The Republic
STORIES elsewhere in The Republic today outline the plans to close out the gift-giving operations of the Irwin-Sweeney-Miller Foundation and highlight the impact these particular families have had on this community.
That impact has been, needless to say, enormous. Both through the foundation that was established just over 57 years ago and through their private resources, these families have not only funneled tens of millions of dollars into their community but have provided advice and examples to others on how to improve the quality of life for local residents.
There can be no overstatement as to their effect, but it is also important to note that neither the families nor the foundation operated in a vacuum.
To one degree, these entities served as complements to forces that have been in place for many years, personal and institutional. In fact, family members over the years have emphasized that many of their contributions to the community have been in support of initiatives proposed by others.
In many instances, their financial support has been coupled with encouragement to move forward and advice on how to continue.
They also did not operate alone in striving to make this a special community.
Throughout the early portion of the 20th century when there were many family-owned and -led businesses in Columbus and Bartholomew County, there was always a sense of responsibility among those leaders and their families that they had a responsibility to give back to their community.
Consider the legacies left by Q.G. Noblitt, co-founder of Arvin Industries, especially in the areas of youths and the environment.
The Hamiltons, who started what is now the Columbus division of Dorel, left an imprint with such meaningful gifts as the ice rink, Hamilton Center.
Even after he left town, William Donner and his family had special feelings for Columbus, as witnessed by the gifts of Donner Pool and Donner Center.
There have been scores of others who built business fortunes in this community and shared much of them with their fellow residents. Some left lasting imprints through ongoing legacies.
The Heritage Fund: the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County was developed in the 1970s through a group of community leaders who believed in the diversification of philanthropic efforts.
Numerous others have created or had created for them ongoing foundations or endowments, such as the Teegarden, Custer, Nugent and Reeves foundations or the Keller Scholarship program.
There is no question that the pending closure of the Irwin-Sweeney-Miller Foundation will create a void. The resources that have been fed into the community have been so significant as to almost defy imagination.
However, it is a void that can be filled, and there are abundant examples of individuals, families and groups who are willing to take on new or expanded roles.
Certainly the Cummins Foundation has been one of the major driving forces in the ongoing improvement in the county's quality of life.
More recently we have seen other examples of individuals and families paying back to the community, such as the Dick Johnson family and entrepreneur Tony Moravec.
It would be impossible to quantify the impact the Irwin, Sweeney and Miller families have had on this community. Perhaps, it should be best recognized by the example they and others have set for future generations.