Named after Army Chief of Staff General Matthew B. Ridgway (1895–1993), commander of the 82nd Airborne Division in World War II and of United Nations forces in the Korean War, Ridgway Hall opened to the public in 2004. Home of the Military History Institute, the hall holds over 15 million items (books, periodicals, manuscripts, photographs, military publications) on U.S. Army history, covering the Revolutionary War era to current operations. The collections also include one of the largest American Civil War photograph collection in the world. The research facility is open to the public during normal operating hours, and enjoys use by scholars, students, genealogists, and researchers of all kinds.