Russell Mawby
Encyclopedia
Russell G. Mawby, Ph.D. has earned a global reputation as a visionary leader in philanthropy
. He led the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for 25 years, during which he was credited for creativity in programming by providing opportunities for youth and leadership in the field.
in 1928 and grew up on a fruit farm. From an early age his parents instilled in him the importance of a good education. This along with farming and agriculture, Boy Scouts of America
and 4-H
programs, influenced the type of philanthropic work he was involved in at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
and graduated with a baccalaureate degree in horticulture
. In 1951 he completed his Master's degree
in Agricultural Economics
from Purdue University
, and in 1959 he received his doctorate
, also in Agricultural Economics
, from Michigan State University
. Mawby served on the faculties of both institutions once he completed his degrees and later became a professor and assistant director of the Cooperative Extension Service
responsible for 4-H
Clubs and youth programming throughout Michigan
.
In December 1964, upon the completion of his doctorate
degree, Mawby joined the staff of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as director of the Division of Agriculture. In that position, he developed the Michigan Agricultural Leadership Program, which became a model for the national rural leadership movement. Just three years later he was promoted to vice president
and in 1970 became the president
and chief executive officer
. Under his guidance, the Kellogg Foundation became the national leader in providing support and funding for innovative programs in a number of fields including adult continuing education, access to primary health care
, and the development of leadership, especially through the Kellogg National Fellowship Program. Additionally, he spearheaded projects throughout the United States of America, Europe
, and Latin America
. Upon Mawby's retirement in 1995, he served as a foundation trustee
until 2000 and currently serves as an honorary trustee.
(GVSU), located in Grand Rapids, Michigan
. The fellowship is an interdisciplinary project that pairs one GVSU faculty member with one graduate students and two undergraduate students on a research project addressing relevant issues related to philanthropic studies. As a result of the research, the Mawby Fellows are required to produce an original, tangible product such as a research paper, a creative work, or a thoughtful essay.
Gleaves Whitney
, director of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studdies received the first Mawby Fellowship, awarded in 2008. He and the student Fellows will work on a research project that examines philanthropy and American presidency. The research will concentrate on the philanthropic efforts of Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy.
, covering its turbulent aftermath, continuting with the increasing diversification of philanthropy during the 1980s, the massive growth in giving caused by the tech boom of the 1990s, and carrying forward to the present day. The Mawby Collection is the signature holding of the Johnson Center Philanthropy Archives and is available to researchers online and at the Seidman House.
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
. He led the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for 25 years, during which he was credited for creativity in programming by providing opportunities for youth and leadership in the field.
Early life and philanthropy
Russell Mawby was born in Kent County, MichiganKent County, Michigan
-Air Service:*Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport . Previously named Kent County International Airport, it holds Grand Rapids' mark in modern history with the United States' first regularly scheduled airline service, beginning July 31, 1926,...
in 1928 and grew up on a fruit farm. From an early age his parents instilled in him the importance of a good education. This along with farming and agriculture, Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
and 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
programs, influenced the type of philanthropic work he was involved in at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Education and career
Mawby attended Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and graduated with a baccalaureate degree in horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
. In 1951 he completed his Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Agricultural Economics
Agricultural economics
Agricultural economics originally applied the principles of economics to the production of crops and livestock — a discipline known as agronomics. Agronomics was a branch of economics that specifically dealt with land usage. It focused on maximizing the crop yield while maintaining a good soil...
from Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, and in 1959 he received his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
, also in Agricultural Economics
Agricultural economics
Agricultural economics originally applied the principles of economics to the production of crops and livestock — a discipline known as agronomics. Agronomics was a branch of economics that specifically dealt with land usage. It focused on maximizing the crop yield while maintaining a good soil...
, from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. Mawby served on the faculties of both institutions once he completed his degrees and later became a professor and assistant director of the Cooperative Extension Service
Cooperative extension service
The Cooperative Extension Service, also known as the Extension Service of the USDA, is a non-formal educational program implemented in the United States designed to help people use research-based knowledge to improve their lives. The service is provided by the state's designated land-grant...
responsible for 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
Clubs and youth programming throughout Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
In December 1964, upon the completion of his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
degree, Mawby joined the staff of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as director of the Division of Agriculture. In that position, he developed the Michigan Agricultural Leadership Program, which became a model for the national rural leadership movement. Just three years later he was promoted to vice president
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
and in 1970 became the president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
. Under his guidance, the Kellogg Foundation became the national leader in providing support and funding for innovative programs in a number of fields including adult continuing education, access to primary health care
Primary health care
Primary health care, often abbreviated as “PHC”, has been defined as "essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost...
, and the development of leadership, especially through the Kellogg National Fellowship Program. Additionally, he spearheaded projects throughout the United States of America, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. Upon Mawby's retirement in 1995, he served as a foundation trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
until 2000 and currently serves as an honorary trustee.
Leadership positions
- Director of the Division of Agriculture- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, December 1964- August 1967
- Vice President of Programs- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, January 1966- December 1967
- Vice President- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, December 1967- May 1970
- President and Chief Executive Officer- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, May 1970- July 1995
- Chairman Emeritus- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, August 1995 – Present
- Member of the Board of Trustees- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, December 1967- December 2000
- Honorary Trustee- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, December 2000- December 2003, January 2007 – Present
Dr. Russell G. Mawby Fellowship for Philanthropy Studies
In 2007, the Mawby Fellowship for Philanthropic Studies was established at the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at Grand Valley State UniversityGrand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University is a public liberal arts university located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1960, and its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids...
(GVSU), located in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. The fellowship is an interdisciplinary project that pairs one GVSU faculty member with one graduate students and two undergraduate students on a research project addressing relevant issues related to philanthropic studies. As a result of the research, the Mawby Fellows are required to produce an original, tangible product such as a research paper, a creative work, or a thoughtful essay.
Gleaves Whitney
Gleaves Whitney
Gleaves Whitney is the director of Grand Valley State University's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. He has authored or edited 14 books. Whitney is also a senior scholar at the Center for the American Idea in Houston, Texas, and he is the first senior fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for...
, director of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studdies received the first Mawby Fellowship, awarded in 2008. He and the student Fellows will work on a research project that examines philanthropy and American presidency. The research will concentrate on the philanthropic efforts of Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy.
Russell G. Mawby collection
In 2007, Dr. Mawby made a gift of his personal papers to the Johnson Center. This archive documents the accomplishments of a central leader in the statewide and national philanthropic fields during a pivotal time in their history, beginning with the run-up to the Tax Reform Act of 1969Tax Reform Act of 1969
The United States Tax Reform Act of 1969 was a federal tax law signed by president Richard Nixon in 1969. The largest impact of the act was the creation of the Alternative Minimum Tax, which was intended to tax high income earners otherwise exempt from income taxes through various exemptions and...
, covering its turbulent aftermath, continuting with the increasing diversification of philanthropy during the 1980s, the massive growth in giving caused by the tech boom of the 1990s, and carrying forward to the present day. The Mawby Collection is the signature holding of the Johnson Center Philanthropy Archives and is available to researchers online and at the Seidman House.
Publications
Russell Mawby, along with James Richmond, authored a book detailing his life throughout his childhood into his retirement on all of his philanthropic work. Russell G. Mawby: Recollections of a Man Whose Epitaph Would Say 'He Cared was written in 2006.External links
- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation
- Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
- The Johnson Center Philanthropy Archives Digital Collection
- Russell Mawby Collection, Johnson Center Philanthropy Archives at Grand Valley State University Special Collections
- Russell Mawby Collection finding aid (PDF)
- Historical Philanthropy Timeline