CHARLES STEWART MOTT

'Charles Stewart Mott' (June 2, 1875 — February 18, 1973) was a US industrialist and philanthropist who was born in Newark, New Jersey. His parents were John Coon Mott and Isabella Turnball Stewart. He began working for his father and uncle, Fred Mott who had purchased a bicycle wheel making business (Weston-Mott Co.). After the death of his father, C. S. Mott was appointed superintendent of the company by his uncle. C. S. Mott moved to Flint, Michigan in 1905 in a merger with Buick. The company was later bought by General Motors in exchange for GM stock. Mott served on the GM Board of Directors until his death in 1973.
He was mayor of Flint in 1912, 1913, and in 1918 and he was Vice-President of General Motors in 1916.
In 1926, Mott established the C.S. Mott Foundation out of concern for the welfare of his adopted community of Flint. Through the foundation he started a medical and dental clinic for children, the Mott Children's Health Center, in Flint, as well as the Whaley Children's Center. In 1952 he donated 32 acres of his Applewood estate to start Flint Jr college that later became Mott Community College. Through his personal philanthropy he helped establish the YMCA and the Boy Scouts in the city of Flint, MI.
His estate, Applewood, was built in 1916 as a self-sustaining farm for the Charles Stewart Mott Family and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The main residence and grounds encompass approximately 34 acres, 18 extensively landscaped. They include perennial, rose, cut flower and demonstration gardens, and an orchard with 29 varieties of heritage apples. The original gatehouse, barn and chicken coop complete the estate. The Ruth Mott Foundation now operates Applewood to demonstrate and support its mission, vision, values and programs.
He married Ethel Culbert Harding in 1900 and they had three children, Aimee, Elsa and C. S. Harding, before Ethel died in 1924. He went on to marry his sixth cousin Ruth Rawlings, in 1934 by whom he also had three children (Susan Elizabeth, Stewart Rawlings, and Maryanne Mott).
He graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1897 with an engineering degree, where the athletic field house is named after him.
He is one of the largest philanthropists in Flint, MI. Many people who were kids in Flint in the 50's remember his generosity, he gave all the children in Flint new shoes and free dental care through his clinic. His foundation continues to do great things for Flint, including many programs that help the poor.
He died in Flint at the age of 97 in 1973.
Mott Community College was founded on the estate of the Mott family. The Charles S. Mott Prize for the cause of cancer is one of a trio of prestigious research prizes annually awarded by the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation.
C.S. Mott Children's Hospital at the University of Michigan was founded in 1969, from a $6.5 million gift from Mott.
C.S. Mott Foundation recently gave a several million dollar grant to the Children's health hospital in Ann Arbor, MI.
The C.S. Mott Foundation is involved with philanthropy in many countries, including Germany, South Africa, Poland, and the US. Some of the main issues for the Foundation are equality and environmental responsibility.
A building on the University of Chicago's campus is named after him.