David Koch donates $35mn for dinosaur hall

An energy businessman is donating a record $35 million to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History to build a new dinosaur hall on the National Mall.

An energy businessman is donating a record $35 million to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History to build a new dinosaur hall on the National Mall.

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The Smithsonian announced the gift Thursday from David H. Koch, executive vice president of Koch Industries Inc. of Wichita, Kansas. It is the single largest gift in the museum's 102-year history.

This undated handout photo provided by the Smithsonian Institutions shows the current Dinosaur Hall at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History. (AP)

The Smithsonian Board of Regents voted Monday to name the new dinosaur hall in Koch's honor.

Koch, an engineer, is a billionaire who lives in New York City. He was the Libertarian Party's vice presidential candidate in 1980 and has been a major donor to conservative political causes.

Koch gave the Smithsonian $15 million in 2009 to build a new exhibit hall exploring human evolution over 6 million years.