Carl & Elizabeth Broughton
Washington County, OH – What difference can we make today that will be felt 30 years from now? This is the question that the late Carl L. Broughton asked himself when he helped create Marietta Community Foundation in 1974, and it is the mantra that his descendants ask themselves today when it comes to their philanthropy.
Thanks to their delicious dairy products, families across the United States have welcomed the Broughtons to their dinner tables, but for families in the Mid-Ohio Valley, the Broughton legacy has given them something sweeter than the smooth ice cream they produce.
While conducting extensive research in the mid-seventies for a downtown restoration project in Marietta, Carl Broughton and several other individuals working on the project noticed that many thriving communities shared a common factor: they each had a strong community foundation.
“They saw it [a community foundation] as the D.N.A. of a community,” said George Broughton, Carl’s son. “It made it easy for people to give back.”
Taking a cue from these other towns, Carl and the other members of the group established the Marietta Community Foundation in 1974 as a way to create a simple method to practice philanthropy. Unbeknownst to him, this action would lay the groundwork for millions of dollars being poured back into the very county that he adored.
Now, over 45 years later, Marietta Community Foundation continues to build on Carl’s legacy and Carl’s children have established legacies of their own.
While they were still infants, Ruth, Mary, and George were each adopted by Carl and Elizabeth Broughton. Growing up, the siblings were given the gift of a loving family who were devoted to their community.
“Our parents loved this town,” said George, “and we couldn’t help but love the town too because we were kind of indoctrinated in it!”
Carl & Elizabeth Broughton, Photo Courtesy of George Broughton
“Our father loved this community,” said Mary. “We grew up in a household where he often expressed sentiments like -‘this is the best place in the world to live’- and we heard and saw his interest and involvement in community activities and projects. He was a small and quiet man but he had enormous ideas and dreams and the energy and passion to carry them out. We all learned about community service and involvement from his example.”
“The love for our community was instilled in us very early in our lifes,” said Ruth. “Our parents showed us by their example to shop locally and give back to our wonderful community through volunteering. We were able to pass these examples on to our own children and grandchildren.”
As a young man, Carl began attending The Ohio State University, but due to the Great Depression, Carl was forced to leave after only completing two years in the school’s Business Administration Program.
He then came back home to work in the family business, and though he was very successful, Carl never forgot what the loss of an education felt like. Because of this, his family saw their father give the gift of education to many deserving students.
“What was amazing about my father is he enjoyed giving anonymously,” said George. “He did this a lot with the college. He would pay for somebody’s tuition and they would have no idea who did it. He would talk to the President of Marietta College and ask them, ‘who is someone deserving of this?’”
“Giving anonymously was very important to our father,” said Ruth. “He didn't want any recognition, he just wanted to help others fulfill their dreams.”
Having seen countless acts of philanthropy practiced by their parents and fostering a deep love for their community, the Broughton children have paved the way for many projects that will impact generations to come. One project, in particular, is the creation and development of the Broughton Nature & Wildlife Education Area.
Over 30 years ago, an idea formed amongst the family to convert 600 acres of land into a privately owned public park. Before Carl and Elizabeth passed away in the mid-’90s, the siblings promised they would bring this idea to fruition.
“When we were children an early project of his [Carl] was to develop a series of trails in the wildlife area behind our house and also stock the pond up there,” said Mary. “He wanted the area to be enjoyed and accessible to everyone.”
“We wanted to do something nice for the community,” said George. “We didn’t want the land to become a housing development.”
Development soon took place and hasn’t stopped since. In 2018 the family leased an additional 200 acres of land, which expanded the recreation and educational area to 800 acres.
Trail Map of the Broughton Nature & Wildlife Education Area
Today, more than 100,000 visitors frequent the park each year to take advantage of the hiking trails, mountain bike paths, a disc-golf course, fishing, and many natural habitats.
“We all have wonderful memories of hiking in those woods with him and later exploring and enjoying them with our friends and children,” said Mary. “That area was informally always open and available for everyone to enjoy, but our father wanted to make it a more permanent arrangement and maintain access forever. That was the formalized start of the Broughton Wildlife and Nature Wildlife Area.”
“Our wonderful hikes in the woods with our father were a great part of our childhood,” said Ruth. “The amount of knowledge we got from him was immeasurable.”
Also, located on the park's premises is the Elizabeth Sugden-Broughton Community Building, a project completed in honor of their mother. The building is the latest and largest project undertaken by the family and is available for the public to rent. The surplus funds go to help maintain the park’s grounds.
Looking at the park, it is astounding to believe its origins were founded in a promise made so long ago, but that is the secret to the Broughton legacy… philanthropy isn’t a short-term solution, but a long-term investment.
“The key is thinking long-term,” said George. “Over time you can make a small gift into a big gift. These things don’t come overnight and time allows you to get more people involved. It allows you to leverage the project and make it bigger and bigger. It also lets you gain a better understanding of what is actually needed in the community.”
If you would like to build a long-term philanthropic legacy, please contact Heather Allender, President & CEO of Marietta Community Foundation at heather@mcfohio.org.