Ruth E. Lilly, American philanthropist. Named one of The 50 Most Generous Philanthropists, Fortune Magazine, 2005. Benefactor Poetry Magazine, Americans for the Arts, Indiana University, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Ruth Lilly Medical Library., Ruth Lilly Health Education Center, Indianapolis.
Background
Ruth Lilly was born on August 2, 1915, in Indianapolis. She was the daughter of Josiah K. Lilly, Junior., and Ruth (née Brinkmeyer) Lilly, and the sole heiress to the Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical fortune initially built by her great grandfather, Colonel Eli Lilly.
Education
Lilly graduated from Tudor Hall School (now Park Tudor School) and attended Herron School of Artist
Career
She made major gifts to The Poetry Foundation, and Indiana University. She reportedly suffered from major depression for much of her life and benefited from the use of Prozac, a product of her family"s pharmaceutical firm. Lilly died of heart failure on December 30, 2009.
Lilly made headlines in November 2002 when she pledged stock worth $100 million to the Poetry Foundation, a tiny Chicago nonprofit organization that publishes Poetry Magazine, and a similarly large gift to Americans for the Arts in Washington.
The Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship of $15,000 has been awarded to young poets each year since 1989. Indianapolis" Ruth Lilly Hospice, Ruth Lilly Special Collections and Archives, Ruth Lilly Medical Library, Ruth Lilly Health Education Center, Ruth Lilly Law Library, and Ruth Lilly Young Men’s Christian Association Outdoor Center all bear her name.
In April 2011, Indiana University received two generous gifts from her estate—an estimated $10.7 million—that includes approximately $8 million for the Center on and approximately $2.7 million for the Herron School of Art and Design. With Mistress Lilly’s gift, the Center will establish the Ruth Lilly Professorship Program, named in her honor, which will provide matching funds to inspire and encourage other donors to create 7 to 10 endowed faculty chairs.
Herron will honor Mistress
Lilly by naming its administrative offices the Ruth Lilly Dean’s Suite.
Achievements
Membership
Benefactor Poetry Magazine, Americans for the Arts, Indiana University, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Ruth Lilly Medical Library., Ruth Lilly Health Education Center, Indianapolis.