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| From the Editor: Worthy Notions |
The Benefits of Beneficence
Dwight Cass
02/02/2004
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The egalitarian and entrepreneurial character of this country informs the nature of our philanthropy, and always has. Some of the great philanthropists of the 19th and early 20th centuries set their giving in motion partly from a realization that this country would not tolerate the accrual of great wealth unless it was used to some extent for the common good.
The most coldblooded capitalists, slumlords and robber barons of the 19th century looked to philanthropy to rehabilitate their reputations. Like Tiberius hoping that Rome would remember him for rebuilding its public facilities and roads rather than for his ruthless pursuit of power, these men feared that posterity would judge them harshly.
Today, philanthropic enterprises are often the expressions of our family missions, which, if not manifested in this manner, would languish as little more than torpid mottos. They hold our families together through the generations, giving expression to the common goals we develop and nurture through the years. As we discuss in "The Practice of Charity" (page 72), these pursuits, while as demanding as any of our business ventures, are crucial to our well-being, and to the success of our families.
Dwight Cass
Editor-in-Chief Back to February 2004 Table of Contents
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