Announcements

Women's Foundation Honors Carol Duhme with Lifetime Acheivement Award

ST. LOUIS (October 2011) -- The Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis (WFSTL) has selected Mrs. Carol Duhme as the recipient of their first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award. The award will be presented as part of the Making a Difference: A Fresh Look at Charitable Giving Event on October 19 at the Frontenac Hilton.

Mrs. Duhme is a life-long resident of St. Louis and has been quietly giving to the community since she was a small child. When asked about some of the most memorable projects she has supported, she names the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the creation of a dual degree program between the George Warren Brown School of Social Work and Eden Seminary (where she was previously on the Board of Directors), and programs for the YWCA that taught employable skills to teenage mothers while offering them free childcare.

“With the YWCA program, we were able to provide the kind of support that could lift these young women out of poverty and made generational change. This is the kind of work that the Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis seeks to do as well. I was very proud to be a part of it,” Duhme said.
 

A few of Mrs. Duhme’s other philanthropic highlights include:
• She was an important part of creating the Abrahamic Initiative in Chautauqua, New York. The initiative is a summer program that focuses on teaching Christians, Jews, and Muslims to understand and respect one another’s religions.
• She served on the United Nations Association Board in St. Louis and was later appointed to the national board. This organization is “dedicated to building understanding of and support for the ideals and vital work of the United Nations among the American people. It organizes educational and humanitarian campaigns as well as policy and advocacy programs.
• She is a trustee and board member of the Joseph H. & Florence A. Roblee Foundation in St. Louis. The foundation was established in 1971 by Louise Roblee McCarthy, Mrs. Duhme’s mother, in memory of Mrs. Duhme’s grandparents.

The foundation’s mission is to “promote change by supporting organizations that address significant social issues, improve quality of life, and help individuals fulfill their potential.” It gave over $630,000 to worthy causes in 2010.

“I’m just one vote on the board, but I feel like we have been able to take risks and address controversial issues that a corporate board couldn’t because we are a private foundation. Those causes are very interesting to me,” Duhme said.
 

Mrs. Duhme’s family has a tradition of giving in St. Louis that stretches back over 100 years. Her grandmother, Florence Allen Roblee, was involved in providing hospitable accommodations to young women visiting St. Louis for the 1904 World’s Fair and began the city’s YWCA. Mrs. Duhme’s mother, Louise Roblee McCarthy, continued supporting the YWCA and became its global vice president. Both her grandfather, Joseph Henry Roblee, and her father, Eugene Ross McCarthy, were executives with Brown Shoe Company.

“We are honored to celebrate Mrs. Duhme and the countless contributions she has made to the St. Louis community. She is an inspiration for those of us who care about philanthropy; there is no person who embodies the spirit of charitable giving more,” said Pat Rich, president of the board of WFSTL.

Mrs. Duhme is a resident of Ladue. She attended John Burroughs School, Vassar College, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Eden Seminary. She was married to Sheldon Ware, a fighter pilot who was lost at sea during WWII, before marrying renowned sculptor H. Richard (Dick) Duhme, Jr. Mr. Duhme was professor emeritus of art and former head of the sculpture area at Washington University until his passing in 2005.

Mrs. Duhme had four children, has four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She is a member of 1st Congregational Church in St. Louis.
 

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