George Thomas Hunter (1886–1950) was a businessman and philanthropist in Chattanooga, Tennessee , who inherited and ran the Coca-Cola Bottling Company empire from his uncle Benjamin Thomas . Hunter grew up in Maysville, KY , but moved to Chattanooga in 1904 to live with his aunt and uncle. Hunter's most notable philanthropic efforts is the creation of The Benwood Foundation and The Hunter Museum of American Art . Hunter Hall at UT Chattanooga was posthumously named in his honor.
7-848: The Benwood Foundation is a charitable foundation created in 1944 by George Hunter in honor of his uncle, Benjamin Thomas who pioneered the Coca-Cola bottling industry and founded the Coca-Cola Bottling Company . George Hunter was the heir of Benjamin Thomas, and much of the wealth related to the Coca-Cola Bottling Company passed on to the Foundation. As of 2004 The Benwood Foundation distributes between $ 4 and $ 5 million annually in grants and donations. Upon George Hunter's death in 1950, 70 percent of
14-720: A private school. When his uncle Ben and aunt Anne died, Hunter inherited his aunt Anne and uncle Ben's estate in the Bluff View district, which is now used as the location for The Hunter Museum of American Art. Hunter died in 1950 leaving behind no spouse or children to carry on the Hunter name. After learning how the company worked from his uncle, George Hunter started working in the Coca-Cola Bottling Company , which started in Birmingham, AL, in 1906 where he served as secretary. When his uncle, Benjamin, died in 1914, Hunter took over
21-653: The Benwood Foundation and together they created Chattanooga's first art museum, the George Thomas Hunter Gallery of Art, which is now known as the Hunter Museum of American Art , to honor Hunter and his philanthropic work. The museum opened a year later on July 12, 1952, and now focuses on art from the colonial period to modern day art. The museum was also a starting point for the entire Bluff View Art district to flourish and become
28-433: The Coca-Cola Bottling Company stock went to the Foundation. This led to a probate law precedent-setting lawsuit when family members sued regarding the tax status of the donation. A 1952 court ruling stated that the Foundation did not have to pay death duties, which became the responsibility of the residuary estate. The ruling was upheld on appeal. The Foundation's grantmaking focus is on Public Education, Arts & Culture,
35-745: The Environment, and Neighborhood & Community Development. George Hunter (Coca-Cola bottler) George Hunter was born in Maysville, KY , but moved to Chattanooga, TN in 1904 to live with his aunt Anne and uncle Benjamin Thomas , who was a pioneer in the Coca-Cola bottling industry in the United States, so that he could learn the ins and outs of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company. While in Chattanooga, he attended Baylor School ,
42-552: The company as president. In 1941, he became chairman of the board and decided to hire DeSales Harrison from the Atlanta company to take over as president. Today, the company is still growing and is one of the third largest bottler in the United States with over 3000 employees. In 1944, Hunter created the Benwood Foundation , in honor of his uncle. The foundation focuses on grants for public education, arts and culture,
49-699: The environment, and neighborhood and community development. The foundation gave a five million dollar grant to the Public Education Foundation to help student achievement. This foundation benefaction set a precedent in Tennessee law when Chancellor Alvin Ziegler ruled that taxes, after one's death, would be borne by the residuary estate. In 1951, a year after Hunter's death, the Chattanooga Art Association contacted
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