by John Steele Gordon
From Philanthropy magazine, Winter 2012
The rich history of American philanthropy has been oddly neglected over the years. Does Olivier Zunz’s new book fill the narrative gap? John Steele Gordon reviews “Philanthropy in America: A History” in the Winter 2012 issue of Philanthropy magazine.
by John Steele Gordon
From Philanthropy magazine, Fall 2011
Nathan Straus is one of America’s great, and unjustly neglected, philanthropists. At the dawn of the 20th century, he spent down a fortune championing what is now a largely forgotten cause: safe milk. Though his efforts were resisted by the dairy industry and well-meaning elites, Straus persisted—and his efforts saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.
by John Steele Gordon
From Philanthropy magazine, Fall 2010
America is truly a land of opportunity with its exceptional number of large fortunes, yet those fortunes don’t seem to last. What accounts for this lack of dynastic wealth in America? Economic historian John Steele Gordon finds the answer has nothing to do with the estate tax. Rather, his feature article shows a primary factor to be our proud heritage of philanthropy.