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The Abell Foundation is a Baltimore based philanthropic Foundation.

History
The Abell Foundation was founded in December 1958 by David R. Owen, William A Fisher, Jr., and John M. Hudd, under the name "The A.S. Abell Company Foundation, Inc." Harry C. Black, a Baltimore philanthropist, was elected the first president. In its early years the Foundation promoted a platform of broad-based giving aimed at reducing the systematic causes of poverty in Baltimore. Its early donees included hospitals, educational institutions, the Associated Catholic Charities, Associated Jewish Charities and the United Negro College Fund of Baltimore, Inc.

The Foundation's resources expanded dramatically 1986 when the Times-Mirror purchased all the outstanding stock of the A.S. Abell Company, resulting in a ten-fold increase in Foundation assets to $112 million. More recently, the Foundation has supported education and housing initiatives in Baltimore, in addition to funding job placement programs and environmental initiatives. Since 1998 the Foundation's investment wing, Abell Venture Fund, has supported several environmental start-up companies, including ThermoChem Recovery International, Inc. (TRI), PAICE Corporation, and Lawrenceville Plasma Physics, Inc.

Current and Recent Programs
Astor Court Apartments The Astor Court apartments is a housing complex located in the Charles Village neighborhood in Baltimore. The centrally located, affordable housing complex was built to house local public school teachers. The Foundation, conjunction with several partners, supported the project in order to help attract attract high-quality teachers to the city.