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The American Foundations Oral History Project consists of a series of interviews with prominent American philanthropists, each of whom relates their background, the development of their values, and their philosophies of philanthropy. The purpose and state of American philanthropy, including those family foundations and corporate foundations, form a central topic, as do the recent trend of increasing diversity and opinions on grant evaluation and philanthropic assessment. In addition, many interviewees comment on the role of government in philanthropy and the system of ethics at play in American philanthropy.

The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University (COP) was established at IUPUI in 1987.The Center began offering academic courses in 1988. The Center also conducted research in various aspects of philanthropy and worked with other academic centers around the country involved in Philanthropic Studies on projects designed to educate the public about philanthropy and to increase philanthropic activity. In 2012 the IU Board of Trustees voted to establish the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and the school was formally inaugurated in 2013. The records in this collection detail the academic, research, and service activities of the school and document its relationship to other academic institutions and organizations involved in philanthropy and philanthropic studies. The records include correspondence, minutes, reports, and publications.

Working in higher education and philanthropy, Merrimon Cuninggim gained national recognition in both fields. His early career was as a professor at various colleges and in 1951 he became Dean of the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He remained there until 1960 when he accepted the position of Executive Director/President of the Danforth Foundation in St. Louis, Missouri, where he remained until 1972. From 1973 to 1975 he worked as an advisor/consultant to the Ford Foundation and from 1976 to 1979 served as President of Salem Academy and College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. From 1979 until his death in 1995 Cuninggim served as a special consultant to both colleges and foundations on management problems. In 1981 he was one of the 16 founders of the Center for Effective Philanthropy which was formed to advise foundations and other charitable institutions on effective management. The papers consist of correspondence, reports, meeting minutes, and notes from Cuninggim's professional life.