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The Philanthropy 50: Americans Who Gave the Most in 2008
Frank C. Doble
Rank: 7
Total amount committed in 2008: $272-million
Location: Medford, Massachusetts
Source of wealth: Energy
Donor's background: Mr. Doble founded the Doble Engineering Company, a Watertown, Mass., company that provides diagnostic test instruments for electric power companies.
Mr. Doble, who was 83 when he died in 1969, bequeathed $136-million apiece to Lesley University, in Cambridge, Mass., and Tufts University, in Medford, Mass.
The money comes from two trusts that Mr. Doble quietly set up in the 1960s specifically to benefit the two universities. Together, the trusts held an 87-percent stake in Doble Engineering and were dissolved in December 2007 when the company was acquired by ESCO Technologies, in St. Louis. Lesley and Tufts received the money in 2008.
Mr. Doble stipulated in his will that the money given to each university should go toward their endowments, but he placed no restrictions on how the universities could use the earnings.
Mr. Doble, who graduated from Tufts in 1911 with a degree in electrical engineering, had longstanding ties to the university. To pay his Tufts tuition, he installed and wired the university's telephone system while still a student. He started Doble Engineering in 1920 in Boston, but in 1925 he moved the company headquarters to the Tufts campus, where it remained until 1947. Mr. Doble hired many Tufts graduates over the years, and Tufts engineering professors often worked closely with his company.
Officials at Tufts said they knew that Mr. Doble had named the university as one of the beneficiaries of the trusts, but they didn't anticipate such a big bequest and are still deciding how to make the best use of the money.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Lesley University (then called Lesley College) was primarily focused on training its students to become teachers. Mr. Doble's gift to Lesley, where he served as a trustee for nearly 20 years, grew out of his belief that high-quality elementary education was a crucial factor in developing the types of students who would want to pursue scientific studies in college.
"He was passionate about fostering the education of good teachers," Eleanor Eddy, a retired director of the Doble company and a former member of Lesley's Board of Corporators, said in a news release. "He often cited his belief that preparation for college begins in the first grade."
Officials said the gift to Lesley will endow academic programs and student scholarships, and will be used to expand and renovate university facilities.
In addition to the bequests, each university has received $34-million in dividends from the trusts in the 40 years since Mr. Doble's death.
About These Data
The giving figures listed for each individual are based on donations announced to date by the donors or their beneficiaries. In cases of bequests, most of the figures are estimates because the wills have not been settled. For news of gift announcements in 2009, visit the America's Top Donors database.
If you know about a recent gift of $1-million or more that should be added to this directory, please send a message to gifts@philanthropy.com.