Who were Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley?
Gaylord Donnelley was a grandson of the founder of the R.R. Donnelley & Sons printing company, which by the late 19th century was one of the most-successful businesses in Chicago. Born in 1910, Gaylord in 1935 married Dorothy Ranney, also a member of a prominent Chicago-area family. Gaylord spent his working life in the family business, interrupted by a stint in the Army Air Corps during World War II; by the early 1950s he was running the company, and he retired as chairman in 1975. In late 1952 he and Dorothy created and funded this charitable foundation, though they also continued to make significant direct contributions to various causes and institutions. Bequests from both Gaylord (who died in 1992) and Dorothy (who died in 2002) significantly increased the foundation’s endowment. Brief and detailed histories of the foundation can be found here.
