50 Years | Bryan Area Foundation

“Your gift will be good for Bryan, for good.” In 1986 Tom Herman (L), Williams County YWCA building fund chair, receives $100,000 from Grant Brown, BAF. First Good Citizen Award - 1980 John Dwyer, BAF founder and secretary until his untimely death earlier in the year, was the first recipient. Bruce Benedict became the third president in 1981 and agreed to serve until the foundation reached $1 million in assets. By 1986, assets reached well over the million dollar mark and Richard Reed began his term as president. The foundation presented the largest grant to date of $100,000 to the building committee of the YWCA. Grants for the new school track and field, library, and courthouse made headlines. An ever-growing number of high school graduates received memorial scholarships reaching $27,000 in 1989. “A memorial gift goes into action the instant it enters the foundation and outlasts the finest monument.” - Bruce Benedict Blazing the Trail The 1980s were fraught with record highs including interest rates, unemployment percentages and stock market losses. Despite financial challenges, BAF assets grew along with community awareness. Foundation members quietly blazed the trail in support of their mission by demonstrating the benefits of donor endowment. “Your gift will be good for Bryan, for good.” By 1989 bequests and memorials grew from 14 to 73.