Collection Overview
Charles E. Merrill Trust
Charles E. Merrill Trust Collection
1954-1996
1959-1980
5 records storage boxes
(5 linear ft.)
English, Polish
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Amherst, MA
The Charles E. Merrill Trust Collection documents the granting activities over the lifetime of this charitable trust, which was established after the death of Charles E. Merrill (AC 1908) according to instructions laid out in his will. The bulk of the collection consists of bound volumes of financial updates and funding recommendations that were sent to trustees prior to their meetings
Historical Note
The Charles E. Merrill Trust was established after the death in 1956 of Charles Edward Merrill (AC 1908), founder of Merrill Lynch & Co. Merrill laid out instructions for the Trust in his will, including naming the administrator and five original trustees, and instructing that the Trust's activities be concluded within twenty years. The Trust's money multiplied considerably after Merrill Lynch & Co. went public in 1972, and the Trust received a judge's approval to extend the timeframe by three years.
Over its twenty-three year existence the trustees distributed over $114 million to 5,000 projects, and by the end they were receiving approximately 12,000 funding requests per year. Twenty percent of the Trust's income went to Amherst College, twenty percent to seven other named beneficiaries (schools and hospitals), and the remaining sixty percent was divided equally in three categories: education, religion (ten percent Protestant, five percent each to Catholic and Jewish), and established charitable, scientific, or religious institutions.
At the time it was established, funds for the Charles E. Merrill Trust were taxable because the Trust owned a large amount of Merrill Lynch and Co. Because of this, various parties interested in the Charles E. Merrill Trust lobbied Congress and were instrumental in passing H.R. 8265 (Public Law 85-367) on April 7, 1958. This very limited law gave the Trust's funds tax-exempt status.
There were only five trustees at a given time during the life of the Trust, and the grants reflected the particular interest of those trustees. The original trustees appointed in Charles E. Merrill's will were: Winthrop Smith, Sam Marks, Robert A. Magowan, Charles Cole, and Charles Merrill Jr. Marks was replaced by Doris Magowan in 1960, Smith was replaced in 1961 by Donald Regan, Peter Magowan replaced Cole after Cole's death in 1978, and Mary Merrill replaced Donald Regan as a trustee for the Trust's final meeting. The administrator for the life of the Trust was Dr. David A. Thomas, Dean of the Cornell University School of Business and Public Administration.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Charles E. Merrill Trust Collection consists of 5 linear feet of material documenting the decision-making activities of the charitable organization's trustees. The bulk of the collection dates from 1959 to 1980 and consists of bound volumes of grant recommendations compiled by the Charles E. Merrill Trust administrator, David A. Thomas, and sent to the Board of Trustees prior to their meetings. These copies have "Mrs. Robert A. Magowan" (Doris Merrill Magowan) typed on the front, indicating that they were originally her copies. Each bound volume begins with an introductory letter from Mr. Thomas, including an update on funds available for distribution, a summary of the grants approved at the previous meeting, and a summary of the recommendations for the coming meeting. The grant applications are then included in the report that follows. Many volumes include handwritten notes, and some include photographs, architect-tural plans, or other supplementary material for the grant proposals. As the granting responsibili-ties were divided more in later years between the Trustees, this is reflected in the reports, with recommended grants listed under each Trustee's name.
Also included in the collection are two copies of a report commissioned by Charles E. Merrill in 1954 entitled
The Philanthropy of Charles E. Merrill, Book I, and written by David A. Thomas. This report examined Merrill's past giving and provided recommendations in establishing a trust.
The collection also includes three published books by Charles E. Merrill, Jr., which are not directly related to operations of the Charles E. Merrill Trust.
Organization of the Collection
This collection is organized into one series:
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[Charles E. Merrill Trust Collection](list-ser1)
There is no restriction on access to the Charles E. Merrill Trust Collection for research use. Particularly fragile items are restricted for preservation purposes.
Requests for permission to publish material from the Charles E. Merrill Trust Collection should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:
[Identification of item], in Charles E. Merrill Trust Collection [Box #, Folder #], Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College Library
Gift by Mary J. Oates, 2012.
Donor Mary J. Oates is the author of
The Catholic Philanthropic Tradition in America. The collection had been given to her on November 21, 1989 by Charles E. Merrill, Jr. while she was researching American philanthropy.
Processed in July 2013 by Claire Lobdell, Merrill Project Archivist.
Merrill, Charles, 1885-1956.
Merrill Lynch & Co. (1915-1940)
Merrill Family.
Philanthropists.
Charitable uses, trusts, and foundations--United States.
Endowments.
Merrill, Charles, 1885-1956.
Merrill, Charles E., Jr., 1920-
Thomas, David Ansell, 1917-
1
The Philanthropy of Charles E. Merrill, Book I, a report by Professor David A. Thomas of the Cornell University School of Business and Public Administration, compiled at Merrill's request.
1954
1
September 1959 Recommendations
1959
1
March 1960 Recommendations
1960
1
September 1960 Recommendations
1960
1
March 1961 Recommendations
1961
1
September 1961 Recommendations
1961
1
March 1962 Recommendations
1962
1
September 1962 Recommendations
1962
1
March 1963 Recommendations
1963
1
September 1963 Recommendations
1963
1
March 1964 Recommendations
1964
1
September 1964 Recommendations
1964
1
March 1965 Recommendations
1965
1
September 1965 Recommendations
1965
1
Copy of The Philanthropy of Charles E. Merrill, Book I, with introductory letter dated March 11, 1966.
1954-1966
1
March 1966 Recommendations
1966
1
September 1966 Recommendations
1966
1
March 1967 Recommendations
1967
1
September 1967 Recommendations
1967
2
February 1968 Recommendations
1968
2
September 1968 Recommendations
1968
2
March 1969 Recommendations
1969
2
September 1969 Recommendations
1969
2
April 1970 Recommendations
1970
2
September 1970 Recommendations
1970
2
April 1971 Recommendations
1971
2
September 1971 Recommendations
1971
2
November 1971 Recommendations
1971
2
January 1972 Recommendations
1972
2
April 1972 Recommendations (2 folders)
1972
2
June 1972 Recommendations
1972
2
August 1972 Recommendations (2 folders)
1972
3
November 1972 Recommendations
1972
3
February 1973 Recommendations (2 folders)
1973
3
June 1973 Recommendations
1973
3
November 1973 Recommendations
1973
3
April 1974 Recommendations (2 folders)
1974
3
July 1974 Recommendations
1974
3
March 1975 Recommendations
1975
3
July 1975 Recommendations
1975
3
November 1975 Recommendations (2 folders)
1975
3
April 1976 Recommendations (2 folders)
1976
3
June 1976 Recommendations
1976
3
December 1976 Recommendations (2 folders)
1976
4
March 1977 Recommendations (3 folders)
1977
4
June 1977 Recommendations
1977
4
November 1977 Recommendations (3 folders)
1977
4
February 1978 Recommendations Volumes I-III
1978
4
June 1978 Recommendations
1978
4
September 1978 Recommendations Volumes I-II
1978
5
April 1979 Recommendations Volumes I-III
1979
5
June 1979 Recommendations
1979
5
November 1979 Recommendations Volumes I-II
1979
5
March 1980 Recommendations Volumes I-II
1980
5
June 1980 Recommendations
1980
5
November 1980 Recommendations Volumes I-II
1980
5
The Journey: Massacre of the Innocents, by Charles Merrill. (1996) Cambridge: Kenet Media. Contains an inscription to Mary Oates and a handwritten note to Mary from Charles Merrill
1996
5
The Walled Garden: The Story of a School, by Charles Merrill. (1982) Boston: Rowan Tree Press. Signed by Charles Merrill. Interleaved are a copy of "The Commonwealth School: Letters to a Young Teacher," dated August 1975, and a 1993 article from the Wall Street Journal about James Merrill's memoir, A Different Person.
1982
5
Rok Emiliki, by Charles Merrill, trans. Piotr Mróz. Kraków: Agencja Wydawnicza. (Polish translation of Emily's Year by Charles Merrill).
1992