Hallie Brown Ford (March 17, 1905 – June 4, 2007) was an American business person and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

. A native of

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

, she acquired her wealth in Oregon through the timber industry. As a philanthropist she made donations to many institutions in Oklahoma and Oregon to support education and the arts. Shortly before her death in 2007, she made a donation of $15 million to the Pacific Northwest College of Art, the largest single donation to any cultural group in Oregon history. The

Hallie Ford Museum of Art The Hallie Ford Museum of Art (HFMA) is the museum of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. It is the third largest art museum in Oregon. Opened in 1998, the facility is across the street from the Oregon State Capital in downt ...

and several other institutions at Willamette University and Oregon State University in Oregon are named in her honor, as are several items at her alma mater East Central University in Oklahoma.

Early life

Hallie Brown was born in Red Fork, Oklahoma, on March 17, 1905.Much, Justin. Philanthropist gave to variety of causes. '' Statesman Journal'', June 13, 2007. At the time it was Indian Territory, with

becoming a state in 1907.East Central University benefactor Hallie Brown Ford dies in Oregon. US States News, June 11, 2007. She attended Beggs High School where she was valedictorian. She worked her way through college at

East Central State Normal School East Central University (ECU or East Central) is a public university in Ada, Oklahoma. It is part of Oklahoma's Regional University System. Beyond its flagship campus in Ada, the university has courses available in McAlester, Shawnee, and Duran ...

(now East Central University) in the town of Ada. There she earned a teaching certificate and a bachelor's degree in 1930. After college she began teaching in Oklahoma.

Oregon

She moved to Lebanon, Oregon, with her parents and began teaching in that area during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. She met Kenneth W. Ford there, and the two married in 1935. After their marriage they moved to the

Roseburg, Oregon Roseburg is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is in the Umpqua River, Umpqua River Valley in southern Oregon and is the county seat and most populous city of Douglas County, Oregon, Douglas County. Founded in 1851, the population was 23,683 a ...

, area where they started and ran the Roseburg Lumber Company (now Roseburg Forest Products Company). They had a daughter, Carmen, and a son, Allyn. In 1957, with her husband, she helped found the charitable organization that became the Ford Family Foundation. In 1959, she worked with artist

Harry Widman Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

on a 200-plus piece art exhibit for Oregon's Centennial in Roseburg. In Roseburg she was a civic leader, and was given the First Citizens Award in 1967 by the local chamber of commerce.

Later years and philanthropy

Hallie moved to

Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...

, in 1972. In 1975, she became a member of the board of trustees at Willamette University in Salem. In 1992 her alma mater, East Central University, named her as a distinguished alumni. The Fords' charity created the Ford Scholars Program scholarships for Oregon students in 1993.Walker, Charles L
Investing in People.
''NW Education'', Winter 1998. Retrieved December 15, 2007. She then started the Ford Opportunity Scholarship Program in 1995 for single parents. Ford became a lifetime member of the board of trustees at Willamette in 1996, and received the Governor of Oregon's Arts Award for Arts Patronage. That year her charitable foundation became the Ford Family Foundation. Her husband Kenneth died on February 8, 1997. In 2002, she moved to an assisted living facility in Monmouth, Oregon. In 2006, Ford donated an additional $8 million to Willamette University, the largest single donation in that school's history.Kim, Eunice. Willamette University plans academic building on State St. '' Statesman Journal'', November 23, 2007. In May 2007, Hallie Ford donated $15 million to the Pacific Northwest College of Art, the largest donation in that school's history.Libby, Brian. PNCA Receives $15 Million Gift. ''Portland Architecture'', May 22, 2007. The donation would primarily be used for a visiting artists program. This donation to the college was the largest donation to any cultural group in Oregon's history. Also that month she was given the Distinguished Philanthropist Award by East Central University. Given before her death, but announced after her death was an $8 million donation to Oregon State University, the alma mater of her daughter Carmen Ford Phillips.Wood, Shelby. OSU gets $8 million to help state families. '' The Oregonian'', June 15, 2007. The gift went toward the Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families as part of the school's College of Health and Human Sciences.Museum Gets $12-Million; Other New Donations. '' The Chronicle of Higher Education'', June 28, 2007. GIVING; Pg. 17 Vol. 19 No. 18.

Death and legacy

Hallie Ford died on June 4, 2007, in Monmouth, Oregon, at the age of 102 after a brief illness. Ford Hall and the Hallie Ford Museum at Willamette University is named in her honor, as is the school's English and literature endowed professorship. At East Central University the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center and the Hallie Brown Ford Award for Philanthropy honor her legacy at the school where she donated approximately $7 million over the years.

References

External links

Corvallis Gazette Times coverage of OSU donationObituary of Hallie FordHallie Ford's legacy for Oregon's children
- ''Oregon Stater'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Hallie 1905 births 2007 deaths Businesspeople from Tulsa, Oklahoma East Central University alumni Philanthropists from Oregon Willamette University people People from Salem, Oregon People from Roseburg, Oregon American centenarians Pacific Northwest College of Art People from Monmouth, Oregon 20th-century American philanthropists Women centenarians 20th-century American businesspeople