The National World War II Museum in New Orleans has announced a $5.5 million gift from the family of Theodore G. "T.G." and Doris Solomon to the museum's capital campaign.

The gift will support the museum's new 250-seat Solomon Victory Theater, which features a 120-foot-wide screen and the capability to show films in "4-D." Premiering on November 8, Beyond All Boundaries, the first film to be shown in the theater, will feature stories of WWII veterans portrayed by the likes of Kevin Bacon, Patricia Clarkson, James Cromwell, Brad Pitt, and Gary Sinise. Executive producer Tom Hanks narrated the film.

World War II veteran T.G. Solomon is the founder of Gulf States Theatres, a family business that has operated more than six hundred theaters and drive-ins in the Gulf region over the past several decades. He also has served as chairman of the Louisiana Film and Video Commission and on the board of the Will Rogers Institute Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation.

"T.G. and his family have been extraordinary friends and supporters of the National World War II Museum, and never has a family gift been so perfectly matched to the project," said Nick Mueller, president and CEO of the museum. "What could be more appropriate than to host the theater's grand opening in November with the Solomon name on the marquee?"