116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Cedar Rapids couple gives $1M toward renovation of Herbert Hoover Museum
Mike and Esther Wilson believed in education, ‘preserving our past’
WEST BRANCH — Mike and the late Esther Wilson of Cedar Rapids have given $1 million toward the renovation of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch.
The Hoover Presidential Foundation said the gift has pushed the “Timeless Values | Modern Experience” fundraising campaign to roughly 65 percent of its $20 million goal.
The Wilsons' gift “not only exemplifies their unwavering dedication to education but also underscores their belief in preserving our past to shape a brighter future,” the foundation said in a news release.
“At an impressive 97 years of age, Mike stands as the first individual donor to contribute $1 million to the campaign, solidifying his place in history and establishing a lasting legacy of philanthropy and support,” the foundation stated.
Esther Wilson, who died in July 2022, was an active volunteer with RSVP, assisting Erskine Elementary students with mathematics and providing bookkeeping support to older women.
Mike Wilson, an engineer at Rockwell Collins, had limited time for other activities while working but embraced volunteer work after he retired, assisting student robotics teams and serving on his church’s board of trustees, the foundation said.
He mentored students at Viola Gibson Elementary in the first Lego League competition. He and other Rockwell volunteers also helped students at Pierce Elementary build space shuttle models.
A veteran, Mike Wilson also provided financial support for the Honor Flights, which take World War II veterans to Washington, D.C.
An area in the museum dedicated to standards and regulations, a topic in which Hoover, an engineer, played a pivotal role while U.S. secretary of commerce, will be named in Wilson’s honor.
“As an engineer himself, Mike understood the profound significance of these principles, and his intention to honor this aspect of Hoover's legacy is a testament to his passion and dedication,” the foundation stated.
More information about the fundraising campaign to renovate the museum, which opened in 1962, can go to the Hoover Presidential Foundation websbite, hooverpresidentialfoundation.org/.
Daily Newsletters