The Field Foundation of New York was a

charitable organization A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

based in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. It was one of the two organizations that had split off from the original Field Foundation in 1960, the other being the Field Foundation of Illinois. The New York foundation focused on enacting social change on a more national scale than did the Illinois foundation; it had a history of supporting

racial equality Racial equality is when people of all Race (human categorization), races and Ethnic group, ethnicities are treated in an egalitarian/equal manner. Racial equality occurs when institutions give individuals legal, moral, and Civil and political r ...

, researching hunger in the United States, and improving the lives of those stuck in poverty. It finally spent itself out of existence in 1989.

History

Original Field Foundation

The Field Foundation was originally established in 1940 by Marshall Field III, the grandson of a well-known Chicago merchant who founded the famous

Marshall Field's Marshall Field & Company (colloquially Marshall Field's) was an American department store chain founded in 1852 by Potter Palmer. It was based in Chicago, Illinois and founded in the 19th century, it grew to become a large chain before Macy's, ...

department store. It was founded in New York to help victims of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, and it supported the ideas and methods of the President Roosevelt’s

New Deal The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...

. Its board was composed of various business leaders, social scientists, judges, and scholars. The Foundation assisted other organizations supporting social change, civil rights, and child welfare, and also offered grants to groups such as the American Council on Race Relations, Provident Medical Associates in Chicago, and the Research Center for Human Relations in New York. By 1949, the Foundation’s assets totaled 11 million dollars and it offered grants of 150,000 dollars per year.

1960 split

Field III died in 1956, after which the organization started splitting due to different goals its members had. Field’s son

Marshall Field IV Marshall Field IV (June 15, 1916September 18, 1965) was the owner of the ''Chicago Daily News'' from 1956 to 1965. Early life and education Marshall Field IV was born in New York City on June 15, 1916, to Evelyn (née Marshall) Field and Marsha ...

desired that the organization focus its efforts locally within Chicago, where most of the Foundation’s assets lay. Field’s widow, Ruth Field, wished for the organization to expand its efforts nationally and promote social change. In 1960, the organization split into the Field Foundation of Illinois and the Field Foundation of New York.

Accomplishments of the Field Foundation of New York

Maxwell Hahn

The Field Foundation has a long history with various social movements. It was originally directed by Maxwell Hahn, under which it supported racial integration in the South in the 1950s, leading larger foundations after it. It was also one of the first supporters of Black education campaigns, and focused heavily on child welfare and racial issues under Hahn.

Leslie W. Dunbar

In 1965, Leslie W. Dunbar, director of the

Southern Regional Council The Southern Regional Council (SRC) is a reform-oriented organization created in 1944 to avoid racial violence and promote racial equality in the Southern United States. Voter registration and political-awareness campaigns are used toward this ...

, succeeded Hahn and moved the organization’s focus more on those struggling from poverty and minority groups. In 1967 its examination of the state of poor Southern communities led to an expansion of food stamp and school lunch programs. It also pushed for the recognition of black lung disease, being among the first to do so. In 1970s the organization under Dunbar started to examine federal activities more closely, studying surveillance, arms programs, and civil liberties violations. Examples include the organization since 1972 donating $1,073,800 to the

Center for Defense Information The Center for Defense Information (CDI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Washington, D.C. It specialized in analyzing and advising on military matters. History The Center for Defense Information was founded in 1971 by an indepen ...

, a federal oversight organization that examines Defense spending and priorities. It was the largest funder of the organization. It also helped to save the Food Research and Action Center when its federal funds were cut under President

Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 36th vice president under P ...

in 1973. This led to disagreements within the organization over the government’s policies and affirmative action, eventually followed by Dunbar’s resignation in 1977.

Richard W. Boone

In 1977, American philanthropist Richard W. Boone became the director of the Foundation. Boone also believed in government oversight through independent organization. Under him, the Field Foundation funded the Study Group on Social Security, an organization monitoring Government reductions of benefits to the elderly, disabled, widows, and orphans. The Foundation became one of the earliest supporters of the

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a progressive American think tank that analyzes the impact of federal and state government budget policies. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the organization's stated mission is to "advanc ...

in 1981, offering $175,000 in its first year and $150,000 in the second. Boone’s policies led the organization to support black voter registration programs, U.S. resettlement of IndoChina refugees, funded the Communications Consortium Media Center, and researched hunger in the U.S. In 1984, the foundation gave $30,000 to '' Nuclear Times'', a magazine devoted to

nuclear disarmament Nuclear disarmament is the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons. Its end state can also be a nuclear-weapons-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated. The term ''denuclearization'' is also used to describe the pro ...

. The organization purposefully spent itself out of existence in 1989, choosing to empower other social activism groups to continue its legacy.

References

{{Reflist 1940 establishments in New York City Charities based in New York (state) Foundations based in the United States Marshall Field family Organizations established in 1940 Organizations established in 1960 Organizations disestablished in 1989 Social welfare charities based in the United States