Gene and Jerry Jones family donates $10 million in Little Rock

Gene Jones and Jerry Jones gave $10 million in Little Rock to modernize the Clinton Presidential Center. The funding will support major renovations and educational spaces across the presidential campus. The gift marks the first major modernization of the site in more than 20 years.

The Gene and Jerry Jones Family and the Clinton Foundation announced the contribution in a joint statement. Officials said the money will upgrade spaces for students, teachers, adult learners and the Clinton School of Public Service. The school belongs to the University of Arkansas System.

Jones reflected on his ties to the region during the announcement.

“It is one of my greatest honors to stand next to President Clinton and be able to make this donation with my wife, Gene, and our family,” Jerry Jones said. “Understanding that the state of Arkansas, Little Rock, North Little Rock and the University of Arkansas have all been at the core of our family’s experience while providing the landscape and foundation that formed and helped shape our lives and success, this is a remarkably heartfelt moment.”

The overhaul adds a new gallery and archive focused on Hillary Rodham Clinton. It updates the Clinton-Gore administration gallery. The plan redesigns the 50-acre Clinton Presidential Park.

Former President Bill Clinton praised the donation from the family.

“I am deeply grateful for his dedication to our beloved home state of Arkansas, and proud to stand alongside him in accepting this gift,” President Clinton said. “The Jones Family’s generosity will support the Clinton Presidential Center’s work as a hub for education, service, and bipartisan dialogue for many years to come.”

Officials reported several milestones since the center opened in 2004:

• More than $4.9 billion in economic impact generated in Little Rock and North Little Rock
• More than 5.5 million total visitors welcomed
• Free educational visits provided to more than 525,000 students and educators
• More than 700 students graduated from the Clinton School

The new project creates updated offices for the foundation in Little Rock. It also creates a new home for the Clinton School. That school hosts the first Master of Public Service degree program in the nation.

Presidential libraries preserve historical records and present public exhibits. They host civic programs and serve as educational research facilities. They also provide public spaces for community gatherings.

Officials said the site preserves history and fosters nonpartisan dialogue. They said the upgrades ensure the institution remains accessible to all future visitors.