(Pounds) 5m Gifted to Kelvingrove Tom Hunter's Philanthropy Sets a Fine Example
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Summary
There is a pleasing symmetry in Tom Hunter's decision to give nearly (pounds) 5m to fund the construction and upkeep of a new wing at Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow. The most visited museum in Britain is undergoing a major makeover valued at (pounds) 27.5m to make it attractive and relevant to a 21st- century audience. When the Campbell Hunter education wing opens (to be named after Mr Hunter's father, a former grocer and inspiration to his son), it should be the icing on the cake for a much-changed museum that first opened its doors in 1901.
The people who worked together to build it in Victorian Britain - representing local government, educational and social reformers, and wealthy benefactors - have their counterparts in the current project, right down to the benefactor with a cheque book. Connections are also easy to find in the rational behind the original project and today's refurbishment - to educate, entertain and be a forum for civic and cultural pride. In Mr Hunter's case, there is another dimension to the symmetry. 1901 was also the year in which Andrew Carnegie, a fellow Scot, reputedly became the world's wealthiest man when he sold his American steel empire to J Pierpoint Morgan. In today's money, his personal wealth topped (pounds) 54.5m. Adhering to his own principle that the man who died rich died disgraced, he almost singlehandedly invented modern philanthropy, targeting his many financial donations on initiatives that promoted social and educational improvement. Carnegie is a role model for Mr Hunter, who has gifted (pounds) 100m of his personal fortune worth (pounds) 500m to his own charitable foundation. Like Carnegie, Mr Hunter believes philanthropy can change people's lives. He has given millions of pounds to helping foster entrepreneurial skills in children and young people. It is no coincidence that he wants the new Kelvingrove wing to inspire, educate and empower Scots into fulfilling their potential, partly by learning in a hi-tech environment about successful Scots of the past.See the full content of this document
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(Pounds) 5m Gifted to Kelvingrove Tom Hunter's Philanthropy Sets a Fine Example
Carnegie was no role model in the f...
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