Girls’ School Gets $40-Million Bequest From Alumna
By Caroline Bermudez
Contributor
November 3, 2014 | Read Time: 1 minute
How much: $40-million bequest
Who got it: Foxcroft School, a private high school for girls in Middleburg, Va.
Who gave it: Ruth Bedford, whose grandfather, Edward, was a board member of Standard Oil and founder of the Corn Products Refining Company. She died in June at the age of 99.
Where the money will go: To the school’s endowment; a portion of it will create a scholarship named for her.
Donor’s connection to the beneficiary: Ms. Bedford graduated from the school in 1932.
How the gift came about: Marion Couzens, director of institutional advancement at Foxcroft School, said officials from the school paid visits to Ms. Bedford to keep her apprised of its activities for more than 20 years. Although the school knew she was leaving it money, the size of the bequest was a surprise. On June 16, the day after she died, Foxcroft received a call from the estate’s lawyer informing them of the gift amount.
Why the donor gave: She was inspired to give, says Ms. Couzens, by “seeing that her school was still the school that she recognized, but that it was continuing to do what it did for her: build girls’ self-confidence, produce women who are independent and forward-thinking.”
