Age of death: 92
Biggest beneficiary: The William Penn Foundation, in Philadelphia, established in 1945 by Mr. Haas’s parents, Otto Haas, co-founder of the Rohm and Haas Company, a chemical manufacturer, and his wife, Phoebe. In December 2009, after the sale of the company to Dow Chemical for $18-billion, John C. Haas directed $747-million from his family’s charitable trusts to the foundation. The Penn foundation’s assets stood at approximately $2-billion after the 2009 gift, making it one of the wealthiest private grant makers in the country. John Haas was the foundation’s chairman for 32 years; one of his sons, David Haas, is now chairman of the foundation’s board.
Other philanthropy: After the company sale, Mr. Haas also directed $502-million from the family trusts to start the Wyncote Foundation, a Philadelphia grant maker that supports public media and journalism, among other causes. Mr. Haas and his wife, Chara, created the Stoneleigh Foundation, in Philadelphia, in 2006 to award fellowships to researchers, policy makers and others who work to improve the lives of needy youths. Stoneleigh’s assets stand at approximately $1.4-million; the fund will eventually receive about $50-million that Mr. Haas pledged several years ago for endowment. Mr. Haas also served as president of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia.
How he made his fortune: Mr. Haas spent his career at Rohm and Haas, starting in 1942 as an engineer and eventually becoming chairman. He retired in 1978.
How he will be remembered: “He had a very long-term, abiding awareness of the inequities in the world and wanted to level the playing field,” said Julia R. Dutton, who led Stoneleigh until last year. Mr. Haas was gentle and self-effacing, said Feather Houstoun, president of the William Penn Foundation. “He immediately brushed off compliments, he immediately brushed off gratitude,” said Ms. Houstoun. In retirement, Mr. Haas continued to work on other endeavors, commuting by train to a small office until the last six months of his life. A friend of Ms. Houstoun’s once saw Mr. Haas walking home from the Villanova, Pa., train station. He was picking up trash along the way.
