George Gund

In 1936, Mr. Gund married Jessica Roesler and settled down in Cleveland to raise a family.  His interest in banking culminated in his becoming President of The Cleveland Trust Company in 1941.  At his death in 1966, he was Chairman of the Board.

In 1937, Mr. Gund began a formal program of charitable giving, and his philanthropic concern extended throughout his life.  He carefully selected those charities to which he committed his funds.  If the commitment was considerable over a long period of time, he characteristically devoted much of his time and energy to the institution.

Strong relationships developed with the educational institutions that shaped Mr. Gund’s early life.  He contributed time and money to University School (Cleveland), where he was a trustee, and to Iowa State University, where he established a scholarship program for students of animal husbandry.  He served on the Board of Overseers of Harvard College from 1954 to 1960 and was closely involved at Harvard with the School of Public Health and the Business School from 1954 to 1966.  Another interest in higher education was Kenyon College, where he served as a trustee for many years.

Although Mr. Gund had little personal experience in the arts, his devotion to them was great.  Perhaps the single best example was his long association with the Cleveland Institute of Art.  In 1942, he became President of the Institute and, under his leadership, saw it develop into a lively and prestigious institution.

The George Gund Foundation was created in 1952 because Mr. Gund believed the private foundation concept provided the most positive, farsighted vehicle for intelligent underwriting of creative solutions to social ills in a manner which would not be limited to his own lifetime.  He favored the corporate foundation structure directed by an experienced, sensitive board of trustees entrusted not only with disbursement of funds, but an objective, practical review of proposals.  He valued the degree of freedom a private foundation can exercise in seeking and fostering innovative ideas and in implementing demonstration projects.

Today, Mr. Gund’s vision is carried forth through the continued involvement of the Gund family in the Foundation’s work.  Since its inception, the Foundation has made grants totaling more than $690 million toward the advancement of human welfare.

By Geoffrey Gund, President