(FORTUNE Small Business) – Alan Uke's midlife crisis hit early. He launched his business, Underwater Kinetics, in 1971, while he was still in college. The company, with revenues in the "tens of millions," according to Uke, manufactures industrial and diving lights, 40 of which are patented. But by his late 30s, Uke was a wealthy, restless man. Rather than start another business, he wanted to do something for the city of San Diego. After a failed congressional campaign, he decided to create a museum of naval history.

"I'm not a military veteran, but I'm a huge history buff," says Uke. "I also though t a museum would raise awareness of the Navy community here. People could see what these sailors really go through." Thus began his quest to establish the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum.

Uke managed the project as if it were a startup, funding a feasibility study and visiting carrier museums around the U.S. (there were four at the time). "I ran the numbers and saw that economically, this would be the perfect place. We already have the tourists, and the weather is good," he says. Over the next decade Uke hired a professional fundraiser, personally donated more than $400,000, lobbied Congress to convey (free) an old naval pier to the Port of San Diego, and persuaded the state legislature to kick in $8 million to repair it. The project took 11 years but came to fruition last June, featuring the U.S.S. Midway.

The Midway was commissioned in 1945 and stayed in service 47 years, longer than any carrier in history. It was the scene of many military firsts: the first missile launch from a ship; the first confirmed downing of a MiG in the Vietnam war; and the first American carrier on the line during Desert Storm. It now offers visitors an audio tour through the restored hangar deck, mess deck, and flight deck, and the ship's still-expanding exhibits include weapon systems, a catapult launch, 11 restored aircraft, photos of the ship's history, and flight simulators.

Uke, 51, remains the CEO of Underwater Kinetics, and he says he hopes his philanthropic work will inspire other business leaders to bring cultural institutions to their cities. "San Diego is a perfect example of what is happening in other places around the country," he says. "We had not added a museum here in 30 years, but our population doubled."

The Midway museum is posting enviable results so far. Revenue estimates of $5 million to $7 million annually are on target, and 400,000 people have visited in just four months of operation. The Port of San Diego estimates the regional economic impact of the museum will be $20 million a year. Makes you wonder what Uke will accomplish next.