R.F. and Jessie Shaw Foundation Grant

The R.F. and Jessie Shaw Foundation Grant, administered by the East Texas Communities Foundation, supports charities primarily in Rusk County, Texas, focusing on wellness, healthcare, and education. Established in memory of Dr. Shaw and Jessie Lewis, the grant aims to continue their legacy of community support.

Note: Application for this grant is by invitation only.
East Texas Communities Foundation
The strong leadership of early organizers like Isadore Roosth, Norman Shtofman, “Dub” Riter, and an investment of the United Way of Tyler/Smith County launched the Foundation. By 1994, the Foundation’s assets had grown to more than one million dollars.
After Dr. Shaw married Jessie Lewis in 1920, they moved to Henderson, Texas, in 1923 where Dr. Shaw began practicing medicine. There was no hospital in Rusk County at the time, and after four years of office practice and making house calls in his Model T Ford, Dr. Shaw decided the practice of modern medicine needed a hospital. He and Jessie borrowed the money from a local businessman and purchased a large house in town known as Wettermark Place. Henderson Hospital opened with eight beds soon after. Open to all physicians, the hospital ultimately transitioned to a nonprofit hospital and today is part of the UT Health East Texas System.
In 1985, Dr. and Jessie Shaw’s daughters, Reube Gene Shaw Richardson and Marilyn Shaw Bonner, established a nonprofit private foundation in their parents’ memory. The foundation’s purpose is to promote, foster, and enhance charities primarily in Rusk County, Texas, which focus on wellness, healthcare, and education.

Eligibility

Charities primarily in Rusk County, Texas, which focus on wellness, healthcare, and education.