1907 – 2003
Virginia Kettering changed the face of the region through her
philanthropy. She was the single largest contributor to the Kettering Medical Center, which was established as a gift to the community from the Kettering Family and other donors. She was the first individual contributor to the Fraze Pavilion project and donated $7 million to the Victoria Theatre in downtown Dayton with specific instructions that the historic architecture be preserved, that it remain on a bus line, and be financially self-supporting. Other institutions benefited from her vision and generosity include
the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, the Dayton Art Institute, Dayton Philharmonic, the Dayton Performing Arts Fund, the Dayton Ballet, and the Miriam Rosenthal Foundation. It was Virginia Kettering’s idea to organize the Holiday Festival in downtown Dayton. A cultural leader in the community, she has helped the arts reach thousands.