Laird Endowment Fund for the Arts

Helen Connor Laird had two passions – education and the arts.  Both of those areas continued to be served today by the Laird Endowment Fund for the Arts, which has distributed more than $1 million in support of the fine arts at UW-Marshfield/Wood County.

“I feel it is important to stimulate arts and cultural activities, which my mother and I so loved, in the Marshfield community,” said Melvin R. Laird, – a former Marshfield resident, Wisconsin senator, U.S. congressman and Nixon Administration secretary of defense – who established the fund in memory of his mother and family.

Laird, now a resident of Washington, D.C., founded the Laird Endowment Fund for the Arts in 1990, formalizing his contributions to Arts at the UW which had been ongoing since 1983.  He said he supports the arts in memory of his mother. She was among the first women to graduate from UW-Madison.  She was the first female president of the Marshfield School Board, served as president of the Marshfield Library Board and was a nine-year member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents.

The Laird Endowment Fund for the Art Fund supports cultural and/or artistic events held in the theatre(s) of the Helen Connor Laird Fine Arts Building.  The events must be organized/produced/conducted by an individuals or representatives of community groups from the area served by the UW-Marshfield/Wood County campus.

“I feel this is a very fitting tribute to (my mother) and my family,” Laird said. “My mother was always interested in education, and she encouraged young people to get involved in music and theatre.  It’s also very important to me to support cultural events that I feel are worthwhile in the community where I came from.”

Laird currently serves as Senior Counselor for National and International Affairs for The Reader's Digest Association Inc. and as an emeritus member of the Marshfield Clinic National Advisory Council.  He has been active in some 27 non-profit organizations.

The Laird Endowment Fund for the Arts Advisory Committee calls for proposals every December.  Proposals must be received by Feb. 1, annually  A set of complete guidelines is available by calling The University Foundation of the UW-Marshfield/Wood County at 715-384-1703.  The Committee will determine the allocation of funds and notify authors of proposals of its decisions by March 15.

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