HAMILTON FAMILY FOUNDATION: SUPPORTING DIVERSITY
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bout five years ago, Dorrance H. Hamilton and the Hamilton Family Foundation of Wayne, PA, became intrigued with Church Farm School’s Griffin Scholars Program and how it might help to attract more boys from the Philadelphia area to the school. “The Foundation and Mrs. Hamilton have supported several high-quality K-8 schools in Philadelphia that do not have a direct high school partner. We felt that some of those boys had a good foundation in their elementary and middle grades, but then faltered when they had to attend underperforming neighborhood high schools.
Church Farm School offers a fabulous opportunity to develop college readiness, while being relatively Mrs. Dorrance “Dodo” Hamilton local for these students,” says Ms. Nancy Wingo, the Foundation’s executive director. “Church Farm School
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is such a gem, yet many people from Philadelphia don’t know about it, or assume that it’s financially or geographically out of their reach. Whenever I’m in a school in Philadelphia, I talk about the opportunities and scholarships available at Church Farm School.” The Foundation now supports six Philadelphia students annually through its participation in Church Farm School’s Griffin Scholars Program. In supporting qualifying Philadelphia boys, the Foundation continues its legacy of support by the Dorrance and Hamilton families, whom are well-known both locally and nationally for their philanthropy. Dr. John T. Dorrance, Dorrance H. Hamilton’s grandfather, was a chemical engineer who discovered a commercially viable method for condensing soup by halving the quantity of its heaviest ingredient: water. He then served as president of the Campbell Soup Company from 1914 to 1930 before eventually buying out the Campbell family and turning the business into one of America’s iconic brands. The family first became involved with Church Farm School when Dr. Dorrance’s son, John “Jack” Dorrance, Jr., served on the school’s Board of Directors from 1950 until his death in 1989. He helped fund the purchase of the school’s M. P. Möller Organ in 1964. Other members of the Dorrance/ Hamilton lineage who have served on the Church Farm School board include William E. Vauclain, Jacques L. Vauclain and, most recently, N. Peter Hamilton. Many family members also privately support the school’s annual fund.