Ralph Hubbard Norton (1875–1953), born in Chicago, was an art collector and museum founder. Norton's use of an

endowment Endowment most often refers to: *A term for human penis size It may also refer to: Finance *Financial endowment, pertaining to funds or property donated to institutions or individuals (e.g., college endowment) *Endowment mortgage, a mortgage to b ...

was innovative and novel at the time he set it up to support the museum he established in perpetuity. He was inducted into the Florida Artist Hall of Fame in 1994. In 1900, he graduated from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

. He married Elizabeth Calhoun (1881–1947) of

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

. He retired as President of ''Acme Steel'' in 1940 and moved to West Palm Beach,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, opening the Norton Gallery and School of Art (which later became the Norton Museum of Art) in 1941 with pieces from their collection. The museum was designed by

Marion Sims Wyeth Marion Sims Wyeth (February 17, 1889 – February 4, 1982) was an American architect known for his range in styles such as Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival, and classical Georgian, French, and Colonial. He designed numerous mansions in Palm Beac ...

of ''Wyeth, King & Johnson'' with a frieze and two bronze sculptures by

Paul Manship Paul Howard Manship (December 24, 1885 – January 28, 1966) was an American sculptor. He consistently created mythological pieces in a classical style, and was a major force in the Art Deco movement. He is well known for his large public com ...

.Ralph Hubbard Norton
People of Palm Beach County Norton's second wife was the sculptor

Ann Weaver Norton Ann Weaver Norton (May 2, 1905 – February 2, 1982) was an American sculptor and writer of children's books. Norton was born in Selma, Alabama, Selma, Alabama, the daughter of William Minter Weaver II and Edith Vaughan Weaver. She showed early t ...

(1905-1982), whose works are displayed in the Norton House in West Palm Beach.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norton, Ralph Hubbard 1875 births 1953 deaths American art collectors Museum founders University of Chicago alumni Businesspeople from Chicago 20th-century American businesspeople