Jessie B. Cox, 1908-1982
As a child, Jessie Bancroft Cox toured the world with her grandfather Clarence Barron, the president of Dow Jones & Company and manager of The Wall Street Journal.
Jessie loved spending time with her family. She had an extremely outgoing personality. She enjoyed sports, especially teams from the Boston area, and was a nationally decorated sailing and equestrian champion. She cherished the outdoors, gardens, and flowers. With her husband, William Coburn Cox, she gave generously to Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Tufts University, Milton Academy, Boston Aquarium, Boston Science Museum, the Town of Cohasset, and countless other organizations.
These experiences helped shape her strong family values, her philanthropic interests, and her passion for protecting the independence of journalism. In bestowing the Trust, she created an opportunity for future generations to extend her and her family’s legacy of giving.
Trust representatives have pursued philanthropy in Jessie’s name in a spirit she would admire: continuously learning from the ever-changing world, engaging thoughtfully with critical issues, and striving to do the most good possible with Jessie’s gift, particularly in education, health, environment, and the promotion of philanthropy.