The Henry Luce Foundation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Henry Luce Foundation was established by the late Henry R. Luce, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time Inc. in 1936. Today it has assets of about $700 million. Most of the foundation's wealth derived from stock donated by Henry R. Luce and left in his will after his death in 1967.
The work of the Luce Foundation reflects the interests of four generations of the Luce family. These include the interdisciplinary exploration of higher education; increased understanding between Asia and the United States; the study of religion and theology; scholarship in American art; opportunities for women in science and engineering; and environmental and public policy programs.
Higher education has been a persistent theme for most of the foundation's programs, with an emphasis on innovation and scholarship. The foundation's interests in education, Asia, and theology stem from the fact that Henry Winters Luce and Elizabeth R. Luce were educational missionaries to China, where they arrived in 1897. Their four children were all born in China, the eldest being Henry R. Luce. His sister, Elisabeth Luce Moore, an original board member, died in 2002 at the age of 98.
Henry Luce III, son of Henry R. Luce, retired as the Luce Foundation's chairman and C.E.O. in June 2002. He succeeded Charles Stillman, the foundation's first president, in 1958. Margaret Boles Fitzgerald, a director of the foundation since 1988, was elected chair of the board in 2002.
