Community Foundation of Abilene : About Us : History of the Foundation
The Community Foundation of Abilene was chartered on April 29, 1985. Elbert E. Hall was named its first chairman. On June 4, the newly chartered organization met to adopt its By-Laws and elected Jesse C. Fletcher vice chairman, G. Philip Morehead as Treasurer and Lawrence E. Gill as secretary. Besides these four, founding Trustees included Joe E. Canon, Bynum Miers, a local rancher, Frank Puckett, president of the Abilene Reporter News, attorney Jane Varner, W. P. Wright Jr., an Abilene petroleum distributer, and advertising executive H. C. Zachry.
The Community Foundation's initial viability was made possible by a single gift of three-quarters of a million dollars from the Dodge Jones Foundation to be used to begin the fledgling enterprise. This three-quarters of a million dollars was divided later divided by the trustees of the Community Foundation into $250,000 for administrative costs and $500,000 which would remain as permanent endowment for unrestricted grants.
Additional trustees were added to further strengthen the new organization. Those added included Harwell Barber, chairman of Rita Barber Inc., Peggy Beckham, a local homemaker and civic leader, Tucker Bridwell, an Abilene oilman, physician Jack Ramsey, Abilene Christian University chancellor John Stevens and investment broker John Shelton. The new organization received its 501(c)(3) ruling from the Internal Revenue Service on October, 18, 1985.
| Excerpted from |
| TOUCHING TOMORROW |
| A Brief History of the Community Foundation of Abilene |
| 1985-1995 |
| By Jesse C. Fletcher, Ph.D. |
| Click here to read the History |
