Remembering a Founder

The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation lost a dear friend - and a little piece of history - when Charles Curran passed away recently at the age of 84.

If you've been around Kansas City for a while, you have no doubt heard of an organization called the Kansas City Association of Trusts and Foundations. The Association was formed in 1949 under the leadership of attorney Arthur Mag (Stinson Mag and now Stinson Morrison Hecker). The Association's board was charged with making grant recommendations to the trustees of several local charitable foundations.

Here's the most interesting part. The first president of the Association was Homer Wadsworth, and Chuck Curran was Homer's top staff person. When Homer left the Association to become the president of the Cleveland Foundation (founded in 1914 as the first community foundation in the country), Chuck was his successor, serving as president of the Kansas City Association of Trusts and Foundations until 1986. Meanwhile, at the Cleveland Foundation, Homer Wadsworth experienced the advantages and benefits of a local community foundation, and it was both Homer and Chuck who played key roles to encourage the creation of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation in 1978, which merged with the Kansas City Association of Trusts and Foundations in 1986. And, as they say, the rest is history.

Read more about Chuck Curran

Comments

[Jeff Risley]

Laura, I love the new blog layout. It looks great and is very functional. I see you've also established several social network accounts as well. Great job. I love the fact that a community organization like GKCCF is embracing community technology. Well done.