The de Beaumont Foundation was created in 1998 by Pierre S. (Pete) de Beaumont, the founder of the Brookstone Company, with the broad purpose to relieve human suffering. Mr. de Beaumont wanted the Foundation to have a broad mandate and supported a concentration on public health, where he thought his resources could make the biggest impact. He gave the Board of Directors ultimate discretion in the choice of funding priorities.
Mr. de Beaumont was born and raised in New York City. After graduating from Harvard University in 1938, he began a successful career as a mechanical engineer with Packard Motor Car Co. (where he was granted several patents) and General Motors. During World War II, he served as an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Following the war, he continued his engineering career at Apex Electrical Manufacturing Company and Bostic. In 1965, Mr. de Beaumont and his wife, Mary Deland (Robbins), founded the Brookstone Company. Initially a mail order catalogue, it grew to become a successful chain of retail stores before they retired in 1980 and sold the company to the Quaker Oats Company.
The Foundation was fully funded upon Mr. de Beaumont’s death in December 2010.
Pierre "Pete" S. de Beaumont
1998Pierre S. "Pete" de Beaumont incorporates an independent, private foundation. Bylaws are adopted, naming the following directors: Mr. de Beaumont; James Sprague, MD; Murray Brennan, MD; and Leroy Parker, MD.
1999
1999The de Beaumont Foundation is awarded 501(c) (3) status as a tax-exempt private foundation.
2001
2001The de Beaumont Foundation awards its first grant to the Molecular Immunology Foundation to support cancer vaccine research.
2005
2005Dr. James Sprague is elected Chairman of the Board of Directors. The Board bestows the honorary title of Chairman-Emeritus to Pierre S. de Beaumont.
2007
2007Dr. James Sprague becomes the full-time CEO, and the de Beaumont Foundation opens a small office in Bethesda, Md.
2008
2008The de Beaumont Foundation conducts a needs assessment with public health leaders across the country. The Foundation refines its focus on public health, and the Board adopts a new mission statement: The de Beaumont Foundation seeks to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of local health departments.
2009
2009The de Beaumont Foundation funds the first face-to-face meeting for the Big Cities Health Coalition, convening health directors of the largest cities in the United States.
2010
2010Mr. de Beaumont dies and leaves his estate to the Foundation.
2011
2011Ariel Moyer is hired as the Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer.
2012
2012Brian C. Castrucci is hired as Chief Program and Strategy Officer.
National Consortium for Public Health Workforce Development
2013de Beaumont and ASTHO convened the National Consortium for Public Health Workforce Development for the first time. The Consortium identified the top strategic skills needed in the governmental public health workforce and recommended that a nationally representative needs assessment be conducted. This assessment became PH WINS.
2013
2013Partnering with ASTHO, the Foundation hosts and convenes the Public Health Workforce Strategy meeting, which leads to the creation of the National Consortium for Public Health Workforce Development.
PH WINS was fielded for the first time
2014PH WINS was fielded for the first time.
2014
2014The Foundation reaches its full endowment, expands its staff, and moves to new offices at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda, Md. The Foundation launches The Practical Playbook to Integrate Primary Care and Public Health. The following year, Oxford University Press publishes the textbook version of the Practical Playbook. The Foundation collaborates with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to launch the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), the first nationally representative assessment of public health workers.
Results from PH WINS 2014 released October 2015
2015Results from PH WINS 2014 were released in October 2015.
2015
2015The BUILD Health Challenge announces its first awardees. Edward L. Hunter is hired as President and CEO. Dr. Sprague continues his service as Chair of the Board of Directors. ASTHO and the de Beaumont Foundation release the results of the 2014 PH WINS survey, which reveals challenges in turnover, professional development, and diversity.
PH WINS was fielded for the second time
2017PH WINS was fielded for the second time.
2017
2017The de Beaumont Foundation launches CityHealth, an initiative to promote policies that are proven to improve health and rated 40 cities on their adoption of the polices. In its first report, CityHealth awards gold medals to five cities, silver medals to five, and bronze medals to nine.
The Foundation and the Aspen Institute launched PHRASES: Public Health Reaching Across Sectors, with the mission to give public health professionals tools to communicate the impact and value of the field to other sectors.
2018
2018After serving as Chief Program and Strategy Officer for six years, Brian Castrucci is named President and CEO. The Foundation expands its leadership team, adding its first Vice President of Communications, Mark Miller, and its first Vice President for Impact, Dr. Katie Sellers.
Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest integrated health system, joins forces with the de Beaumont Foundation as a partner in CityHealth.
The Board approves a new mission statement broadening the Foundation’s vision: The Foundation’s mission is to advance policy, build partnerships, and strengthen public health to create communities where people can achieve their best possible health.
2017 Survey Results
2019Results from PH WINS 2017 were released in January 2019.
2019
2019
PH WINS 2017, the second national survey of the public health workforce, is released, revealing a growing risk of turnover in state and local health departments.
Practical Playbook II: Building Multisector Partnerships That Work is released.