War Hero, Adventurer Bequeaths $.5 Million to Local Nonprofits
Feburary 25 , 2008
GREAT BARRINGTON, MA—William R. MacDougall, a recently deceased war hero, famed outdoorsman and longtime resident of Salisbury, Connecticut, bequeathed more than $1.5 million dollars to nonprofit groups, including 10 organizations in northwest Connecticut and Worcester Academy in Massachusetts, Jennifer Dowley, president of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, announced today.
Berkshire Taconic distributed the money this week from a fund MacDougall created at the foundation in 1997. The foundation sent $56,400 to each of the following groups: the Connecticut Junior Republic; Hospice of Northwest Connecticut; Housatonic Day Care Center; Lakeville Hose Company; Northwest Center for Family Service and Mental Health; Salisbury Family Services; Salisbury Visiting Nurse Association; Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service; Salvation Army of Torrington; and Women’s Support Services. Worcester Academy received a gift of $1 million from the fund.
“Bill was a true philanthropist and friend to us and our community,” said Jacquie Rice, president of Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service. “Each of these gifts will ultimately benefit tens of thousands of people in this area for a long, long time to come.”
MacDougall bequeathed the assets of his pension for the gifts, which were made in honor of his friend Julie Beligni. Born in 1922, Mr. MacDougall left Dartmouth College to enlist in the military, where he became a pilot and flew B-17 bombers by the age of 21. He was soon promoted to squadron leader, flying combat missions over Europe. On his 43rd mission, he was shot down over Germany, where he was a POW for the remainder of the war. After the war, he became a commercial pilot, retiring in 1982 as the most senior captain at Pan American World Airline. An avid hike, camper, hunter and explorer, he was a member of the Explorers Club, National Ski Patrol, Camp-Fire Club of America and a 50-year member of the Catamount Ski Patrol. He was also a competitive sailor, counting Thomas J. Watson, Jr., longtime CEO of IBM, among his teammates. In addition to this long list of achievements, he was also a licensed dog musher and participated in the first circumnavigation of Greenland.
“Although Bill was an adventurer who traveled throughout the world, his loyalty and passions were close to home,” said Jennifer Dowley, president of Berkshire Taconic. “We are proud that he chose to partner with Berkshire Taconic in order to strengthen a corner of the world about which he cared so strongly.”
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all residents in the region it serves: Berkshire County, MA; Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY; and northwest Litchfield County, CT. Founded in 1987, Berkshire Taconic currently has over 500 funds and manages more than $86 million in assets. Each year, it distributes more than $7 million through grants and scholarships, helping thousands of donors achieve their philanthropic goal and hundreds of nonprofits carry on their good work.
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