ABOUT US
We honor the the memory of Mary Elizabeth Conover Mellon by building alliances with natural peacemakers. Natural peacemakers are givers and nurturers of life. Natural peacemakers focus on human relationships. Natural peacemakers engage with the demanding work of protecting children and family life. Natural peacemakers develop a deep sense of empathy that cuts through to underlying human realities.
OUR MISSION
To change the way the world lives by returning to a commitment to basic human values
OUR VISION
To utilize Empathy Thinking® to create a world at peace
WHAT IS THE CONOVER FOUNDATION?
The Mary Elizabeth Conover Foundation is a philanthropic organization operating from corporate offices in McLean, Virginia, USA. In 2014 the US Internal Revenue Service recognized the foundation as a tax-exempt organization.
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HOW WAS IT FORMED?
The organization formed under the auspices of Foundation Source, 501 Silverside Road, Wilmington, Delaware. The Foundation Source manages more than 1,300 family, corporate, and professionally staffed foundations of all sizes, nationwide. This provides an entire team of private foundation experts under one roof and oversight by the country’s top compliance professionals. Conover Foundation benefits from: 1) a web-based “command center” for anytime, anywhere foundation management, 2) tools to simplify and organize foundation grants, 3) advisory services to unleash the full power of philanthropy, and 4) instant access to a community of foundation donors and online resources.
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WHY WAS IT FORMED?
Conover Foundation gets inspiration from Mary Elizabeth Conover Mellon. With the help of her husband, renowned philanthropist Paul Mellon, she dedicated her life to supporting the work of poets, scientists, and artists. She described her work as preserving the history of the human soul. To honor her legacy, in 2017 Conover Foundation established the Center for Art and Neuroscience in McLean, Virginia, USA.
According to the ancient Roman poet Virgil, “The greatest wealth is health.” Despite having vast wealth at her disposal, in 1946 Mary Elizabeth Conover Mellon died of an acute asthmatic attack at the young age of 42. She left behind a grieving Paul Mellon, 4 year old son, and 10 year old daughter.
In a letter to Paul Mellon shortly after her death, Carl Jung wrote:
Dear Mr. Mellon,
Barrett’s telegram, which informed me of Mrs. Mellon’s death, has caused such
a shock to me that I can realize what a terrible experience it must have been
to you. It is a loss the extent of which one can hardly imagine. Elle était une
femme degrande envergure [She was a woman of great stature] who had it in
herself to play a great role in the world. And now she has gone from us in the
zenith of her life, when she was at the threshold of her great realization.
I share your grief and suffering.
Yours sincerely,
C. G. Jung”
CARE FOR THE TROOPS
One method by which Conover Foundation continues the legacy of Mary Elizabeth Conover Mellon is by sponsoring historic roadside markers. The foundation honors important historic figures who demonstrated great empathy. On Veterans Day 2017 the foundation honored Physician General William Brown, MD. He served under General Washington in the Revolutionary War. He was a visionary with regard to providing standardized care to the troops.