Jacksonville museum to care for MacMurray archives
September 16, 2020
By Marco Cartolano, marco.cartolano@myjournalcourier.com
The archived collections of MacMurray College, which closed this spring after 174 years, will be in the care of the Jacksonville Heritage Cultural Center for at least 10 years after an agreement approved Monday by City Council.
City Council has agreed to accept an archival collection of the now-shuttered MacMurray College — including dozens of pieces of memorabilia related to Abraham Lincoln — for the Jacksonville Heritage Cultural Center.
When MacMurray College announced it would close after 174 years, one of the issues faculty and administrators had to address was where the college's historical archives and artifacts would go.
The resolution approved Monday answered where it will remain for the next decade.
The MacMurray Foundation & Alumni Association, a non-profit group, proposed a partnership with the city to loan the collection for 10 years for display at the museum.
The museum at 301 E. State St. is not scheduled to open until mid-2021, but the MacMurray College collection will be moved into the facility in a few weeks.
The agreement stipulates that the foundation will contribute $6,000 a year for operations and the city will budget the same amount each year for the display, City Attorney Dan Beard said. The city's first payment will not be due until January, although the foundation will contribute start-up money this year.
Larry Kuster of the MacMurray Foundation & Alumni Association said the foundation will try to ensure the success of the museum through means other than solely contributing money for operations.
"The foundation hopes that it will have a long and constructive relationship with the city," Kuster said, "and that Jacksonville will continue to be a focal point for MacMurray alums coming back."
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