Centenniale D I T I O N Part 2

s p e c i a l Centenniale d i t i o n Part 2 Spring 2011 CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YOR K vol. 6/no. 2 The Role of the Individual in History: A Centennial Essay by VARTAN G REGORIA N, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York The Centennial of Carnegie self-reliant character of Americans, who reveled in their freedom Corporation has led me to reflect from paternalism and aristocratic rule. In Mr. Carnegie’s time, the on the fact that the great endeavor same as today, individuals with the will and the persistence to nur- that is the philanthropic founda- ture and build on their ideas have shown that time and time again tion Andrew Carnegie brought they can not only move the proverbial mountain but also whole into being one hundred years ago societies, as well. And individuals can literally change history. was the creation of a single man Naturally, the role of the individual in history has been the who felt he had a moral impera- subject of debate and discussion throughout recorded time. tive to give away his wealth. His Conservatives, liberals, radicals, and those all along the spec- goal was for the money that he’d trum1 have offered their verdicts. But it should be noted that amassed during his lifetime to be while political theorists, scholars, and leaders may diverge on used, as he put it, “to do real and many issues, what they all have in common is an acknowledg- PHOTO BY MICHAEL FALCO permanent good in this world.” ment that human will, individuality and creativity cannot be Toward that end, Mr. Carnegie gave away $350 million, an devalued. The political philosophies of even the most autocratic unimaginable fortune in an era when there was no income tax governments have been first articulated and then defended by and hence, no tax incentive for philanthropy. It is not only the Corporation that carries on his legacy but the more than twenty- For Americans, the concept of the two other organizations he founded during his lifetime that are dedicated to advancing teaching and education, promoting interna- individual...has been the driving issue tional peace and ethical leadership, enriching knowledge about sci- at the heart of our society. ence and technology, preserving and sharing the cultural heritage of our nation and others, and recognizing what is extraordinary in individuals. Individuals carry the banners of despots as they “everyday” men and women, among other goals. march in support of their regimes. But it is also individuals who The work of these groups continues today, though one can imag- raise the flag of freedom and revolt in opposition to those who ine that even these entities could hardly contain Andrew Carnegie’s would impose repressive diktats on the populace. Our Founding vision, which was always centered on improving the human condi- Fathers are examples of such extraordinary individuals. We all tion. Perhaps his ideals can be best expressed in the simple yet pro- remember, for example, how boldly John Hancock signed the found mission he gave to Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Declaration of Independence. A committee did not put their philanthropic foundation he created in 1911, which was to support names to that remarkable document. Individuals did. “the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding.” For Americans, the concept of the individual and his or her In that connection, it is remarkable to think about the impact centrality to the very nature of the social and political compacts that this one individual has had. Andrew Carnegie came to the that define our national life has been the driving issue at the U.S. as a poor boy, an immigrant from Scotland who first found heart of our society. What we often think of as “rugged indi- work in a cotton mill, but eventually became a great steel baron vidualism” is ingrained in the ideals and principles of our nation. and then one of the most important philanthropists the world has Nevertheless, within this context, questions arise that relate to ever known. In addition to the many organizations he created and individual rights, self-reliance, the relationship and tensions personal benefactions he was responsible for, perhaps his crown- between private and public good, local autonomy and national ing glory was the creation of more than 2,500 public libraries in sovereignty, states’ rights and federal power, even to what extent the United States and abroad. As he wrote in his autobiography, an individual perceives himself or herself to be part of the con- “It was from my own early experience that I decided there was nective tissue of a nation represented by the term “citizen.” One no use to which money could be applied so productive of good to also may find that the ambiguities inherent in honoring the rights boys and girls who have good within them and ability and ambi- and dignity of the individual are not only difficult to reconcile tion to develop it, as the founding of a public library....” but also extraordinarily challenging. For example, Americans in As dramatic as Carnegie’s story is, it is certainly not without particular must confront the reality that “Individualism, the first precedent. After all, he found his footing and made his fortune in language in which [they] tend to think about their lives, values the land that had been described by Alexis de Tocqueville as the independence and self-reliance about all else...[yet] American embodiment of “individualism,” a term he coined in his seminal cultural traditions define personality, achievement and the pur- 1835 work, Democracy in America, which recounted his travels pose of human life in ways that leave the individual suspended in through the U.S. That was Tocqueville’s way of describing the glorious, but terrifying isolation.”2 (Continued on page 25) Spring 2011 CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK vol. 6/no. 2 2 2 A Vision of Social Justice: Carnegie Corporation in the 1960s and Beyond 32 11 Pell Grants: The Inside Story 12 Portraits of Transformation: These Lives Were Changed by Carnegie Corporation of New York 26 The Second Fifty Years: A Personal View 32 A Noble Use of Wealth: Carnegie Corporation’s Commitment to African Higher Education 48 40 A Sacred Trust: The Trustees of Carnegie Corporation 47 Recent Events 50 A Tribute to John Gardner by Bill Moyers About the cover: In May 1954, Nettie Hunt and her daughter Nickie sit on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court holding a newspaper heralding the decision in the Brown v. Board of Education case that ended segregation in U.S. public schools. A Note About This Issue Midcentury. That’s where after the Second World War and set goals leadership is always about individuals, writer we begin our Centennial that reflected their clear priorities for a new J. Ford Huffman introduces readers to ten look at the accomplish- America. Both became Corporation presidents people whose lives were changed through ments and culture of and it is clear, as we trace the Corporation’s Corporation grantmaking and who continue Carnegie Corporation for history, that our presidents have always their efforts to better the lives of people in this second special edition of the Carnegie defined our work. The power of one of those America and internationally, as well. For an Reporter. Midcentury. After World War president’s, John Gardner, comes alive through inside look into the Corporation’s culture, II left the U.S. a global superpower and the memories of one of America’s foremost we asked Avery Russell, who served for 30 U.S. leadership was put to the test—both journalists, Bill Moyers whose tribute is our years at the Corporation, to share her views abroad and on the home front. extended BackPage article. on working here during this fertile period of You’ll notice the design of this maga- There were decision points for the growth and change. The role of Corporation zine moves away from the paneled wood Corporation at this midcentury mark and we trustees has been central to our history and our Old-world elegance of our first Centennial trace those made by Alan Pifer, who succeeded writer Karen Theroux captures this important edition, which highlighted how Andrew Gardner and put social justice issues on the aspect of the foundation’s story. Carnegie’s vision for philanthropy focused agenda. Writer Abigail Deutsch documents We write these stories for history and also on building institutions that could help to the amazing arc of grants during the 1960s and to share them with those philanthropists— build America. In this, our “midcentury” 70s and their impact. Corporation staff mem- large and small—who want to learn how issue, textures of modern plastic and color ber Patricia Rosenfield traces the decision foundation decisions can transform lives. have replaced wood paneling and the spot- points that focused a significant aspect of the light turns to individuals who came to the Corporation’s international grantmaking on S USAN K ING , Vice President, External Corporation with a vision for change. higher education in Africa, particularly after Affairs and Program Director, Journalism John Gardner and Alan Pifer joined right the last gasps of colonialism. And because Initiative, Special Initiatives and Strategy Freedom Riders stage a sit-in at a Montgomery, Alabama waiting room reserved for white customers. A VISION OF by ABIGAIL DEUTSCH © BETTMANN/CORBIS Social Justice Carnegie Corporation in the 1960s and Beyond In her analysis of the whirling dation figures out how to find a wave racial segregation in schools, to the social currents of the 1960s and 1970s, that’s headed in the same direction they Montgomery Bus Boycott, which pro- Sara Engelhardt—a staff member want to go, and to ride it...If they get hibited discrimination on public buses— at Carnegie Corporation during that the right one and ride it well, they get a prefaced years of legal breakthroughs period, whose two decades of service huge amount of lift and a huge amount on social justice issues.

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