William T. Kirby
Encyclopedia
William T. Kirby was a founding member of the board of directors and Chairman of the Board
of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Kirby was also the defense attorney for Preston Tucker
, whose development and financing of an advanced automobile, the 1948 Tucker Sedan
(also nicknamed the Tucker Torpedo) led to a controversial SEC inquiry and stock fraud trial in 1949. The jury found Tucker and his colleagues not guilty.
Kirby was John MacArthur's attorney. He and Paul Doolen, MacArthur's CFO
, suggested that the MacArthurs create a foundation which was endowed by the MacArthur's vast fortune. The legal document, written by Kirby, that created the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation was two pages long and written in plain English.
In August 1978, Kirby suggested that the MacArthur Foundation create the Fellows Program
. The idea first came to Kirby's attention through George E. Burch
, a doctor at Tulane University
. After bringing the idea to the original board members of the MacArthur Foundation, he was instrumental in shaping it.
Kirby also introduced and nurtured other programs that are often seen as hallmarks of the MacArthur Foundation including:
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Kirby was also the defense attorney for Preston Tucker
Preston Tucker
Preston Thomas Tucker was an American automobile designer and entrepreneur.He is most remembered for his 1948 Tucker Sedan , an automobile which introduced many features that have since become widely used in modern cars...
, whose development and financing of an advanced automobile, the 1948 Tucker Sedan
1948 Tucker Sedan
The 1948 Tucker Sedan or Tucker '48 Sedan was an advanced automobile conceived by Preston Tucker and briefly produced in Chicago in 1948...
(also nicknamed the Tucker Torpedo) led to a controversial SEC inquiry and stock fraud trial in 1949. The jury found Tucker and his colleagues not guilty.
Kirby was John MacArthur's attorney. He and Paul Doolen, MacArthur's CFO
Chief financial officer
The chief financial officer or Chief financial and operating officer is a corporate officer primarily responsible for managing the financial risks of the corporation. This officer is also responsible for financial planning and record-keeping, as well as financial reporting to higher management...
, suggested that the MacArthurs create a foundation which was endowed by the MacArthur's vast fortune. The legal document, written by Kirby, that created the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation was two pages long and written in plain English.
In August 1978, Kirby suggested that the MacArthur Foundation create the Fellows Program
MacArthur Fellows Program
The MacArthur Fellows Program or MacArthur Fellowship is an award given by the John D. and Catherine T...
. The idea first came to Kirby's attention through George E. Burch
George E. Burch
George Edward Burch was a shaper of modern cardiology during the middle part of the twentieth century, whose accomplishments included elucidating the fundamental physiological basis of important cardiovascular diseases, in addition to contributions to the teaching of medicine and cardiology. He...
, a doctor at Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
. After bringing the idea to the original board members of the MacArthur Foundation, he was instrumental in shaping it.
Kirby also introduced and nurtured other programs that are often seen as hallmarks of the MacArthur Foundation including:
- program funding mental healthMental healthMental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
research - focus on community developmentCommunity developmentCommunity development is a broad term applied to the practices and academic disciplines of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects of local communities....
- focus on the world's environment
- MacArthur's leadership in their first 15 years in funding independent media such as early funding of NPR, the creation of P.O.V, Ken BurnsKen BurnsKenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
' The Civil WarThe Civil War (documentary)The Civil War is a documentary film created by Ken Burns about the American Civil War. It was first broadcast on PBS on five consecutive nights from Sunday, September 23 to Thursday, September 27, 1990. Forty million viewers watched it during its initial broadcast, making it the most-watched...
series, media arts centers across the United States, Bill MoyersBill MoyersBill Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965 to 1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers has had an extensive involvement with public...
' The Power of MythThe Power of MythThe companion book for the series, The Power of Myth, was released in 1988 at the same time the series aired on PBS...
and all of his subsequent programs, the MacNeil Lehrer News HourThe NewsHour with Jim LehrerPBS NewsHour is an evening television news program broadcast weeknights on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States. The show is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, a company co-owned by former anchors Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, and Liberty Media, which owns a 65% stake in the...
, and the creation of ITVSITVSIndependent Television Service is a service in the United States which funds and presents documentaries and dramas on public television, new media projects on the Internet, and the weekly series Independent Lens and Global Voices on PBS....
(Independent Television Service).