Ella Hirsch Society
In 1937, when our nation was climbing out of the Great Depression, the Portland Art Museum received one of the largest gifts in the city's history. Real estate, stocks, bonds, and cash valued at $853,000 came as a bequest of Miss Ella Hirsch in tribute to her parents, Solomon and Josephine Hirsch. The amount was comparable to $16 million in today's dollars.
Ella Hirsch was the sole surviving member of a prominent and philanthropic family that had amassed a significant and eclectic collection of art, including large tapestries and rare lace. Through the provisions of her will, Ella memorialized her parents and expressed what was important to their family—not only art but also community service.
The Solomon and Josephine Hirsch Memorial Wing, constructed with $200,000 from Ella Hirsch's bequest, opened in 1939 and more than doubled the size of the museum. The balance of the gift established the Ella Hirsch Endowment Fund for the acquisition of new art objects, increasing the Museum's reserve funds to nearly $2 million. Since its establishment, earnings from the endowment fund have paid for nearly 100 new works of art.
The mission of the Ella Hirsch Society is to inspire and assist individuals in planning their own major, endowed, and deferred gifts that will communicate their legacy. If you have already included the Museum in your long-term giving plans, we'd like to recognize you through the Ella Hirsch Legacy Society. And if you are ready to take the first steps in developing these plans, we can help. Contact Charu Uppal at 503-276-4315 or [email protected].
