Lecture on Philanthropy Highlights du Pont Family Influence

Wilmington, Delaware – November 2011 – Hagley Museum and Library welcomes Dr. Olivier Zunz, Commonwealth Professor of History at the University of Virginia, to speak about his just-published book, Philanthropy in America: A History, on Wednesday, November 9, 7 p.m. in the Soda House auditorium. Zunz’s lecture will focus on the role played by the du Pont family in the development of modern philanthropy, especially during the Great Depression. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and to be signed by the author. This program is partially funded by a grant from the Delaware Humanities Forum. The lecture is free. Registration requested. Call (302) 658-2400, ext. 243.

In his lecture, Zunz will discuss how the du Ponts mobilized local resources, including their own, to stem economic decline. Additionally, they supported the coordination of local governments, local business, and local charity into a significant response to the downturn. Through these and other activities, Zunz will show how the du Ponts’ efforts contributed greatly to making philanthropy such a powerful force in American society.

Philanthropy in America: A History looks at the ways in which American philanthropy emerged, not as charity work, but as an open and sometimes controversial means to foster independent investigation, problem-solving, and the greater good. Zunz’s book ranges widely, examining the influential large-scale foundations established by tycoons such as John D. Rockefeller, Sr., and the mobilization of small donors by the Red Cross and March of Dimes, as well as the recent social advocacy of individuals like Bill Gates and George Soros.

            Dr. Zunz used the collections of Hagley Library for research for Philanthropy in America: A History. The Hagley Library is the nation’s leading business history library, archives, and research center. Current holdings comprise 36,000 linear feet in the Manuscripts and Archives Department, 290,000 printed volumes in the Imprints Department, 2 million visual items in the Pictorial Department, and more than 100,000 digital images and pages in the Digital Archives Department. 

            This program is partially funded by a grant from the Delaware Humanities Forum, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. For more information, call (302) 658-2400 weekdays or  visit www.hagley.org.

###