Rachel Mellon Walton
Encyclopedia
Rachel Mellon Walton was an American philanthropist
.
the daughter of William Larimer Mellon
(1868–1949), of the banking family, and himself a founder of Gulf Oil
. Her mother was Mary "May" Taylor Mellon. Walton was educated at the Dobbs Ferry School in Dobbs Ferry, New York
. In 1922, she married John Walton, Jr. and together they raised four children at their home in the East End of Pittsburgh.
. Walton also endowed the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
; the Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt at the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
; the Carnegie Mellon University Graduate School of Industrial Administration
; and the Women's Center and Shelter of Pittsburgh. In the 1970s Walton donated land to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
for the Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve
. She died in her Oakland
residence on March 2, 2006, at 107 years old.
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
Life
Walton was born in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
the daughter of William Larimer Mellon
William Larimer Mellon
William Larimer Mellon, Sr. , sometimes referred to as W. L., was a founder of Gulf Oil.-Biography:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 1, 1868 to James Ross Mellon, eldest son of Judge Thomas Mellon, and Rachel Larimer Mellon, daughter of railroad and land baron William Larimer, Jr...
(1868–1949), of the banking family, and himself a founder of Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
. Her mother was Mary "May" Taylor Mellon. Walton was educated at the Dobbs Ferry School in Dobbs Ferry, New York
Dobbs Ferry, New York
Dobbs Ferry is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 10,875 at the 2010 census.The Village of Dobbs Ferry is located in, and is a part of, the town of Greenburgh...
. In 1922, she married John Walton, Jr. and together they raised four children at their home in the East End of Pittsburgh.
Benefactor
Rachel Mellon Walton was a major benefactor to the arts, music, medicine, education, conservation, and the welfare of women. Among her endowments was major financial support for the Albert Schweitzer Hospital, founded by her brother, Dr. William Larimer Mellon Jr., in Deschapelles, HaitiHaiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. Walton also endowed the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District.-History:...
; the Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt at the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh are four museums that are operated by the Carnegie Institute headquartered in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
; the Carnegie Mellon University Graduate School of Industrial Administration
Tepper School of Business
The Tepper School of Business is a private business school located on Carnegie Mellon University’s campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.The school consistently ranks highly among the top business schools in the U.S., as well as in a wide range of specializations, such as finance,...
; and the Women's Center and Shelter of Pittsburgh. In the 1970s Walton donated land to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy , headquartered in Pittsburgh, has been around for more than 75 years and exists to protect the water, land and life of western Pennsylvania. Half of all the land that has been protected by land trusts in Pennsylvania has been conserved by the Western...
for the Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve
Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve
Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve is a protected area for flora, fauna, and wildlife in Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh suburb. The site has served as the headquarters of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania since 1977....
. She died in her Oakland
Oakland (Pittsburgh)
Oakland is the academic, cultural, and healthcare center of Pittsburgh and is Pennsylvania's third largest "Downtown". Only Center City Philadelphia and Downtown Pittsburgh can claim more economic and social activity than Oakland...
residence on March 2, 2006, at 107 years old.
External links
- Hospital Albert Schweitzer Haiti
- Marylynne Pitz (2007). Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Obituary of Rachel Mellon Walton. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
- "Pittsburgh Live": Obituary