Marjorie Powell Allen (1929-1992) was an American

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

from

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

who worked with the Powell Foundation. Allen gave two day camps and a residential camp for children, but most notably she donated 809 acres of Powell family land that became Powell Botanical Gardens. In 1996 the Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel, a non-denominational chapel designed by architect E. Fay Jones, opened at Powell Botanical Gardens. Allen also helped found the Women's Employment Network of Kansas City and Central Exchange. The Network helps women on

public assistance Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance pr ...

find jobs. The Central Exchange is a professional organization for diverse women. In April 1983, Allen received an earnest letter of request from Mr. Charles S. Douglas, who, at the time, was a relatively new member of th
Astronomical Society of Kansas City
Mr. Douglas wrote in hopes of obtaining a grant for $20,000 in order to build a new observatory on land leased to the organization by the City of

Louisburg, Kansas Louisburg is a city in Miami County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,969. History 19th century Prior to the American Civil War, the land of what is now called Louisburg ...

in Lewis-Young Park. Remembering that her father, George E. Powell, who had established the family's foundation, Allen incrementally granted the organization their initial request which she generously expanded to nearly $48,000 to ensure the observatory would be equipped with restrooms and a computerized system for the extraordinary telescope built by the society's members which houses a nearly 30-inch mirror. Powell Observatory was opened and dedicated May 11, 1985 in a ceremony dedicating the Powell family name to the observatory. Powell Observatoryremains operational and continues to be managed and operated by the Astronomical Society of Kansas City. In 1988, Allen was voted Philanthropist of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Council on Philanthropy. She also received the "Friend to Youth" award from the American Humanics program at

Rockhurst College Rockhurst University is a private Jesuit university in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 as Rockhurst College, Rockhurst University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It enrolled 2,980 students in 2019. History In 1909, Fr. ...

in 1985. When she died after battling a long illness, her memorial celebration was held on the grounds of Powell Botanical Gardens.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Marjorie Powell 1929 births 1992 deaths People from Kansas City, Missouri Philanthropists from the Kansas City metropolitan area 20th-century American philanthropists