Our History
The Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation was created from a vision rooted in generosity, shaped by personal experience, and built on a deep belief in the transformative power of education and healthcare. Its story begins with the foundation’s namesake who spent her life giving back.
Joan C. Edwards and her husband James “Jimmy” Edwards were long-time residents of Huntington, West Virginia, where they built a life and legacy defined by entrepreneurship and philanthropy. Joan, born in London and raised in New Orleans, had a successful career as a jazz singer, performing across the country and recording with major orchestras. She met Jimmy while singing at the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh. He was an entrepreneur who grew his family’s business, the National Mattress Company, and later became deeply involved in thoroughbred horse racing, eventually serving as West Virginia’s Horse Racing Commissioner.
In the early 1980s, as the couple looked toward the future, they began planning how to use their estate to support causes close to their hearts. It was during this time that they began working with financial advisor Tom McDonald in Cleveland, Ohio who helped the couple lay the groundwork for what would become the Edwards philanthropic legacy. After Jimmy’s passing in 1991, Joan continued to expand their charitable vision, collaborating closely with Tom to formalize plans for a foundation that would outlive them both.
A Legacy of Giving
From Vision to Foundation
Before her death in 2006, Joan worked to ensure that her estate would be used to support the education of future medical professionals—particularly students from communities where access to healthcare and education has historically been limited. That vision led to the formation of the Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation.
Today, the Foundation’s work is grounded in the values Joan held close: equity, opportunity, and community. It provides full scholarships, mentoring, and long-term support to students from underrepresented communities, guiding them from high school through college and medical school. And while the Foundation was created to address the shortage of doctors, its impact has been broader—supporting students who go on to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics at some of the nation’s leading universities.
This is more than a scholarship. It’s a commitment to the future—student by student, community by community.
Voices of Our Scholars
We're tapping into our community as Edwards Scholars, and making a network for ourselves to pass down knowledge to help others in the community succeed.
Nichola Bomani Gonzalez
Resident Physician
Lehigh Valley Health
I didn’t have anyone in my family to guide me through the process of medical school, so connecting with other Scholars helped me see what was possible and how to get there.
Suhib Jamal
Pediatrician
UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital
As the first doctor in my family, I leaned on the guidance and support I found at the Cleveland School of Science & Medicine to navigate a path I knew nothing about.
Nichelle Ruffin
Assistant Professor, Clinical Family Medicine & Community | Penn Medicine