Catherine Everit Macy Ladd (April 6, 1863 – August 27, 1945), known as Kate Macy Ladd, was an American philanthropist who founded and endowed the
Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation
The Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, or Macy Foundation, is a philanthropic foundation
Foundation may refer to:
* Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization
** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U. ...
in honor of her father.
Biography
Kate was born in New York City, a descendant of Thomas and Sarah Macy, Massachusetts settlers in the late 1630s. She was a granddaughter of Captain Josiah Macy, originally of
Nantucket
Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuse ...
, who founded a firm that became
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
's first oil refinery in the 1860s (later sold to the
Standard Oil Company
Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...
).
Kate's father died in 1876 at only 39 years old, when Kate was still a teenager. Upon her father's death, she inherited an estimated $15 million (). She was plagued by some disease or condition; she was described as "an invalid" since her early twenties.
At twenty years old, she married lawyer and yachtsman Walter Graeme Ladd (1857–1933) on December 5, 1883. Walter won several yachting prizes, including some with his schooner, the ''
Etak
Etak, Inc. was an independent US-based vendor of automotive navigation system equipment, digital maps, and mapping software. It was founded in 1983.
Its original headquarters were in Sunnyvale, but the company later moved to 1430 O'Brien DriveVi ...
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 ...
, Ladd created the foundation named for her father with $5 million initial endowment () to be used for "preventing and curing disease and relieving human suffering." The foundation was enormously successful. Within 15 years, its endowment had grown to $7 million and it had given away from $4.5 to $5 million to various causes, primarily to universities and agencies around the world. One of its earliest grants was in 1930, to fund a fellowship for a "competent collaborator" for Albert Einstein. The foundation funded research and studies on health topics including the process of
aging
Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In ...
, endocrinology, nutrition, and convalescent care.
After World War II began, the foundation provided aid for war veterans but also launched specific research into treatments for surgical shock and burns, antibiotics such as sulfa and
penicillin
Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using ...
, and biological studies on the use of heavy hydrogen. In 1943, with the United States fighting in the
Pacific theater
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
, the foundation endowed $150,000 to create a five-year research and teaching in program of tropical medicine at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. It also invested $1 million into a research service to distribute medical literature to armies and navies of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
In addition to her own foundation, Ladd gave generously to other charities.
She died in 1945 in
Natirar
Natirar is an estate spanning in Peapack-Gladstone, Far Hills and Bedminster, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. Its name is a reverse spelling of ''Raritan''. The complex was built between 1910 and 1912. In 2003 it was sold by t ...
, into a convalescent home, which was used to give free two-week vacations for working class New Yorkers. It was shut down after the war began as it was set aside as an emergency shelter for New York City, which was making preparations for a possible blitz like Britain was experiencing.
On Walter Ladd's death, and in accordance with his will, Natirar was sold to King
Hassan II of Morocco
Hassan II ( ar, الحسن الثاني, translit=al-Ḥasan aṯ-ṯhānī;), with the prefix "Mulay" before his enthronement 9 July 1929 – 23 July 1999) was the King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999.
He was a member of the 'Ala ...
. On the king's death in 1999, it was inherited by his son,
Mohammed VI Muhammad VI may refer to:
* Muhammad Imaaduddeen VI (1868–1932), sultan of the Maldives from 1893 to 1902
* Mehmed VI (1861–1926), sultan of Ottoman Empire, from 1918 to 1922
* Mohammed VI of Morocco
Mohammed VI ( ar, محمد السادس ...
.Natirar.com History More recently, Natirar has been leased by billionaire industrialist Sir
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is a British billionaire, entrepreneur, and business magnate. In the 1970s he founded the Virgin Group, which today controls more than 400 companies in various fields.
Branson expressed ...
of the Virgin Group. It is set to be converted into a spa, restaurant, and hotel complex called The Virgin Spa at Natirar.