Press Release

Field Museum Trustee David Cotton presented a $20 million gift to the Field Museum on behalf of the Sue Ling Gin Foundation Trust to honor the late business leader and Museum trustee Sue Ling Gin at the Field’s annual benefit gala on Saturday, October 21. Cotton, left, is joined by Aimee Davis, Field Museum Sr. Director of Learning; Julian Siggers, Ph.D., Field Museum President and CEO; and Siddharth (Bobby) Mehta, Chair of the Field Museum Board of Trustees. Photo by Kyle Flubacker, © Field Museum

CHICAGO – A $20 million gift made to the Field Museum by the Sue Ling Gin Foundation Trust in memory of pioneering business leader and longtime trustee Sue Ling Gin will help sustain the Museum’s education initiatives and programs to serve thousands of students in the city and beyond. The gift was announced during the Museum’s annual gala on Saturday, October 21, by Museum Trustee David L. Cotton.

“This extraordinary demonstration of generosity from the Sue Ling Gin Foundation Trust will ensure that every Chicago child experiences the thrill of discovery with the Field Museum,” said Field Museum President and CEO Julian Siggers, PhD. “It is our distinct honor to recognize this investment by naming the Sue Ling Gin Center for Education and Public Programs.”

The gift is the start of an effort to raise $40 million in new endowment to sustain educational programs and field trips, Siggers added.

The Museum presented the Sue Ling Gin Foundation Trust with the Marshall Field V Award for Distinguished Leadership, which was accepted by Cotton. This award is presented in recognition of exceptional commitment and leadership at the Field Museum. The award recognizes Sue Ling Gin’s two decades of service as a Museum Trustee and the Trust’s generous support of the Field’s mission. The Sue Ling Gin Garden on the Field Museum’s mezzanine level opened in 2015 and is designed in the style of a classical Chinese garden, featuring eight ancient limestone formations known as spirit stones.

“We are incredibly proud to support the Field Museum’s education department, which serves more than 400,000 students each year,” Cotton said. “The Field Museum was very special to Sue Ling Gin, and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to honor her this way.” 

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Press can access highlight images from the annual benefit ball here. Email press@fieldmuseum.org for more information.

About the Field Museum

The Field Museum connects all of us to the natural world and the human story. Since opening the Museum in 1894, our collection has grown to nearly 40 million objects and specimens. We continue to research the objects in our collections, as well as document previously unknown species, conserve ecosystems in our backyard and across the globe, educate budding scientists, invite cross-cultural conversation, and more—all to ensure that our planet thrives for generations to come.