McKnight@60: The Early Years, 1953-1974

To celebrate McKnight's 60th anniversary this year, we've launched a year-long series of Impact Stories looking at McKnight's origins, history, and program strategies through the years.
Check back for a new story each month!


The McKnight Foundation was established in Minneapolis in 1953 by William L. McKnight and his wife, Maude L. McKnight.

One of the early leaders of 3M, William McKnight rose from assistant bookkeeper to president and CEO in a career that spanned 59 years, from 1907 to 1966. In the early 1950s, William became interested in using his personal wealth to help his community. He created the Foundation as a vehicle through which to channel giving, and also to allow more of his family's wealth to remain under family control. In August 1953, William’s lawyer, Walter Trenerry, incorporated The McKnight Foundation and formed the first board of directors, which included William, Maude, and their daughter Virginia, as well as Trenerry and another 3M colleague.

Together, the directors decided the Foundation would work in five areas — charity, science, religion, education, and literature. By 1959, they had added humanities to that list and put Trenerry, who was acting president, in charge of the program. In 1964, the board experimented with creating five separate funds, each focused on just one program area. Within just a few years, which included little grantmaking activity, the funds were merged back together in 1972.

In its first 20 years, The McKnight Foundation granted a relatively modest $2.3 million. Despite minimal activity as the Foundation gained its footing, however, the family’s interests and priorities did begin to take shape during that time. And by 1974, the Foundation found new purpose and singular vision with the transition of leadership from William to Virginia, and the addition of more family members to the board. In 1974 alone, McKnight granted about $1.2 million to support its program strategies.

Although not all the Foundation's original areas of giving are still part of its present day portfolio, it is easy to spot education, scientific research, and the arts and humanities among McKnight's enduring program interests. It is also easy to spot William McKnight's core belief in the power of providing people with resources to solve problems for themselves. William understood how profoundly needs would change over time, and he determined early on that he would not limit the strategies pursued by next generations with strict directives for future giving.

William McKnight's openness to addressing new challenges and seeking new opportunities has become a hallmark of McKnight's work. It allows the Foundation's current staff and board to embrace William’s spirit of innovation, and to attend, unite, and empower those we serve (our mission), while remaining nimble and adaptive to changing conditions.