WASHINGTON, DC.- Businesswoman Catherine B. Reynolds told the Smithsonian Institution that she will withdraw most of a planned $38 million donation that would have created an exhibit on individual achievement at the National Museum of American History, reported the Washington Post. Reynolds wrote in a letter to Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence M. Small: "Never in our wildest dreams did we anticipate that the notion of inspiring young people by telling the stories of prominent Americans from all disciplines would be so controversial." The gift was to be used to create a 10,000 square-foot hall of achievement featuring life stories of successful Americans. Museum curators criticized Reynold's close involvement with this project. Reynolds stated, "Apparently, the basic philosophy for the exhibit -- 'the power of the individual to make a difference' -- is the antithesis of that espoused by many within the Smithsonian bureaucracy, which is 'only movements and institutions make a difference, not individuals.' After much contemplation, I see no way to reconcile these diametrically opposed philosophical viewpoints."