Giorgio: The McDonough Family

Wednesday, October 07, 2015

Paul Giorgio, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

Last Friday the McDonough Family announced a major gift to cultural institutions in Worcester. The family pledged $15 Million to various groups in Worcester including the Art Museum, the EcoTarium, The Worcester Historical Society, The Antiquarian Society, Tower Hill, Music Worcester, and the Hanover Theatre.

The significant charitable donation was given because the McDonough’s believe in Worcester and have literally put their money where their mouth has been.

The family matriarch has long been a fixture in Worcester‘s cultural circles. I first met Jean McDonough almost 40 years ago when she was a volunteer at the Department of Youth Services facility on Worcester’s Belmont Street. The slight unassuming women worked with youthful offenders, when she could have been playing golf. I didn’t know who she was then.

She has kept that commitment to Worcester for a long time. She and her husband Myles, the founder of Spencer’s FlexCon almost never missed an Art Museum function. Myles passed away a few years ago, but Jean kept up the family tradition of giving back. She passed that lesson on to her children.

The Gift is Significant in More Ways than One

This massive gift is significant for a number of reasons. The first is that the McDonough’s are showing a commitment to Worcester and its cultural institution. By doing this, they are also showing their commitment to the long term goals of the city.

These cultural institutions can’t survive without attracting people. A stable city does that. These non profits know it and Jean McDonough just proved it. Worcester is a safe and vibrant place and this will make it more vibrant. Four of these seven cultural institutions are in the downtown. Hanover Theatre anchors one end of Main Street, while the Worcester Art Museum anchors the north end. In between you have Music Worcester headquartered at Mechanics Hall and the Worcester Historical Museum on Elm Street.

New Money

The second reason this gift is significant is that so called new money is beginning to flow into the city. The cultural institutions of Worcester long had to rely on the largess of family foundations that were created by the wealth of the early 20th century, when businesses such as Wyman Gordon, The Norton Company, Heald Machine, Crompton Knowles , Morgan Construction and a host of other family ventures, created massive wealth that is still supporting Worcester and its non profits.

Worcester institutions need to reach out and look for new money to replace the Yankee largess that has fueled our cultural renaissance for over 100 years. As a city we should be grateful for everyone from Stephen Salisbury to the Fletchers, the Fullers and the Stoddard’s who have been more than generous.

Reach Out to Others

But we now must reach out to others. The industry that kept Worcester alive is gone. There is no local manufacturing left, with few exceptions. Norton Company is now St. Gobain and owned by the French. Wyman Gordon is owned by a company from the Northwest. Morgan Construction was sold to the Chinese.

So now we turn to the new Grande Dames of Philanthropy such as Jean McDonough and Mary DeFeudis who has been a major contributor to the Hanover Theatre since its founding and has given to several other causes as well.

We must look beyond the borders of Worcester. We must look to Bio-tech and Hi Tech for support. The medical device business is growing in our area.

These are the new people we must reach out to. These are the new people who are moving here. These are the new people who see the hope and the greatness in our city. These are the people who celebrate our cultural diversity and these are the people who will sustain us as a city into the 21st century.

So thank you Jean McDonough and your family for endowing the city of Worcester with a cultural future. I am sure that your generosity will bear the fruit you hope it will.

Related Slideshow: The Seven Worcester Area Institutions Awarded $15 Million in Gifts

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American Antiquarian Society (AAS)

Gift: $4 Million

"Founded in 1812 by Revolutionary War patriot and printer Isaiah Thomas, the American Antiquarian Society is both a learned society and a major independent research library. The AAS library today houses the largest and most accessible collection of books, pamphlets, broadsides, newspapers, periodicals, music, and graphic arts material printed through 1876 in what is now the United States, as well as manuscripts and a substantial collection of secondary texts, bibliographies, and digital resources and reference works related to all aspects of American history and culture before the twentieth century. AAS was presented with the National Humanities Medal by President Obama in a ceremony at the White House, the only research library to ever receive such an award."

Source: City of Worcester

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Worcester Art Museum (WAM)

Gift: $4 Million

"Founded in 1896, the Worcester Art Museum's encyclopedic 38,000 piece collection covers fifty one centuries of art. Highlights include the Medieval Chapter House, Renaissance Court, and Worcester Hunt Mosaic, as well as the recently acquired John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection of arms and armor. Internationally known for its collection of European and American art, WAM was the first art museum in America to acquire paintings by Monet and Gauguin, one of the first to collect photography, and one of the first to collaborate with local schools."

Source: City of Worcester

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Tower Hill Botanic Garden

Gift: $2.5 Million

"The Worcester County Horticultural Society, incorporated in 1842, is the third oldest active horticultural society in the United States. The society is a nonprofit educational organization for the purpose of advancing the science, and encouraging and improving the practice of, horticulture. Its public garden, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, showcases carefully planned gardens and trails that enhance the natural features of this beautiful 132-acre property and is the first and only comprehensive botanic garden in New England."

Source: City of Worcester

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Ecotarium

Gift: $2 Million

"Founded as the Worcester Lyceum of Natural History in 1825 and incorporated as the Worcester Natural History Society in 1884, the EcoTarium is well rooted in the Worcester community as an organization dedicated to the study of science and nature, and is the second oldest natural history society in the United States. With a three floor museum, historic collections, wildlife, educational programs and 55 acres of grounds, EcoTarium offer hands-on exploration of natural and physical sciences and the New England environment."

Source: City of Worcester

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Worcester Historical Museum (WHM)

Gift: $1.5 Million

The Worcester Society of Antiquity was founded in 1875 with the purpose to increase an interest in archaeological science, and to rescue from oblivion such historical matter as would otherwise be lost. WHM is the only institution devoted to local history. It includes a research library of over 7,000 titles, an archive that houses thousands of documents, and a collection of artifacts, all vital to the study of Worcester history.

Source: City of Worcester

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Music Worcester

Gift: $750,000

"Music Worcester, Inc., formerly called the Worcester Music Festival, was founded in 1858 to bring live music and cultural events to the greater Central Massachusetts region. Music Worcester presents world-renowned musicians and artists from across all performing arts disciplines in addition to serving its community through far-reaching educational and outreach activities. Music Worcester programs include international orchestras, Grammy-award winning headliners, and celebrated soloists and chamber ensembles to inspire tens of thousands of audience members each season. The Worcester Music Festival was recognized by the Library of Congress as one of the oldest performing arts organizations in the country and the oldest music festival in continuous operation."

Source: City of Worcester

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The Hanover Theatre

Gift: $500,000

"The Hanover Theatre opened in March of 2008 following a $32 million historic renovation. Over the last seven seasons, the theatre has established its place as a world-class performing arts venue, acting as a catalyst for the economic development of downtown Worcester and gaining recognition by Pollstar as one of the top theatres in the world. Serving the youth, education and accessibility are some of the values behind the theatre's mission to foster a love and appreciation of the performing arts in audiences of today and tomorrow."

Source: City of Worcester