Cranwell Family Foundation Establishes Endowed Fund at Miller School of Albemarle
$100,000 Gift Creates The James Edward and Mary Peters Cranwell Fund to Support Students with Financial Need
Miller School of Albemarle and the Cranwell Family Foundation jointly announce a transformational $100,000 gift to establish The James Edward and Mary Peters Cranwell Fund. This historic endowment, the first named fund in the school's Samuel Miller Society, will provide critical support to students with financial need who are receiving significant financial aid, ensuring they have access to textbooks, testing fees, college application support, and other essential resources.
The fund honors James Edward Cranwell, who attended Miller School from 1914 to 1916, and his wife, Mary Peters Cranwell. Their legacy lives on through three of their sons – Bill, Bob, and Dick – all of whom attended Virginia Tech, where they distinguished themselves on and off the football field, and thereafter left an enduring mark on Southwest Virginia and beyond through their lives of leadership, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and public service.
"When Samuel Miller founded this school in 1878, he envisioned a place where students of promise could access an excellent education regardless of their family's means," said Michael Drude, Head of School. "The Cranwell family's gift honors that original mission. This is exactly what Miller School is about: connecting our history to our future, and ensuring the next generation of students has every opportunity to thrive."
Established as a permanent endowment, the James Edward and Mary Peters Cranwell Fund will generate annual revenue in perpetuity to help ensure that Miller School students with financial need have access to the resources necessary to fully participate in and benefit from a Miller education – removing barriers that too often stand between promise and opportunity.
"At the Cranwell Family Foundation, we're dedicated to unlocking opportunities and unleashing potential," said David Clubb, Executive Director of the Cranwell Family Foundation. "Supporting Miller School students honors James Edward Cranwell's own experience there, while creating a ripple effect that will transform lives for generations."
In recognition of this landmark gift, the three Cranwell brothers and the Cranwell Family Foundation will be recognized at the highest level of Miller School's Bell Tower Society and as founding members of the Samuel Miller Society, which honors donors who have made enduring commitments to ensure the school's long-term sustainability.
The gift comes during Miller School's sesquicentennial celebration, marking 150 years of educational excellence in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. As the school looks toward its next chapter, endowed funds like the Cranwell Fund provide permanent resources that will support students for generations to come.
Families, alumni, and friends interested in supporting Miller School students may contact Director of Development Aimee Carter at acarter@millerschool.org or visit millerschoolofalbemarle.org/donate.
About the Cranwell Family Foundation
The Cranwell Family Foundation is dedicated to unlocking opportunities and unleashing potential within a locally grounded and globally minded framework. As a connector, collaborator, and catalyst, the Foundation empowers individuals and organizations through giving that advances impact locally and globally. For more information, visit cranwellfamilyfoundation.org.