FORT SMITH, Ark. – A donation to a newly-opened Fort Smith museum will help with its opening expenses.

The U.S. Marshals Museum in Forth Smith announced Tuesday that it had received a $250,000 commitment from the office of Attorney General Tim Griffin. 

The money will be used to offset gallery completion expenses for the museum, which opened July 1.

Museum foundation president Susan Neyman expressed gratitude for the donation.

“The State of Arkansas has been one of the top supporters of this project from the very beginning and continues with this donation,” Neyman said. “There is no doubt that having a national museum in the state will have benefits throughout Arkansas.”

Griffin said the grant was in support of an important Arkansas historical element.

“Whether it’s through a literary icon like Rooster Cogburn or a real-life hero like Bass Reeves, Fort Smith will always be connected with the U.S. Marshals,” Griffin said. “I am delighted to approve this grant for the U.S. Marshals Museum, and I urge all Arkansans to visit this important collection of our state’s and nation’s history.”

The museum, shaped like a marshal’s star, contains galleries about the agency’s history and mission. The U.S. Marshals are America’s oldest law enforcement organization, after being established by George Washington with his signature of Senate Bill 1 in 1789.