Good Samaritan Regional Health Center
Foundation receives gift of $730,000
Hubert J. Schlafly, Sr.’s gift was established decades ago
(Mt. Vernon, Illinois) The largest individual contribution to date to the new Good Samaritan Regional Health Center under construction in Mt. Vernon was made more than 40 years ago.
A gift provided for within the will of Mt. Vernon businessman, Hubert J. Schlafly, Sr., which was established prior to his death in 1970, recently was given to Good Samaritan Hospital, following the death of Mr. Schlafly’s only child, Hubert J. Schlafly, Jr., of Greenwich, Connecticut. Mr. Schlafly Sr.’s wife, the former Mary Parker, preceded him in death in 1965.
Hubert J. Schlafly, Jr., at the age of 91 years old, died on April 20, 2011, after a brief illness. Shortly thereafter, Good Samaritan Hospital received a telephone call from the trust’s administrator, Mr. James Acton, U.S. Bank, who informed the hospital that a gift currently valued at more than $750,000 was ready to be delivered to the hospital. A large portion of the gift was recently delivered to Good Samaritan Regional Health Center Foundation in the form of a $730,000 check.
“This gift is amazing in a number of ways,” said Good Samaritan Regional Health Center President Mike Warren. “First, the sheer amount of the donation is a boost to the community’s effort to help construct the new hospital facility in Mt. Vernon. Secondly, it comes from so long ago, when Mr. Schlafly, Sr. could not have known the growth potential for the hospital or how significant his gift would become. His gift has literally grown over the years and has become available when it is most needed,” said Mr. Warren.
Mr. Schlafly, Sr. had donated $25,000 to the Good Samaritan Hospital in September 1967, as the hospital was in the process of expanding to its current facility. At the time, Mr. Schlafly, Sr. was quoted as saying, “I am very glad to make this contribution for this most worthy cause and for the wonderful work being done here by the Sisters of St. Francis.”
Good Samaritan completed its expansion program in 1972, two years after Mr. Schlafly’s death. His death on Oct. 31, 1970, helped the annual fund drive exceed its goal that year. According to Mr. Schlafly’s obituary, his son, Mr. Schlafly Jr., went to the Cablevision studio in Mt. Vernon to deliver the $100 gift his father committed to the drive. Following that announcement, others within the community called in making their donations in memory of “Hub.”
Mr. Schlafly Sr. was included in the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion program and was honored posthumously at the hospital’s dedication. It was noted in his obituary he was “one of the major benefactors of Good Samaritan Hospital of St. Mary’s Parish.” Mr. Schlafly Jr. spoke on behalf of his father during the dedication ceremony.
“Mr. Schlafly, Jr. always spoke so lovingly about his Mom and Dad,” said Thomas Gallagher, Mr. Schlafly, Jr.’s long-time friend and executor. “Hub, Jr. carried on his parents’ commitment to philanthropy, especially on behalf of women religious, priests and Catholic organizations. Like his father, Hub, Jr. gave considerable time and attention to proper estate planning.”
Mr. Schlafly, Jr. was a two-time Emmy Award winner, the inventor of the TelePrompter, an inductee to the Cable Television Hall of Fame, and electrical engineering graduate of the University of Notre Dame (1941). Mr. Schlafly, Jr. was predeceased by his wife, Mary Leona, and they had no children.
Mr. Schlafly, Sr.’s long-ago decision to remember Good Samaritan provides a timely boost to the efforts of the Good Samaritan Regional Health Center Foundation, as construction of the new hospital passes the fifty-percent milestone. One of the Foundation’s priorities is to generate gifts to assist in the building of the $236 million state-of-the-art hospital and medical campus.
“Mr. Schlafly’s gift is certainly most appreciated and is a great example of how a deferred or planned gift can provide benefits for years to come,” said Bruce Flanigan, Vice President of Fund Development at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan. “Little did Mr. Schlafly know 40 years after the establishment of his will that the gift resulting from his estate planning would benefit our community as we build a new hospital today.”
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Photos attached:
Members of the Good Samaritan Regional Health Center Foundation recently received a check in the amount of $730,000 from the Hubert J. Schlafly Trust. The funds provide a significant boost to the Foundation as it helps construct a new hospital and medical facility in Mt. Vernon.
Hubert J. Schlafly Sr. is pictured with his son, Hubert J. Schlafly Jr.; Hubert J. Schlafly Sr. with the Sisters of Saint Francis in an undated photo.
