Summary: The Bemis Taylor Foundation was founded under the leadership of Alice Bemis Taylor. Taylor came from a family with an extensive philanthropic history: Her father, Judson Moss Bemis, who founded the packaging manufacturer Bemis Company in 1858, gave $25 million to philanthropic causes before his death in 1921.[1] Alice Bemis Taylor established the Bemis Taylor Foundation in 1927 in order to manage her grants.
Alice Bemis Taylor focused her philanthropy on arts, culture and education, with major grants going toward the Colorado Springs Day Nursery, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, and endowments at Colorado College. She contributed $400,000 for a new library at the college, and was the biggest single contributor to the Colorado Springs Community Chest for many years. She became the first female trustee at Colorado College, and her endowments there continue to provide almost $1 million per year.[2]