Anna T. Jeanes (1822-1907) was a Philadelphia Quaker known for her generous contributions to education and healthcare. Born into a wealthy Quaker family, she used her inheritance to establish impactful charitable initiatives.
Her most significant contribution in Philadelphia was the founding of what became Jeanes Hospital (now Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus) in 1928. She provided $200,000 in her will plus her residual estate to provide for the ‘establishment and endowment of a General Hospital or Infirmary . . . to be under the charge of a joint Committee of Quarterly Meeting Homes for the Aged and Infirm Friends and those in sympathy with us,’ which became the Jeanes Hospital that serves the Northeast Philadelphia community, regardless of race, religion, or social status.
The establishment of Jeanes Hospital was largely enabled through the rejection by Swarthmore College of her large bequest conditioned on Swarthmore abandoning intercollegiate sports. The New York Times reported at the time on this difficult decision for Swarthmore. It took 13 years for the college to decide not to accept the conditional bequest, as described in Swarthmore College records. This large bequest was added to her residual estate that funded Jeanes Hospital.
In addition to healthcare, Anna T Jeanes made substantial contributions to education, particularly for African American schools in the rural South. In 1907, she established the Jeanes Fund with a $1 million endowment to support rural African American education in the South. This fund led to the creation of the Jeanes Supervisors program, which employed African American teachers to work in rural schools and communities. These supervisors, also known as Jeanes Teachers, played a crucial role in improving education, public health, and living conditions for Black students and their communities. The Jeanes Supervisors were instrumental in raising the quality of teaching, securing resources, and advocating for better educational facilities. Their work extended beyond the classroom, as they often functioned as superintendents for Black schools, pushing for community improvements and teacher training. The impact of the Jeanes Supervisors was profound, with approximately 2,300 supervisors working across 16 southern states between 1908 and 1968. Their efforts laid the groundwork for future advancements in educational equity and continue to inspire initiatives aimed at improving educational opportunities for all students. This work advances today with the Southern Education Foundation.
For more about Anna T. Jeanes, read this article in Friends Journal
The Anna T. Jeanes Foundation 