S. Marshals Stampede: Kickin’ Up the Dust gala fundraiser held in March. We will keep people informed of our outreach on our website. All these activities, past and future, will help us educate people nationally about the marshals and the importance of supporting this project.”

NWABJ: “Can you tell me more about Descendants Day and how it impacts the Marshals Museum?”

JD: “Descendants Day will be held July 25 at the Frisco Station, Fort Smith National Historic Site, to offer resources to research ancestors who were deputies or outlaws. Descendants may share stories, photos and artifacts related to their ancestors. Two previous Descendants Day events in 2004 and 2007 attracted large crowds. Information and artifacts collected at Descendants Day will be helpful for exhibit design. It will also involve many of the community members who were instrumental in getting the U.S. Marshals Service to select Fort Smith as the home of the U.S. Marshals Museum. Descendants Day is being planned in partnership with the Fort Smith National Historic Site.”

NWABJ: “The Marshals Museum is authorized to receive the first $5 million in surcharges through the U.S. Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Program. The U.S. Mint began selling the coins Jan. 29 and had sales of $8.25 million in the first 24 hours, which meant $1 million for the museum. How much has been raised through the coin program thus far?”

JD: “Through June 21, about $2.8 million in available surcharges have been earned by the museum through commemorative coin sales. The U.S. Marshals Museum continues to actively market these coins through its website. The museum will continue to market the coins for the remainder of the year.”

NWABJ: “You have developed the Winthrop Paul Rockefeller Distinguished Lecture Series to host leaders from the executive, judiciary and legislative branches of the U.S. government to speak about the U.S. Marshals’ history to each branch. You welcomed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in February. Can you tell us when the second speaker will visit and who that might be?”

JD: “Planning for the second lecture is underway. It will be scheduled at the convenience of the lecturer and Mrs. Lisenne Rockefeller, who has generously underwritten the cost of the series. It will likely be in 2016.”

NWABJ: “Your 2016 budget of $3.4 million was recently approved, calling for the hiring of two additional full-time employees. How many FTEs are working for the museum at present?”

JD: “We have six full-time employees and hope to hire one or two more this coming fiscal year. Alice Alt is vice president of development; Tracie Jacobs, office administrator; Leslie Higgins, director of education; Jessica Hougen, curator of collections and exhibits; and Mason Kesner, media developer.”

NWABJ: “Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has certainly had an undeniable impact on Bentonville. The Clinton Presidential Center has played a significant role in the downtown Little Rock redevelopment. With the Marshals Museum being situated in the downtown area, what is your vision for how will this will transform the tourism and economic development areas of Fort Smith?”

JD: “We believe the museum will be transformational for downtown Fort Smith and the riverfront. The U.S. Marshals Museum will draw a different demographic than Crystal Bridges and the Clinton Center. The diversity and quality of these three institutions will be a huge draw for tourists, and thus development, for Fort Smith. There will be a boost in attendance for the historic and cultural attractions of Fort Smith. This will translate into new business opportunities and growth in the hospitality industry. We believe that this will be a catalyst for development of the riverfront, a great, untapped resource for the entire region.”

NWABJ: “How will the National Learning Center fit in with the overall mission of the museum?”

JD: “The National Learning Center won’t ‘fit in’ with the mission of the museum — it is the mission of the museum. The emphasis of the National Learning Center will be to teach citizenship, civics, history, the basics of the Constitution and other pillars upon which this country was established. These subjects do not receive the emphasis they once did in our public schools. We will be able to use exceptional artifacts to teach. We are planning a remote learning center to make our programming available nationwide. As you previously mentioned, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has already spoken to a crowd of more than 1,500 about the fundamentals of the Constitution. Three area students who submitted the best questions for Justice Scalia sat at the table with him and Mrs. Rockefeller at a luncheon preceding the lecture. More than 700 students from all over the region attended the lecture. This is the sort of impactful educational opportunity that we will continue to offer.”

NWABJ: “Can you provide an update on the actual site where the museum will be built? Has the land been officially secured from the Robert Westphal family?”

JD: “The generosity of the Robbie Westphal family has been a cornerstone of our success so far. The land transfer should be taking place very soon, perhaps in the next two weeks.”

NWABJ: “And I understand there is an ongoing issue regarding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and an easement it owns along the Arkansas River. Can you provide a little background and the latest update?”

JD: “In preparing for the land transfer almost a year ago, our engineers discovered an unrecorded easement in favor of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers designed to preserve navigation on the Arkansas River in the event of bank erosion. We have now met with the Corps of Engineers and are filing an application for a permit, which if granted will allow construction to proceed as designed. The process review and approval process should take four to six months.”

NWABJ: “Stepping back a bit from the day-to-day operations, what have you enjoyed most about your job with the museum?”

JD: “The effort to attract, fund, build and operate the U.S. Marshals Museum is a noble cause. I have worked with some of the most prominent and talented people in the country, many of whom are Arkansans. What could be more enjoyable?”