Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg issued an official order proclaiming Thursday, June 9, 2011, “Carnegie Corporation of New York Centennial Day” in New York City. Read the Proclamation.
In his proclamation, Mayor Bloomberg noted the impact of the foundation’s many achievements:
“In the last century, the Carnegie Corporation of New York has invested billions of dollars in institutions, higher education initiatives, scholarship programs, and grants to enhance the lives of Americans and to advance ideas that will help to improve conditions for the global community. It has remained true to the ideals set forth by Andrew Carnegie and it is accomplishing, “real and permanent good in the world”—just as he had hoped. As we reflect on the centennial of the Carnegie Corporation, we also take this time to recognize the monumental achievements of this organization and the dedicated men and women who have helped make Andrew Carnegie’s dreams a reality. On behalf of all New Yorkers, please accept my best wishes for a wonderful celebration and another century of success. The Proclamation comes on the Centennial celebration of Mr. Carnegie’s founding of Carnegie Corporation of New York, a grantmaking foundation that would serve as the pinnacle institution of his philanthropic efforts. Mr. Carnegie based Carnegie Corporation in the city he chose for his home and for his future. He had already created more than 20 institutions—both in the United States and abroad—that were focused on exploring science, presenting the arts, advancing international peace and supporting higher education.”
Commenting on Carnegie Corporation of New York Centennial Day, Vartan Gregorian, President of Carnegie Corporation, said “The great endeavor that is the philanthropic foundation Andrew Carnegie brought into being one hundred years ago was the creation of a single man who felt he had a moral imperative to give away his wealth,” said Vartan Gregorian, President of Carnegie Corporation of New York. “Mr. Carnegie’s goal was for the money that he’d amassed during his lifetime to be used, as he put it, ‘to do real and permanent good in this world.’ Toward that end, Mr. Carnegie gave away $350 million, an unimaginable fortune in an era when there was no income tax and hence, no tax incentive for philanthropy.”
Gregorian continued, “It is not only Carnegie Corporation of New York that carries on his legacy but the more than twenty-two other organizations he founded during his lifetime that are dedicated to advancing teaching and education, promoting international peace and ethical leadership, enriching knowledge about science and technology, preserving and sharing the cultural heritage of our nation and others, and recognizing what is extraordinary in ‘everyday’ men and women, among other goals.”
Carnegie Corporation of New York received a charter from the State of New York as a grantmaking foundation in June 9, 1911. The Corporation’s goals reflect Mr. Carnegie’s belief that humankind can improve, that democracy is the hope of the future, and that education is the engine of peace and prosperity for all. The mission he gave the Corporation was a direct expression of these ideals: to “promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding.”