WASHINGTON, DC, 21-JUL-00 -- LeadThe Smithsonian Institution's National Postal Museum will develop a new exhibit devoted to postal automation thanks in part to a $125,000 gift from the Lockheed Martin Foundation and Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies based in Owego, N.Y. Company and Foundation management presented Postal Museum Director James Bruns with the donation today during a special ceremony at the museum. The exhibit, scheduled to open in 2002, will educate as well as entertain visitors by using interactive technology to explain how America's mail is processed. The experience will include a virtual ride through an automated mail processing system.

Dedicated to the evolution and future of postal automation, the exhibit is being built in conjunction with the National Postal Museum Director's Council, a group of 35 representatives from the mailing industry, chaired by former Postmaster General Paul Carlin. The council includes a representative of Lockheed Martin.

Supporting the exhibit was a perfect match for us, noted Don Skerpon, director of business development for Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies, because our business heritage is closely coupled with the United States Postal Service's automation history. The business unit has been supplying mail operations automation products and systems to the U.S. Postal Service for more than 30 years.

We're extremely proud to help bring this compelling story of innovation and integration to the public, Skerpon added.

The Smithsonian was founded through private philanthropy. Gifts such as today's donation are essential to the institution's ability to continue to serve the American people, Bruns said. Lockheed Martin's gift represents a significant corporate commitment to the Smithsonian's ability to tell the story of postal automation.

The National Postal Museum showcases the largest and most comprehensive collection of stamps, philatelic materials and postal history artifacts in the world. With more than 40 interactive games and touch screens, the museum offers hands-on exhibits geared for a family audience. Galleries explore such topics as the Colonial Post, the Pony Express, mail transportation, the art of letter writing, and the beauty and lore of stamps. The museum occupies the lower level of the former Washington City Post Office Building, next to Union Station on Capitol Hill. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies is a leader in design, production and systems integration of a broad product portfolio of recognition, sortation, facilities operations automation and information management systems technology. It serves national postal services, mail centers, mail service providers, dot-com companies and package delivery services worldwide. With facilities in Owego, N.Y., Orlando, Fla., and Tulsa, Okla., Distribution Technologies is a business unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation.