About Us
The Foundation’s History
The Foundation was originally established as a charitable trust in 1956 by The Electric Materials Company as the Donor. At that time Philip D. Hirtzel was the President of the company. The Foundation was named for Philip’s parents, Orris C. Hirtzel and Beatrice Dewey Hirtzel. Orris C. Hirtzel was the founder of the Electric Materials Company. From the time of its inception until the death of Philip D. Hirtzel, the primary focus of The Foundation was the provision of scholarships to graduates of local high schools. The Trust was amended in 1990 and the focus shifted to include graduate scholarships as well as undergraduate scholarships. Also in 1990 the Trust expanded its grant program to include charitable and community grants. Philip Hirtzel never sought publicity or acknowledgment of his generosity during his lifetime, but it is entirely appropriate that The Foundation he funded has accepted several awards that recognize the benefits of his philanthropy.
Philip D. Hirtzel, Founder of The Orris C. Hirtzel and Beatrice Dewey Hirtzel Memorial Foundation
Watercolor by William Kirner, Artist
Today’s Foundation
The Foundation is a charitable trust and is classified as a private foundation managed by a Board of Trustees. Board members are residents of the communities served. The Trustees are entrusted with the tasks of reviewing grant applications, approving scholarship grants, and awarding monies for scholarships and grants. The Board of Trustees includes a corporate trustee who is responsible for the investments of The Foundation but does not participate in the reviewing or granting of monetary awards. The Hirtzel Foundation does not seek donations from the general public.
The Foundation Scholarship and Grant Programs
The Foundation has a written policy regarding grants that reflects the objectives of Philip D. Hirtzel as the Trustees understand them from his comments, writings, and gifts made by him during his lifetime. The primary focus of The Foundation historically has been the provision of scholarships to high school graduates and medical school students who reside in the “Primary Resident Area” of North East Borough, North East Township, Harborcreek Township, and Greenfield Township in Erie County, Pennsylvania, and Town of Ripley in Chautauqua County, New York. In addition to awarding scholarship aid, grant money for specific medical and scientific research and equipment is available to qualified IRS 501(c)3 institutions, organizations, and municipalities that serve the residents of the “Primary Resident Area.”