FORT BEND ISD (April 2, 2026) – The Fort Bend ISD Administration Building held a dedication ceremony to commemorate its new Freedom Shrine display, a collection of historic United States documents commissioned and donated by the Exchange Club of Sugar Land.
“We are honored to dedicate this Freedom Shrine to this community,” Exchange Club President Juli Fournier said. “These documents aren’t just history on this wall, they represent the principles of freedom, justice and equality that shape who we are and who we want to be as Americans. Putting them in a school district means every student, teacher, administrator, and parent who walks through these doors has a chance to stop and look and remember that none of this came for free.”
FBISD Superintendent Dr. Marc Smith thanked the Exchange Club for the Freedom Shrine and for supporting Fort Bend ISD.
“The Freedom Shrine serves a purpose to educate our students and staff on the history of important American documents,” he said. “This exhibit is featured at many of our schools on behalf of the Exchange Club. Putting these documents in front of our students shows them that freedoms we endure today have history and must be cherished. This Freedom Shrine is a reminder of the courage, sacrifice and resilience of those who stood for liberty even in the face of adversity.”
Special guest speaker, former U.S. Congressman Pete Olson, shared stories about documents in the Shrine, including the discovery of the Sugar Land 95, victims of convict leasing.
“Without Fort Bend ISD we would have never found them,” he said. “Fort Bend ISD got the DNA and put them back exactly as they were. It caused a lot of controversy but…the 27th body is John Chambers and we know that because of Fort Bend ISD. Thank you for showing Fort Bend, Texas, America and the whole world what freedom truly means to American people.”
The Freedom Shrine is an educational display with a collection of the most important and historic American documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and the Gettysburg Address. It originated from the Freedom Train that toured the nation in 1947 carrying an exhibit of documents of liberty.
