Funds > The Beaumont Fund

During the 1920s, physician cottagers were often called upon to provide medical care on the Island. Concerned about doing emergency appendectomies on kitchen tables without proper equipment, a group of the physicians, their wives, and neighbors started the Beaumont Emergency Operating Room Fund to provide for health and medical care on Mackinac Island.

In the 1950s, income from the Fund helped build the Medical Center. The Board of the Beaumont Fund spends only the income from its endowment on health and medical care on the Island. "We decided to donate a portion of the endowment to the Community Foundation, because their values fit with ours. They will spend only the interest, to support health and medical care on the Island," said Dr. Fran Straus.

Members of the Beaumont Fund Board serve on MICF's Advisory Committee for this fund and other health-related funds. In addition to Straus, members are Mike Young, R.D. Musser Jr., Lois Largo, Carol Rearick, Ron Smith, William Porter, and Margaret Doud.