CHARLES EVANS HUGHES MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
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the charles evans hughes
​memorial foundation

​"When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.”  
-
 Charles Evans Hughes, Chief Justice of the United States 1930-1941 

MISSION

The Charles Evans Hughes Memorial Foundation, Inc. was formed in 1962 by Chauncey L. Waddell and the estate of his wife Catherine Hughes Waddell, to honor the legacies of its founders and of Catherine’s father Charles Evans Hughes, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, U.S. Secretary of State, Presidential Candidate, and Governor of the State of New York.  The Hughes Foundation closed its doors in December 2022.  Over more than 60 years, the Hughes Foundation gave over $30 Million to charitable organizations in New York, as well as to national organizations, with programs focusing on the following fields of interest:
CHARLES EVANS HUGHES FOUNDATION
​Charles Evans Hughes
Chief Justice of The United States
​1930-1941
  • Legal and Human Rights
  • Environment, Population and Health
  • ​​Education
  • Arts and Culture​​

In each of these fields, the Foundation sought to encourage full civic participation by all Americans and to uphold political and civil rights, as well as the individual ability to exercise those rights.  

​HISTORY

​Catherine Hughes, a daughter of Charles Evans Hughes, married Chauncey Lockhart Waddell in 1922.  A pilot in World War I and Harvard graduate, Chauncey Waddell along with partner Cameron Reed went on to found the mutual fund group United Funds Inc. and its underwriter Waddell and Reed.  Catherine was an active philanthropist, focusing particularly on racial injustice in America.  She firmly believed that the way to combat ignorant prejudice was through education.  After Catherine’s untimely death in 1961, Chauncey fulfilled their wishes for a philanthropic foundation and named it in tribute to Catherine’s father. 

PROGRAM FOCUS

Legal and Human Rights
From the very beginning, the Foundation supported institutions and programs aimed at assuring fundamental constitutional and human rights, particularly for those who traditionally have been disenfranchised.  It also supported programs targeted at assuring that citizens may exercise those rights, including, for example, assistance for those unable to afford counsel.  Finally, it supported legal education, especially in public interest law.  VIEW SELECTED LEGACY RECIPIENTS

Environment, Population, and Health
The Foundation recognized that a clean, natural environment is essential to the health of individuals, communities, the economy, and society. Particularly in its later years, the Foundation dedicated its environmental grants to climate change initiatives.  It also acknowledged family planning as an important part of a broader strategy for achieving sustainable development worldwide. 
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​Education
The Foundation supported the provision, in-school and out-of-school, of a sound education that enables all Americans to lead productive lives and participate as active citizens.  
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Arts and Culture  
The Foundation recognized both the intrinsic and the educational value of the arts.  In addition, it appreciated the ways in which arts and culture shape – and are shaped by – the character of individuals and nations.  Thus, it supported programs dedicated to preserving and expanding what is unique and best in American arts and culture, including American music and the preservation of historic buildings and landscapes throughout the country.

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* Please note that the Foundation has closed and can no longer accept any proposals or letters of inquiry.
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IN GRATITUDE

As we close our doors, the Board of Directors of The Charles Evans Hughes Memorial Foundation expresses its profound gratitude:
  • To the Foundation’s founders, for their wisdom and vision in creating an enduring and impactful legacy of philanthropy;
  • T​o all the Hughes Family members and Independent Directors who served over the decades and gave of their time, talents, expertise and passion for philanthropy;
  • ​To our long-time Executive Director Lauren Katzowitz Shenfield, whose expertise, wisdom and thoughtful, rigorous contributions over more than 25 years greatly nurtured and enhanced our philanthropy;​​​
  • ​To the many charitable organizations whose important missions and work we have been honored to support – you are an inspiration.    ​
* Please note that the Foundation has closed and can no longer accept any proposals or letters of inquiry.

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​THE CHARLES EVANS HUGHES MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
© 2022 THE CHARLES EVANS HUGHES MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC.  All Rights Reserved. 
The  Charles Evans Hughes Memorial Foundation, Inc. was a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
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