Barbara Ingalls Shook
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Barbara Ingalls Shook | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 28, 1938 |
| Died | September 26, 2008 (aged 69) |
| Education | Mount Vernon College for Women |
| Occupation | Philanthropist |
| Spouse | Robert Paschal Shook |
| Children | 2 daughters |
| Relatives | Robert Ingersoll Ingalls Jr. (father) Robert Ingersoll Ingalls Sr. (paternal grandfather) |
Barbara Ingalls Shook (1938–2008) was an American heiress and philanthropist. She was a prominent patron of the arts in Birmingham, Alabama. She also served on the advisory board of the National Cancer Institute in the Reagan administration.
Ingalls Shook was born on September 28, 1938. Her paternal grandfather, Robert Ingersoll Ingalls Sr. (1882–1951), was the founder of Ingalls Iron Works, the largest privately owned steel manufacturer in the Southern United States, and Ingalls Shipbuilding, the largest shipyard in the Gulf Coast of the United States.[1] She had a sister, Elesabeth Ingalls Gillet, and a step-brother Lathrop Winchester Smith.[2]
She graduated from Mount Vernon Seminary and College in Washington, D.C. (which later merged with the George Washington University), with an associate degree in 1958.[3]
Philanthropy
She was a noted philanthropist in Birmingham, Alabama, through the Barbara Ingalls Shook Foundation.[1][3] She was a patron to the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, and the Alabama Ballet.[1][4][5] Her philanthropy extended to healthcare, as she donated to St. Vincent's Birmingham and the Montclair Baptist Medical Center.[1] She also donated to the Jimmie Hale Mission, a homeless shelter; the Big Oak Ranch, a residence for at-risk youth;[1] and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.[1][6]
She was also active in philanthropy in Aspen, Colorado.[2] She founded Challenge Aspen, a non-profit organization to support sports among the disabled in Aspen.[2][3]
She was also a distinguished philanthropist nationally. President Ronald Reagan appointed her to the advisory board of the National Cancer Institute.[1][2][3] As a result, she received the Woman of the Year award from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in 1986.[2][3] She was also honored posthumously at the Hope Gala hosted by the American Cancer Society in 2009.[7]