A History of the Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation
Cleveland Hoadley Dodge established this foundation in
the spring of 1917, when the United States entered World War I.
It had an original funding of five million dollars.
Dodge was an official of the Phelps Dodge Corporation, founded in 1832
by his great-grandfather, Anson Phelps, and his grandfather, William E. Dodge.
Phelps Dodge was a leading copper mining corporation, and as such, its product
was in great demand for making armaments. Therefore, in 1917 its profits had
soared. Dodge was determined, as he wrote to his Presbyterian pastor, that
"I will not burn my pockets by keeping a cent of the money coming to me from
war profits." He set up the Foundation with the very general proviso that
its income should be used "for the betterment of mankind", but precluded
giving to health care and medical research organizations, since he felt
that money for these was "already available from other sources."
Ever since its establishment, grants have been made by the Foundation
to charitable and cultural institutions in New York City. In many cases,
members of the family had helped to found them and subsequent generations have
continued to support them. Such institutions include: the American Museum of
Natural History, the N.Y. Public Library, N.Y. Botanical Garden, Wildlife
Conservation Society, Teachers College of Columbia University, the Traveler's Aid
Society, Children's Aid Society, the New York City Mission Society, and
In addition, there had been a long-standing family connection with Young
Men's and Young Women's Christian Associations. The Y.M.C.A. connection
included Springfield College, originally founded as a training school for their
When he created the Foundation, Cleveland H. Dodge was deeply involved
in the fate and future of the American educational institutions and relief
organizations in the Near East. Two of his four children were there: his
son Bayard Dodge at the American University of Beirut and his daughter Elizabeth
Dodge Huntington at Robert College in Constantinople (C.H. Dodge himself was
Chairman of that college's Board of Trustees). Also, he was acting as Treasurer
of Near East Relief, chartered by the U.S. Congress to assist the Armenian
victims of Turkish massacres. After World War I, Bayard Dodge became President
of the American University of Beirut and served it with great distinction for
twenty-five years. Near East Relief became the Near East Foundation and continues
to provide practical aid to the region.
Today, most of the aforementioned organizations receive annual grants
from the Foundation for operating expenses, plus special grants from time
to time for capital expansion and improvements.
Cleveland H. Dodge inherited strong Christian principles and moral values
from his forebears, developed them uniquely, and did his best to pass them on
to his descendants. After he died in 1926, his son Cleveland E. Dodge became
President of the Foundation and it was headed by his grandson, Cleveland E.
Dodge, Jr. from 1981 to 2001. His great-grandson William Dodge Rueckert is now President.