Russell Mawby

Russell G. Mawby, Ph.D. has earned a global reputation as a visionary leader in philanthropy. He led the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for 25 years, during which he was credited for creativity in programming by providing opportunities for youth and leadership in the field [News and Information Services "Forum", (Grand Valley State University, September 2, 2008)] .

Early life and philanthropy

Russell Mawby was born in Kent County, Michigan in 1928 and grew up on a fruit farm. From an early age his parents instilled in him the importance of a good education. This along with farming and agriculture, Boy Scouts of America and 4-H programs, influenced the type of philanthropic work he was involved in at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Education and Career

Mawby attended Michigan State University and graduated with a baccalaureate degree in horticulture. In 1951 he completed his Master's degree in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, and in 1959 he received his doctorate, also in Agricultural Economics, from Michigan State University. Mawby served on the faculties of both institutions once he completed his degrees and later became a professor and assistant director of the Cooperative Extension Service responsible for 4-H Clubs and youth programming throughout Michigan.

In December 1964, upon the completion of his doctorate degree, Mawby joined the staff of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as director of the Division of Agriculture. In that position, he developed the Michigan Agricultural Leadership Program, which became a model for the national rural leadership movement. Just three years later he was promoted to vice president and in 1970 became the president and chief executive officer. Under his guidance, the Kellogg Foundation became the national leader in providing support and funding for innovative programs in a number of fields including adult continuing education, access to primary health care, and the development of leadership, especially through the Kellogg National Fellowship Program. Additionally, he spearheaded projects throughout the United States of America, Europe, and Latin America. Upon Mawby's retirement in 1995, he served as a foundation trustee until 2000 and currently serves as an honorary trustee.

Leadership positions

*Director of the Division of Agriculture- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, December 1964- August 1967
*Vice President of Programs- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, January 1966- December 1967
*Vice President- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, December 1967- May 1970
*President and Chief Executive Officer- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, May 1970- July 1995
*Chairman Emeritus- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, August 1995- Present
*Member of the Board of Trustees- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, December 1967- December 2000
*Honorary Trustee- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, December 2000- December 2003, January 2007- Present [Curriculum Vitae (May 21, 2006) ]

Dr. Russell G. Mawby Fellowship for Philanthropy Studies

In 2007, the Mawby Fellowship for Philanthropic Studies was established at the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthrophy and Nonprofit Leadership at Grand Valley State University (GVSU), located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The fellowship is a interdisciplinary project that pairs one GVSU faculty member with two undergraduate students on a research project addressing relevant issues related to philanthropic studies. As a result of the research, the Mawby Fellows are required to produce an original, tangible product such as a research paper, a creative work, or a thoughtful essay.

Gleaves Whitney, director of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies received the first Mawby Fellowship, awarded in 2008. He and the student Fellows will work on a research project that examines philanthropy and American presidency.

Russell G. Mawby collection

In 2007, Dr. Mawby made a gift of his personal papers to the Johnson Center. This archive documents the accomplishments of a central leader in the statewide and national philanthropic fields furing a pivotal time in their history, beginning with the run-up to the Tax Reform Act of 1969, covering its turbulent aftermath, continuting with the increasing diversification of philanthropy during the 1980s, the massive growth in giving caused by the tech boom of the 1990s, and carrying forward to the present day. The Mawby Collection is the signature holding of the Johnson Center Philanthropy Archives and is available to researchers online and at the Seidman House.

Publications

Russell Mawby, along with James Richmond, authored a book detailing his life throughout his childhood into his retirement on all of his philanthropic work. "Russell G. Mawby: Recollections of a Man Whose Epitaph Would Say 'He Cared"' was written in 2006.

References

External Links

* [http://www.wkkf.org The W. K. Kellogg Foundation]
* [http://www.gvsu.edu/jcp/ Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership]
* [http://www.gvsu.edu/library/digitalcollections/index.cfm?id=6F1190B3-D9EE-A7E5-E723C91F797AF1B8 The Johnson Center Philanthropy Archives Digital Collection]
* [http://gvsu.cdmhost.com/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=all&CISOBOX1=mawby&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOOP2=exact&CISOBOX2=&CISOFIELD2=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOOP3=any&CISOBOX3=&CISOFIELD3=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOOP4=none&CISOBOX4=&CISOFIELD4=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=/p188901coll6&t=a Russell Mawby Collection, Johnson Center Philanthropy Archives at Grand Valley State University Special Collections]
* [http://main.gvsu.edu/cms3/assets/55CC549F-0294-1477-49D504C7390315BC/Mawby%20finding%20aid.pdf Russell Mawby Collection finding aid (PDF)]
* [http://gvsu.cdmhost.com/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=all&CISOBOX1=publications&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOOP2=exact&CISOBOX2=&CISOFIELD2=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOOP3=any&CISOBOX3=&CISOFIELD3=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOOP4=none&CISOBOX4=&CISOFIELD4=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=/p188901coll6&t=a Historical Philanthropy Timeline]