John s knight biography

Knight Trigger, a private, independent foundation, originated with the Knight family’s notion in the value of schooling. The father of John Merciless.

and James L. Knight, collector and publisher Charles Landon Dub, had a tradition of share financially strapped students pay expend college. To honor his remembrance, the brothers established the On horseback Memorial Education Fund in leak provide financial aid to institution students from the Akron field. The fund existed until Dec when its assets of $9, were transferred to the not long ago created Knight Foundation.

Incorporated in high-mindedness state of Ohio, and unconnected of the brothers’ business interests from the start, Knight Basis was organized principally to alias out the work of say publicly Knight Memorial Education Fund.

Level then, the foundation made wee grants to local educational, broadening and social service institutions gorilla well as to a hardly journalism-related causes.

Newspaper contributions stopped con with the foundation&#;s first larger infusion of assets – put in order bequest of , shares accomplish Knight Newspapers stock from position Knights’ mother, Clara I.

Mounted, who died that November. Manifest with the prospect of governing a much larger financial air strike program, the board of surface voted in to end prove for college students and authorization replace it with grants respect colleges and universities. Over description next few years a upper class number of cultural and instructive institutions in Akron, Miami, City and Detroit – cities swing the Knights owned newspapers – were added to the foundation’s list of grant recipients.

Home in on the first 10 years, goodness foundation’s assets came from hand-out from the Akron Beacon Review and The Miami Herald, significant personal gifts by Jack lecturer Jim Knight. Other Knight newspapers began to contribute small gangs in the early s – a move that led revoke a limited number of aid to cities from which influence contributions came.

A turning point came in when trustees authorized justness sale of Clara Knight’s reserve, raising more than $21 heap.

The contribution increased the foundation’s assets to more than $24 million and initiated an encyclopedic grant program focused on nobleness growing number of cities turn the Knights published newspapers. Journalism, especially the education of squeeze, became a matter of advanced pronounced funding interest.

Several events in laid the quoin basis for a much larger Dub Foundation.

Jack Knight’s wife, Beryl, died, and he underwent older surgery, creating concern among her majesty associates about the future friendly Knight Newspapers. Concurrent with these circumstances, Knight Newspapers merged farce Ridder Publications to create Knight-Ridder Inc., at the time greatness largest newspaper company in leadership country.

Jack Knight was wellfitting biggest shareholder.

Lee Hills, stool pigeon president of Knight Newspapers familiar that Jack Knight’s status importation Knight-Ridder’s largest shareholder placed authority new company in a insecure position. If the elder Chessman died, leaving the bulk forget about his estate to his progeny, they would be forced near sell most of their have an account to pay the estate customs.

That would leave the on top of vulnerable to management by hard to find interests and possibly a invasion by those who understood roughly or nothing about newspapers take less about journalism. Hills, maker of the merger, headed influence newly formed company as controller and CEO. A close contributor and associate of the Knights for more than 35 adulthood, Hills was the first nark outside the family to intellect Knight Newspapers.

He had besides been a foundation trustee on account of

Recognizing that both Knight-Ridder’s cutting edge and Jack Knight’s legacy position quality newspapers and journalistic honour were threatened by such clever scenario, Hills moved slowly allow gently to present his get hold of with another option: leaving depiction bulk of his estate face the foundation.

The gentle encouragement worked. Knight rewrote his desire. Signed in April , rectitude will left the bulk disrespect Jack Knight’s estate to On horseback Foundation.

That year the support acquired its first office be first hired its first two full-time employees. Ben Maidenburg, a Bonfire Journal news executive, was first name president.

Maidenburg had been orderly foundation trustee since and esoteric served as the foundation’s unusual manager.

Over the next bloody years the foundation focused fabrication educational and cultural grants agreement the 11 cities where Cavalier Newspapers had publishing ventures. Comprise addition, journalism education and free-press issues emerged as a bottom interest with almost 25 pct of grants supporting journalism-related causes.

Maidenburg fell ill a short more than a year puzzle out taking the reins. Jack Ennoble asked C.C. Gibson, a magazine columnist and Akron civic activist, plug up fill in. Gibson was given name president in

One of Jack Knight&#;s directives to trustees during his last years was to consider probity foundation&#;s future.

The outcome was an early and largely straightforward strategic planning exercise that resulted in direct statements from Carangid and Jim Knight about crutch governance and grant-making. Their preferences reflected a desire for most favourable or adva flexibility, Jack Knight wrote “on the grounds that a indeed effective foundation should have liberation to exercise its best theory as required by the stage and conditions under which they live.”

Jack Knight died come close to June 16, The task be keen on settling his estate required fin years.

When the final transition of funds to the base occurred on May 5, , the distribution from the inheritance totaled $,,, making Knight Underpinning the 21st largest U.S. reinforcement based on asset size.

During that period, Hills – engagement the request of Jim On horseback, the foundation’s new chairman – guided the board in peter out intense strategic planning process.

Decency new chairman declared the import of ensuring that the base could manage the dramatic elaborate in its assets. In authority future, Jim Knight said, recoil the foundation “will be approximating running a major national foundation. The job will require neglected talent and leadership.”

That diplomatic review resulted in the inception of a new governing shape as well as programming professor financial policies.

This planning example has served as the programme for the foundation’s work smart since.

In grant-making, a expedient Cities Program emerged focusing bump all communities where the notice company oversaw newspapers. In journalism, the foundation built on probity Knights’ legacy of support shelter education as the cornerstone funding quality journalism by establishing, salvaging or strengthening some of magnanimity profession’s most prestigious midcareer participation programs for journalists.

Host institutions included Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Opposite, Michigan, Maryland and, notably, Businessman, where the John S. Horse Fellowships were established in

Soon thereafter, the board created separate the wheat from programs for education and portal and culture, the two comic in which the foundation esoteric traditionally made most of tight local grants.

A key succeed in in leadership occurred in Feb as Creed Black, a old stager news executive and former house of the Lexington Herald-Leader, taken the presidency. Under Black’s greater number the foundation’s national presence grew with such high-profile efforts rightfully the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, a blue-ribbon body mosey continues to advocate for nobility reform of college athletics; significance Knight Chairs in Journalism announcement, which seeks to elevate nobleness quality of education at rendering nation’s best journalism and warning sign policy schools by attracting famous working journalists to serve little educators through endowed chairs; prep added to the National Community Development Enterprise, the largest philanthropic collaboration uncover U.S.

history. As a origination member of NCDI (now Aliment Cities), Knight Foundation collaborates collide with other national grant-makers and lenders committed to revitalizing America&#;s enormous urban centers.

In , Horseman trustees voted to relocate high-mindedness foundation’s headquarters from Akron put a stop to Miami, where several board employees lived or spent considerable every time.

Simultaneously, the staff nearly coupled to 14 in recognition longed-for the need for more urbane oversight of the foundation’s $ million portfolio.

Jim Knight died in February , leaving what became a $ million bequest to the construct. By this time, the magazine company the Knight brothers supported and the foundation were in service in 26 U.S.

cities.

Hills was elected to succeed Jim Knight as chairman, while Powerless. Gerald Austen, M.D., an internationally known heart surgeon and nobleness surgeon-in-chief at Massachusetts General Harbour, was elected vice chair call on succeed Hills. Dr. Austen, a- board member since , was the Knights’ physician and longtime friend.

Aware that Jim Knight&#;s bequest made the strategic intellection process even more timely deed important, the board undertook implication extensive exercise that culminated surprise a decade of initiatives put up with more focused grant-making.

The Cities Program was renamed the Territory Initiatives Program, and seven areas of special interest were steady as funding priorities: arts opinion culture, children and social good, citizenship, community development, education, call for and literacy.

Also launched on the bottom of the auspices of the revamped program was the Community Textile Initiative. It has now conj admitting more than $66 million benefits either enlarge or establish donor-advised funds at community foundations wring cities and towns where class foundation made local grants.

Trustees adopted a grant procedure cause problems expedite funding when disasters cocky Knight communities.

The largest dedication was $10 million for goodness recovery and rebuilding of Dade (now Miami-Dade) County following Tempest Andrew in The board extremely approved $1 million in open-handedness after the Red River deluge and subsequent fires destroyed more of Grand Forks in Abaft the terrorist attacks of Kinsfolk.

11, , dignity board approved a $10 meg program to aid direct utility providers in Knight communities hoity-toity by those events. And on the rocks $1 million grant helped Sioux, Gulfport and their sister southward Mississippi communities undertake long-term leave behind exercises after Hurricane Katrina at a loss for words the Gulf Coast in Esteemed

During the absolutely s, the 26 cities immobile by the Community Initiatives Curriculum remained constant because Knight-Ridder neither sold nor acquired newspapers.

Notwithstanding, a series of company shoot up and sales in the mids prompted a board review only remaining the geographic focus of ethics local funding program. In , trustees decided the program requisite cover the 26 cities go off had been eligible for adjoining grants at the time wheedle Jim Knight’s death in Description decision ended the practice devotee the foundation following the concert party as it bought or put up for sale newspapers throughout the country.

Journalism proved an especially fertile settle for initiatives dealing with academic needs, free press and Pull it off Amendment issues. In the Horseman International Press Fellowships, administered wishy-washy the International Center for Exert pressure, were established to enable U.S. journalists and media executives thesis go overseas to provide glossed advice and training in future democracies.

Through the Education Document, the foundation forged alliances deal such national groups as position National Center for Family Literacy, New American Schools and Educate for America; many of these organizations brought their programs dole out the foundation&#;s cities.

Through interpretation Arts and Culture Program, greatness foundation launched two initiatives hurt the s.

The Magic accomplish Music symphony orchestra initiative allowing grants to symphony orchestras disposed to engage their entire organizations in experiments designed to father a greater sense of good time about the concert-going experience subject a more vital relationship betwixt artists and audiences. The subordinate initiative, the Museum Loan Mesh, was a collection-sharing program administered by MIT that aimed denigration get artworks out of depot in one museum and elude the walls of another.

Disparage their conclusion, both were formal for helping to transform their respective fields.

On Jan. 1, , the foundation became class John S. and James Fame. Knight Foundation to honor honesty memory of the brothers who had created it. A assemblage later the foundation incorporated enhance the state of Florida.

A review of the vital calculated plan in also served whilst a catalyst for a manage in leadership. Hills stepped let fall as chairman in and was succeeded by Vice Chair Writer. Board member Jill Ker Conway, former president of Smith Institute and a visiting scholar wristwatch MIT, served as vice stall under Austen from to Stride She was succeeded as profit chair by Robert W.

Briggs, head of the Ohio blame firm of Buckingham, Burroughs stall Doolittle and a noted governor in local philanthropy.

In Feb , Black retired as administrator and was succeeded by Hodding Carter III, a nationally cloak public affairs journalist and earlier Mississippi newspaper editor and house. Carter had occupied the On horseback Chair in Journalism at class University of Maryland.

Lee Hills died in February at representation age of The blueprint potential attainable which the foundation operates was largely designed and drawn provoke Hills. His vision and sympathetic guidance had steered the basis successfully into a new 100. The next key steps were taken at a retreat wander September when the board fix a five-year strategic plan mandating the most extensive reinvention occupy Knight Foundation&#;s history.

The deliberate plan reasserted the foundation’s clause to journalism excellence and considerably deepened its ties to tight communities, positioning it as uncluttered proactive partner focusing on poor. The newly named Community Partners Program promised greater resources raid Knight Foundation directed over out longer period of time fulfill a locally recommended, tightly painstaking set of community priorities.

Clever National Ventures Fund continued substantiate look for opportunity to bring in national ideas into Knight communities.

Across the 26 Knight cities, the Community Partners Program deploys program directors who provide mankind leadership, seeking big ideas in opposition to the potential to transform simple community, a system, a itinerary.

Each city benefits from significance wisdom of a Knight Grouping Advisory Committee – a window of local residents offering human beings connections and guidance on opportunities for funding.

In July , Alberto Ibargüen, president and owner of the Miami Herald, took over the presidency of Entitle Foundation.

Ibargüen was a paper executive for more than 20 years, first at the Hartford Courant, then at Newsday be bounded by New York, before moving rear Miami in Carter became University lecturer of Leadership and Public Design at the University of Direction Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Knight insolvent new ground in the square footage of free speech and open-government issues in , as efficient Knight-commissioned survey of , group of pupils, 8, teachers and administrators showed that most high school genre don’t know or care handle the First Amendment.

Knight at once supported a nationwide campaign detect schools, tied to Constitution Short holiday, which promoted the right show consideration for free expression and led top more than 50, downloads help curricula for teachers. Subsequent surveys in and gauged students’ crescendo reliance on the Internet pursue news and information.

In December , the Knight board reviewed interpretation strategic plan and directed righteousness staff to continue looking bring about opportunities to fund transformational put on the market in journalism and communities lead to pursuit of the Knight brothers’ legacy.

Trustees complemented the signet-ring Journalism and Communities programs become accustomed New and National Initiatives status the creation of a Transfigurement Fund to address big content 2 and opportunities. By June , the foundation surpassed the $1 billion mark in grants obliged since its founding in

In the fall of , rectitude foundation launched the Knight Counsel Challenge, a call for essence open to anyone, anywhere disconnect an idea for using digital media to transform community material.

More than $11 million went to 25 first-year winners proclaimed in May , and probity second year elicited nearly 3, ideas. The success of justness initiative spawned additional challenges, inclusive of the Knight Arts Challenge leading the Knight Cities Challenge. Tod, challenges are one of position primary ways the foundation finds new ideas.

Today Knight Foundation, critical remark an endowment of $ mass, has four program areas: Journalism, Communities, the Arts and Curb and Impact, which does assessments and research across the bay three areas.

The philosophy flaxen the Knight brothers, that renew and engaged communities are honourableness key to a healthy independence, still guides its work.

In Jan , Maribel Pérez Wadsworth became the new President of Equestrian Foundation.

Learn more about Can S. Knight and his Publisher Prize for Editorial Writing.

Prepared by Virginia L. Henke, August 6,