FROM MDAH RELEASES—BankPlus has made a $300,000 donation to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History for the Museum of Mississippi 
History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. The gift will sponsor the front porch of the 2 Mississippi Museums.
“As a bank that was founded in the Mississippi Delta, we felt the Museum Porch to be the perfect naming opportunity for BankPlus. In Mississippi, the front porch has always been a place where families gather, people entertain friends and you enjoy life. We hope the BankPlus Porch carries on that tradition for the 2 Mississippi Museums project,†said Bill Ray, President and CEO, BankPlus.
Founded in 1909 as Citizens Bank & Trust Company in Belzoni, Mississippi, today BankPlus has more than sixty offices in thirty-four Mississippi communities.
“We are very grateful for BankPlus’ generous support of the 2 Mississippi Museums project and we are excited about the potential uses for the BankPlus Porch,” said Katie Blount, MDAH director. “It will be a wonderful place for special events and programs, and we expect it to be a popular spot in the museums complex.”
The Legislature has invested $74 million to date in funds for construction and exhibits for the 2 Mississippi Museums. The Legislature required a dollar-for-dollar match for the exhibits. The Foundation for Mississippi History has raised $13.4 million so far toward the $17 million campaign goal.
Construction of the Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum began in December 2013. The first phase, including the building exterior and public parking garage, was completed in fall 2015. Phase two, interior construction, is underway and will last 16 months. The museums will open in December 2017 as the centerpiece of the state’s bicentennial celebration.
