The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s steadfast support for the humanities and arts has advanced innovative programs at U of T for decades, including collaborative digital research on ancient manuscripts and the pioneering Dictionary of Old English.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is one of the largest funders of the arts and of the humanities in higher education in the United States and seeks to strengthen, promote, and defend the centrality of the humanities and the arts to human flourishing and to the well-being of diverse, fair, and democratic societies. To this end, its core programs support exemplary and inspiring institutions of higher education and culture.

A not-for-profit corporation under the laws of the State of New York, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation was formed on June 30, 1969, through the consolidation of two existing foundations—the Avalon Foundation and the Old Dominion Foundation. The Avalon Foundation had been established in 1940 by Ailsa Mellon Bruce, daughter of Andrew W. Mellon. The Old Dominion Foundation had been established in 1941 by Paul Mellon, son of Andrew W. Mellon. When the two foundations were consolidated, the Foundation adopted the name The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to honor their father.

As of 2019, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has supported the University of Toronto with over US$19 million in grants.