McReynoldses make ‘significant’ U.S. Marshals Museum pledge

The U.S. Marshals Museum on Tuesday (April 21) announced a “generous pledge” from Judy and Lance McReynolds toward the museum’s ongoing $12 million matching fundraising campaign. The museum declined to disclose the pledge amount.

“They requested that we not disclose the amount, other than to say it was significant,” museum President and CEO Benjamin Johnson said when asked about the pledge amount.

Museum officials on March 12 announced a national fundraising campaign with a goal of at least $24 million. The core of the campaign is a dollar-for-dollar $12 million matching grant. According to a museum statement, the “A New Frontier of Giving” campaign will help the museum improve access, civic education, and better manage the history of the nation’s first federal law enforcement agency. The matching grant donor has chosen to remain anonymous, according to the museum.

Johnson said Tuesday that $3.7 million has been raised toward the $12 million match.

“We are honored to contribute to the ‘New Frontier of Giving’ matching endowment project because it ensures greater access to the legacy of the U.S. Marshals Service,” the McReynoldses said in a statement.

Judy McReynolds is the former president and CEO of Fort Smith-based ArcBest, a shipping and logistics company. She recently stepped down as CEO but remains board chair for publicly-held company. It was announced in February that ArcBest donated $500,000 to the campaign.

The 53,000-square-foot museum is located near the Arkansas River in downtown Fort Smith. The museum opened on July 1, 2023, after 16 years of fundraising, construction and speculation. In January 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service selected Fort Smith as the site for the national museum. The Robbie Westphal family, led by Bennie Westphal and Robin Westphal Clegg, donated the riverfront land for the museum. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in September 2015.

The museum is a nonprofit that does not receive operating funds from the city, state or federal government.

Museum officials recently reported that museum admissions in 2025 totaled 47,700, up 5.3% from 45,300 in 2024. The museum intends to expand its focus on awareness and access in the coming years, Johnson has said. Staff is building new partnerships, enhancing national outreach, and investing in programming that will bring the museum experience to the broader public, he said.