Primary Job Title Co-Founder Primary Organization Yawkey Foundation
Location Boston, Massachusetts, United States Regions Greater Boston Area, East Coast, New England
Website tomyawkey.com/ Facebook View on Facebook LinkedIn View on LinkedIn X (Twitter) View on X
Tom Yawkey is the founder of the Yawkey Foundation. He is perhaps most notable for his former role as the owner and president of the Boston Red Sox, titles he held proudly for over 40 years.
During his tenure with the Red Sox from 1933 to 1976, Tom Yawkey oversaw three American League pennants, restored its historic home stadium of Fenway Park,
and revitalized the team, transforming it into a beloved franchise. Evidence of Mr. Yawkey’s stewardship with the Red Sox includes the revamped look of Fenway Park, which was imparted during the restoration he implemented, and the team’s official charity, The Jimmy Fund, a fundraising arm of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Mr. Yawkey selected the organization in 1953, and the Boston Red Sox continue to contribute to it today, 70 years later. Mr. Yawkey was previously the vice president of the American League from 1956 to 1973. His decades-long ownership of the franchise was recognized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which he was posthumously inducted into in 1980.
In addition to his responsibilities with the Boston Red Sox, Mr. Yawkey was passionate about helping his community and supported many organizations and individuals in need. He served as a trustee on the board for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from 1954 to 1976, president from 1960 to 1969, and chairman of the board from 1969 to 1976.
An avid conservationist, Mr. Yawkey ensured that, upon his death in 1976, the vast swath of land he held in South Carolina would be donated to the state to be protected and maintained with financial support by a dedicated foundation, as stipulated in his will. This commitment resulted in a two-fold initiative, starting with the launch of the Yawkey Foundation in 1977 to fund the maintenance costs of caring for the land in perpetuity, followed by the establishment of what is known today as the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, a nature and wildlife preserve spanning over 24,000 acres along the coast of Georgetown County, South Carolina.
The scope of the Yawkey Foundation’s charitable contributions was expanded by Mr. Yawkey’s wife, Jean Yawkey, to include additional areas of giving reflective of the philanthropy they were both passionate about and regularly supported. The Yawkey Foundation is now a grant-making organization and benefactor to numerous nonprofits in Eastern Massachusetts and Georgetown County, SC, that actively pursue the advancement of nature conservation and wildlife, education, arts and culture, human services, health care, and youth and amateur athletics. To date, the Yawkey Foundation has awarded more than $550 million to nonprofits.
