Finding aid for the Brush Foundation Records, Series II

History of the Brush Foundation

The Brush Foundation was created in 1928 by Cleveland, Ohio, inventor Charles F. Brush (1849-1929) to promote "research in the field of eugenics and in the regulation of the increase of population." His initial bequest of $500,000 to establish the foundation derived from the fortune that Brush had amassed through investments and his many patents, most importantly the arc light. The foundation was intended as a memorial to his son, Charles F. Brush, Jr., who had died at the age of thirty-four in 1927. He and his wife, Dorothy, had been pioneers in Cleveland's early birth control movement.

The first Brush Foundation board consisted of three Brush family women, namely Dorothy Brush, Edna Brush Perkins, and Rosalyn Campbell Weir; the Reverend Joel Hayden and attorney Jerome Fisher, both close friends of the family; and Dr. T. Wingate Todd, a professor of anatomy at Western Reserve University. The foundation operated out of offices in Western Reserve University's Medical School during its early years. In 1942, Brush's grandson, Maurice Perkins, placed the Foundation on even more secure financial footing with a capital donation of $250,000.

Brush Foundation grant support evolved with the times. The first two projects funded were the Maternal Health Association's birth control clinic and the Brush Inquiry, a research project on the growth and development of children. In 1929, the foundation established the Ohio Race Betterment Association. In the early 1930s, research was conducted on what is now known as the rhythm method of birth control. With the discrediting of the eugenics movement after World War II, the foundation's focus changed considerably. From the late 1940s and into the 1960s, intensive research on human fertility and infertility, as well as on the circumstances of viral infection, was funded. Also during this time, the foundation began to operate on a national and even international level, playing a crucial role in the establishment of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Since the mid-1960s, the foundation has focused on adolescent sexuality and pregnancy (especially sex education), defense of abortion rights, and public policy directed at limiting population growth. Grants are not available to individuals, nor for capital or endowment funds, scholarships or fellowships, or loans. By the early 1980s, the Brush Foundation had awarded approximately 2.75 million dollars in grants, and had assets worth more than 2 million dollars. Its president until 1988 (i.e., for much of this collection's scope) was Dr. David R. Weir, a relative of Charles F. Brush.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Brush Foundation

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Charles Francis Brush

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Dorothy Hamilton Brush

Scope and Content

The Brush Foundation Records, Series II, 1969-2003, consist of brochures, budgets, business cards, correspondence, grant proposals, journal articles, manuals, newspaper articles, notes, pamphlets, reference guides, and speeches.

This collection is of value to researchers studying philanthropy in the Cleveland, Ohio, area and nationally, specifically in the realm of family planning and birth control. It is a source of information on late twentieth century birth control issues, particularly relating to various organizations involved in researching and implementing methods of birth control and women's health issues.

The Brush Foundation funded academic research, particularly the support of researchers at Case Western Reserve University and Johns Hopkins University where studies were done regarding the health of adolescents and birth control issues in Africa and Haiti. The foundation also supported organizations taking action to utilize those academic studies, such as the International Women's Health Coalition and Planned Parenthood. Funding from the Brush Foundation was focused on numerous areas of interest dealing with health and population, promoting AIDS research and awareness, seeking methods to prevent teen pregnancy, teaching others how best to control when and if they wish to produce children, and generally promoting healthy lifestyles for people by funding research on the effects of hunger, domestic abuse, rape, and hygiene through both community efforts and developing new technologies.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also consult MS 4736 The Brush Foundation Records.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 5077 Brush Foundation Records, Series II, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Brush Foundation in 2008.

Processing Information

Processed by David F. Balog in 2011.

Detailed Description of The Collection