At the Heart of Giving

A devotion to Rice and the community it serves

Left to right: Jack Blanton, former chairman of the board of Houston Endowment; Gil Whitaker, dean of the Jones School; and Joe Nelson, president of Houston Endowment

Houston Endowment epitomizes what it means to give back to the community. Established in 1937 by Jesse and Mary Gibbs Jones and now the largest foundation in Texas, Houston Endowment has supported hundreds of charitable organizations throughout the city.

“Houston Endowment is particularly unique in its focus,” says L. E. Simmons, member of the Endowment’s board of directors. “Probably 75 to 80 percent of the grants are awarded in Houston.”

That’s appropriate for an organization founded by two of Houston’s most notable philanthropists. “Houston is where the Joneses made their fortune,” L. E. notes. “I think it’s only natural that they would want to keep building and supporting Houston. With Houston Endowment, they were investing in the future growth of the city.”

Houston Endowment has invested in Rice for more than 60 years. Numerous gifts have included funds for the construction of Mary Gibbs Jones College, the initial funds to establish the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management, and chairs, scholarships, and program support in the Jones School. “It’s an investment in excellence,” L. E. says.

Encouraging Houston’s growth and rising stature is also one reason that Bob and Janice McNair give to Rice, personally as well as through their family foundation. Even before the campaign, they were among the first to support the establishment of an institute of public policy on the Rice campus. “We felt that it would serve a very useful purpose, not only for Rice and Houston but also for the southwestern United States,” Bob says. “And to have it at Rice would broaden the scope of Rice’s intellectual activities.”

Janice says, “I remember talking with Malcolm Gillis in the early stages of the development of the institute. He was so enthusiastic. And when Jim Baker decided to lend his support, we knew it was a cause that we wanted to join.” The McNairs endowed a chair in the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy.

At the Heart of Giving - Houston Endowment Inc.