Welcome to Our Centennial Celebration
by Vartan Gregorian, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York
The Centennial of Carnegie Corporation has led me to reflect on the fact that the great endeavor that is the philanthropic foundation Andrew Carnegie brought into being one hundred years ago was the creation of a single man who felt he had a moral imperative to give away his wealth. His goal was for the money that he’d amassed during his lifetime to be used, as he put it, “to do real and permanent good in this world.” Toward that end, Mr. Carnegie gave away $350 million, an unimaginable fortune in an era when there was no income tax and hence, no tax incentive for philanthropy. It is not only the Corporation that carries on his legacy but the more than twenty-two other organizations he founded during his lifetime that are dedicated to advancing teaching and education, promoting international peace and ethical leadership, enriching knowledge about science and technology, preserving and sharing the cultural heritage of our nation and others, and recognizing what is extraordinary in “everyday” men and women, among other goals. Read online
Carnegie Reporter
Special Centennial Edition Part 1
In this issue: An Early Tuskegee Supporter. Investing in America’s Cultural Education. Endowment Weathers a Century’s Storms. Recalling Elihu Root. Unfolding Keppel’s Grantmaking Vision. Ted Sorenson’s Letter to Andrew Carnegie. Read online
Carnegie Reporter
Special Centennial Edition Part 2
A Vision of Social Justice – Carnegie Corporation in the ‘60s. Pell Grants – The Inside Story. Portraits of Lives Changed. The Second 50 Years. A Commitment to African Higher Ed. A Sacred Trust. Read online
Centennial Moments
100 Years of Accomplishment & Partnership
Centennial Moment vignettes offer a glimpse at select partnerships and accomplishments over the past 100 years. Read online
“50 Years of Smart Giving”
Time, April 6, 1961
Carnegie handed out money furiously, but by 1911 still had more than $150 million left. So he launched the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the first and then biggest ($125 million) “general purpose” foundation. Read online
"The Carnegie Corporation Turns 100: What Would Its Founder Think of It Today?" Philanthropy Winter 2011
The magazine examines a century of the Corporation’s progress and asks “What would its founder think of it today?” Philanthropy also marks the Corporation's anniversary by asking several philanthropic leaders about the most audacious grants of the past century – and what grants made today will be talked about 100 years hence. Read online
New York City Proclaims Corporation’s Centennial Day
Mayor Bloomberg issued an official order proclaiming June 9, 2011, “Carnegie Corporation of New York Centennial Day” in New York City. Read online
A Centennial Film. A Focus on the Future.
Produced by Freddie Dorn, Narrated By Charlie Gibson. Library photos courtesy of Kevin Clemens.
"What Would Andrew Carnegie Think About How His Money Is Used Today?" Chronicle of Philanthropy, Aug. 7, 1985
On the 150th anniversary of Andrew Carnegie’s birth in 1985, the Chronicle of Philanthropy offered a retrospective on the organizations he founded and the roles they have played in society. Read online
The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie, With an Introduction by Vartan Gregorian
Andrew Carnegie was a nineteenth-century steel tycoon who became one of the twentieth century’s most famous philanthropists. His life story is a rags-to-riches account matched by few in United States history. Read online
Centennial Documents
Andrew Carnegie Week Proclamation
November 1960
Notice of First Board Meeting
November 1, 1911
Letter to John D Rockefeller
February 8, 1903
Letter of Gift
November 10, 1911
Letter to Andrew Carnegie from Theodore Roosevelt
August 13, 1907
