March 22, 2001 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Foundation Builders: Brief Biographies of Twelve Great Philanthropists
by Martin Morse Wooster
Newcomers to philanthropy quickly learn the names of the largest and most generous foundations, Martin Morse Wooster says, but often know little about the origins of those organizations. This “guidebook” to 12 prominent philanthropists of the 19th and 20th centuries seeks to remedy that by offering insight into their motivations for giving.
Each chapter offers a brief history of a philanthropist’s life, drawing on the stories and writings of leaders such as John D. Rockefeller, George Eastman, and William E. Simon. Mr. Wooster details the circumstances surrounding the creation of their foundations and concludes each chapter with the philanthropist’s vision for the foundation’s future.
Several chapters include excerpts from such influential works as Andrew Carnegie’s The Gospel of Wealth and Julius Rosenwald’s Principles of Giving. A guide to further reading at the conclusion of each chapter provides readers with additional sources, such as biographies, autobiographies, and magazine articles.
Mr. Wooster is an associate editor at The American Enterprise magazine and a visiting fellow at the Capital Research Center.
Publisher: Philanthropy Roundtable, 1150 17th Street, N.W., Suite 503, Washington, D.C. 20036; (202) 822-8333; fax (202) 822-8325; main@philanthropyroundtable.org; http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org; 86 pages; $25.00.
