April 19, 2001 | Read Time: 1 minute
Private Charity and Public Inquiry: A History of the Filer and Peterson Commissions
by Eleanor L. Brilliant
John D. Rockefeller 3rd, eldest son of John D. Rockefeller Jr., helped establish two private commissions in the late 1960’s that “left an important heritage for scholars and activists interested in the future of American civil society,” writes the author of this new book.
The Commission on Foundations and Private Philanthropy (1969-70), known as the Peterson Commission after its chairman, Peter G. Peterson, and the Commission on Private Philanthropy and Public Needs (1973-77), called the Filer Commission for its chairman, John H. Filer, “have significance beyond their own immediate context because of what they reveal about fundamental aspects of voluntarism and philanthropy,” writes Eleanor L. Brilliant, a professor of social work at Rutgers University.
In writing this history, Ms. Brilliant says, she sought to focus on the role of powerful people and how public and private interests intersect to make policy. She examines the reasons behind Mr. Rockefeller’s decision to create the commissions, discusses the legacy of the commissions, and explains how scholars and advocates can use the commission’s findings in light of the issues facing philanthropy today.
The book is based on original documents from the commissions, archival materials, and more than 50 interviews with people who participated in or had insight into the hearings. Appendixes include biographical notes of commission members, the Filer Commission’s recommendations, and a brief history of the role of such volunteer committees in American life.
Publisher: Indiana University Press, 601 North Morton Street, Bloomington, Ind. 47404-3797; (812) 855-4203; fax (812) 855-8507; iupress@indiana.edu; http://www.indiana.edu/~iupress; 352 pages; $39.95; I.S.B.N. 0-253-33751-8.
