Allen Whitehill Clowes (February 18, 1917 – November 3, 2000) philanthropist, civic leader, arts patron, and foundation/business executive. Born in Buffalo, New York to Dr. and Mrs. (Edith) George H. A. Clowes, moving to Indianapolis at age two, and a loyal Indianapolis resident throughout his life, he was the son of eminent chemist and research director of the Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company, Dr. Clowes, and Mrs. Clowes, Indianapolis leader in education, arts, and society.
His sense of community service, philanthropy, and love of the arts emerged as a reflection of his family’s wealth and values. A graduate of Orchard School’s first class, he studied at Park School, and Harvard University (B.A. - 1939 and M.B.A. - 1942). He was a Naval officer during World War II. Butler University, Marian University, and Franklin College awarded him doctorates (honoris causa).
As a leader and philanthropist, his impact on the cultural and educational scene in Indianapolis was marked and constant through the years. He traveled widely, spent summers in Woods Hole, MA (first at the family home, Easterley, and then at his own home, Whitehill,) and briefly lived in New York City while an investment executive for Brown Brothers Harriman. His Indianapolis residence, Westerley, was the Clowes family estate, and the original repository for the significant Clowes Collection of Old Masters’ paintings, later loaned/gifted to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and displayed in its Clowes Pavilion erected for that purpose.
Clowes himself loved art, music, horticulture, and community life. He had an office at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and functioned as an administrator and curator of the Clowes Collection. He was also the President and Treasurer of the Clowes Fund, the family charitable foundation, and created the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, founded during his lifetime (1990) and fully funded by his estate (2002), a major philanthropic foundation in the city focusing on arts and humanities.
His business and executive career included specialization in oil investments and executive leadership of philanthropic and community/arts organizations. He served and was an officer on several boards for arts, educational, museum, cultural, and community organizations (including the Indianapolis Symphony, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, the Eiteljorg, Children’s, and Indianapolis Art Museums, Historic Landmarks, and St. Richard’s and Park Tudor Schools).
A member of Trinity Episcopal Church, he and his family contributed to this unique example of English/Norman ecclesiastical architecture. He also took leadership in the construction of Clowes Hall at Butler University.
His honors included being a fellow of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and a Sagamore of the Wabash. His spirit was strengthened by a love of gardens and horticulture, of important friendships, and of the city of Indianapolis itself.
He was committed to wholeness and beauty in the urban setting as demonstrated in his opposition to the mid-city interstate loop plan in the late 1960’s. When tested by challenges and disappointments, he persevered, leaving an enduring legacy of philanthropy and care for Indianapolis and of the encouragement of beauty and human spirit.
The Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation is the major continuing philanthropic legacy of Mr. Clowes and embodies his love for arts, humanities, and the city of Indianapolis. Incorporated in 1990, the Foundation’s full funding was made following Mr. Clowes’ death in November of 2000. The Mission of the Foundation is “…to support charitable organizations that promote or preserve the Arts and Humanities and to support charitable organizations that were supported by Mr. Clowes during his life or are similar to those supported by Mr. Clowes.” Its guidelines note that grants will be made to “…charitable organizations that promote or preserve the Arts and Humanities. Priority will be given primarily to those organizations located in Central Indiana. The Board has discretion to make decisions regarding any proposal on a case by case basis.”
As the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation entered its 20th year of operations following Mr. Clowes’ death, it has served over 230 organizations and distributed over 85 million dollars of charitable grants focused on arts and humanities. In its earliest years, it prepared its grantmaking operations and processes and made an 11 million dollar grant to the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library for its bold Central Library restoration and addition project. In the following years, it has awarded operational and capital grants to Indianapolis (and its surrounding region) arts and humanities organizations. 18 organizations have received funding in excess of 1 million dollars, a few substantially more. The bulk of the Foundation’s awards take the form of smaller grants to its awardees.
Leadership has been key to the Foundation. Mr. Clowes was the first president of the Foundation and served it for its initial decade. Mr. William Marshall became the president as the Foundation became fully funded and operational and served in that role for 19 years. Dr. James Lemler (a longtime director of the Foundation) succeeded Mr. Marshall as president in 2019. The Foundation’s board has included significant Indianapolis philanthropic, arts, humanities, educational, and legal leaders through its history.
The AWClowes Charitable Foundation continues to make a significant impact on Indianapolis, its region, and its arts and humanities organizations. It has assisted emerging organizations that bring new energy and artistic expression to the community, as it also supports imaginative programs and projects undertaken by Indianapolis major and long-standing museums and arts institutions. It supports endeavors that combine arts and community development together, collaborating creatively with other arts funders in the city. The impact is the result of Mr. Clowes’ generosity and his vision for a city strengthened and transformed by lively arts and humanities.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Values Statement
The Foundation’s Board of Directors remains responsive to important issues and matters in the life of our city, society, and organizations that are supported. In that spirit, the Board adopted the following Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Values Statement in May 2021.
“The mission of the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation is to support arts and humanities organizations and efforts in Indianapolis and its surrounding region. The Foundation affirms the power of beauty and arts to bring wholeness and hope to individuals and communities. We encourage the diligent work of individuals and organizations to overcome the things that divide society by race, religion, gender, national origin, disability, age and class. The Foundation commits itself to the actions and goals of diversity, equity, non-discrimination and inclusion in our own practices, in our society, and within the organizations to which we provide funds. “