Preserving Legends
Restoration of the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island Museum

For over a century the Statue of Liberty has been the first light of hope for millions of immigrants from around the world escaping tyranny and oppression and in search of a better life. Ellis Island is the site where over 17 million people first stepped on American soil.  Today forty percent of Americans can trace their heritage to at least one relative that was among the 17 million.

No other symbol of freedom exists anywhere else in the world. In 1981, during the Fourth of July Celebration at the White House, then Secretary of the Interior James Watt conveyed to Richard Rovsek that Liberty was about to turn one hundred years old and was badly in need of repair. We took that as a challenge.  M2000 established the Spirit of Liberty Foundation and Friends of Ellis Island for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island and it’s Centennial Celebration. Bringing in major corporate sponsors assembling a team of prestigious American leaders and enlisting the help of all Americans, we brought Liberty back to her original glory. What began as a conversation during a Fourth of July celebration on the White House Lawn became one of America’s proudest moments.

“A monumental task that could not have been accomplished without your vision and leadership.”
–Lee Iacocca, Former President and CEO of Chrysler

“The restoration and celebration of the Statue of Liberty would not have happened without Richard Rovsek.”
– Donald P. Hodel, Former Secretary of the Interior