Albert H. Small's Newest Donation

Today George Washington University announced a gift of $5 million and a collection related to the history of Washington, D.C. Small's collection includes seven hundred rare documents, maps, drawings, and ephemera; a 1790 George Washington letter that outlines the ten square-mile area that would become the capital is one of the many high points. The 85-year-old Small told the Washington Post that he has been building this collection for more than fifty years.

As the university's press release points out, Small is no stranger to collecting or philanthropy:

Mr. Small's donation to George Washington University builds on a long and distinguished personal history of preserving and sharing America's heritage. In 2005, he donated the earliest known image of the White House--a watercolor done in 1801 by J. Benford--to the White House, where it now hangs. The University of Virginia was the recipient in 2004 of Mr. Small's remarkable collection on the Declaration of Independence, where it is housed in the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. 

More at the Washington Post.