Patricia L. Rosenfield: A World of Giving: Carnegie Corporation of New York: A Century of International Philanthropy

With a global economy it is not surprising that the age of “international philanthropy” would follow. Perhaps no other US Foundation has been more involved in global funding than the Carnegie Corporation of New York, established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911. The rich history of the Carnegie Corporation’s international philanthropy is thoroughly covered by Patricia Rosenfield in A World of Giving. Other histories have covered the work of the Carnegie Corporation in general and in certain policy areas (notably Lagemann’s The Politics of Knowledge: The Carnegie Corporation, Philanthropy, and Public Policy) but none capture the story of the foundation presidents as leaders in carrying out the mission of the Corporation in the detail that Rosenfield provides us in this truly monumental reference work.

Patricia Rosenfield applies her expertise on philanthropy – currently serving as a Senior Fellow at the Rockefeller Archives Center – by organizing a huge amount of information on a great American foundation that has played major roles in international philanthropy over the last 100 years. In 493 pages of text and another 190 pages of notes, and a comprehensive bibliography and index, the new testament of the Carnegie Corporation has been created. Rosenfield begins the story with the Carnegie gift in 1911 of $25 million, with another $75 million in 1912 and upon the death of Andrew Carnegie in 1919 an additional $35 million to the Carnegie Corporation. It was in the second gift of 75 million that Carnegie assured that the world was to be the stage for the Corporation by committing 20 million for use outside the United States.

One of the most important contributions of this work is the understanding one gains of the role that the Corporation’s 12 presidents have played over the past 100 years in defining how the Corporation would carry out Carnegie’s vision, principles and values especially in the context of the Corporation’s International work. Rosenfield divides her story into eight chapters that chronicle the work of the Corporation under the leadership of its Presidents. In the early years, Andrew Carnegie served as President followed by Angell, Pritchett and Root within the span of 3 years. During this period their work can be characterized as a focus on organizing principles, resource allocation practices and setting the stage for international grantmaking especially to the “British Empire.” Frederick Keppel became president in 1923 and served until 1941. Under his long tenure the Corporation shifted from the famous creation of public libraries to training and adult education, including arts education in colleges and universities. Keppel began various programs in South Africa and set the stage of the Corporation as a world player.

Walter Jessup from l941 to 1944 and Devereux Josephs from 1945 to 1948 led the way for the Corporation to reshape itself as a participation in the new order after the Second World War. Charles Dollard as president from 1948 to l954 continued the commitment to international understanding and led the efforts to move American higher education deeper into international education often partnering with the Rockefeller Foundation.

During John Gardner’s presidency from 1955 to 1965 the Corporation continued its commitment to foreign area studies programs and developed its leadership program with the creation of the White House Fellows program. Gardner’s leadership moved the Carnegie Corporation into the era of strategic philanthropy where the Corporation was to provide seed funds and leverage its resources to have an impact on the issues that it cared about.

Under Alan Pifer, 1965–1982, the Corporation enlarged their efforts in the areas of educational equality for historically disadvantaged groups. They also maintained their commitment to early childhood education especially noteworthy was their role in Children’s Television Workshop and their work that led to the establishing of the public broadcasting system. During this period it also reentered South Africa by conducting studies on how the country was to achieve a democratic, interracial society. Under David Hamburg, 1982–1997, the Corporation provided extensive support to international activities targeted especially to national security issues, with a focus on Russia and arms of mass destruction.

From the beginning of the 12th Presidency of Vartan Gregorian to the present comprise the last chapter of A World of Giving…. An era focused on forging new program direction while maintaining continuity with past foci. In 1999, Gregorian presented the “New Directions for Carnegie Corporation of New York: A report to the Board” (p. 390) which called for maintaining four primary programs: Education, International Development, International Peace and Security and Democracy. All areas were to focus on integrating an evaluation of effectiveness plan in their programs. Internationally, the Corporation sought to strengthen public libraries and higher education in Commonwealth Africa and instituted a scholars program in the independent states of the former Soviet Union. Advancing efforts toward peace continues to be a priority.

Today’s scholars, philanthropists and philanthropods can benefit from the history lesson of A World of Giving. Rosenfield not only highlights the strengths of the Corporation over the years but also provides insights into the limitations – especially the misdirection in Canada, poverty and race issues – first in the l930s and again in the l980s in South Africa, and what many would argue was a century-long failure to educate Americans on international understanding. All in all, the most comprehensive work available on the Carnegie Corporation of New York – a must reference volume for any foundation watcher.