The Robert F. Wolfe and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation

  

Wolfe Foundation

Robert F. Wolfe

 

Background

The Robert F. Wolfe and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation was created in 1989 by John W. Wolfe to honor the memory of his grandfather and father, Robert F. Wolfe and Edgar T. Wolfe.

Robert F. Wolfe arrived in Columbus in 1888 and found work as a shoemaker, eventually beginning the successful Wolfe Brothers Shoe Company. In 1903, he bought The Ohio State Journal with his brother, Harry P. Wolfe. In 1905, they acquired The Columbus Dispatch. Robert F. Wolfe was publisher of the Journal and the Dispatch until his death in 1927. Harry continued in the publishing and banking business until he died in 1946.

Robert’s son, Edgar T. Wolfe, Sr., began working for the Journal in 1919 as an advertising solicitor. He later became co-publisher of both the Journal and the Dispatch. Edgar Wolfe also was a banker and civic leader who helped develop air travel at Port Columbus, promoted civic improvements, and supported the growth of hospitals. He died in 1957 at the age of 63.

John W. Wolfe, the son of Edgar T. Wolfe, began his career with Ohio National Bank in 1948. He became vice president and director of BancOhio Corporation in 1957. In 1975, he became chairman of the Dispatch Printing Company, parent organization of The Columbus Dispatch. He was appointed to the Governing Committee of The Columbus Foundation in 1984 and served as a member for nine years, including service as vice chairman. Mr. Wolfe provided leadership for decades in the health field in central Ohio, leading the community in the establishment of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, and the Health Coalition of Central Ohio. John W. Wolfe, who died in 1994, included his family’s foundation in his estate.

Grantmaking

Grants from the Foundation are board directed.
 

In 1995, the Wolfe Foundation established four permanent endowment funds, which provides support to the following organizations:

  • Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation: Annual grants fund the John W. Wolfe Grants for Pediatric Research, in response to proposals submitted by the Hospital. 
  • COSI Columbus: Annual grants, in the memory of John W. Wolfe, are designated for COSI’s operating expenses. 
  • The McConnell Heart Health Center: Annual support is directed to the John W. Wolfe Symposium, which features lectures by leading researchers from the United States and throughout the world. 
  • The Columbus Foundation: Annual grants are made for the Foundation’s operations, and will enable it to encourage philanthropy and address important community issues. 

Board

John F. Wolfe, chair; Sara Wolfe Perrini, vice chair; James Petropoulos, vice chair; John H. McConnell, treasurer; Shirle N. Westwater, secretary. Michael F. Curtin and Rita J. Wolfe are Wolfe Associate trustees.

Staff Contact

Interested in more information about the Robert F. Wolfe and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation? Contact Tami Durrence by e-mail or at 614/251-4000.