Given in honor of Harrison M. Sayre, The Columbus Foundation’s founder and 25-year volunteer director, The Harrison M. Sayre Award recognizes leadership in philanthropy in central Ohio. For her immense generosity and historic gift to the community, Betsy Rueb was named the 2024 honoree of The Harrison M. Sayre Award.
Originally from Tiffin, Ohio, Betsy moved to Columbus to attend The Ohio State University, where she met her husband, Floyd. Together, Betsy and Floyd built a home in Upper Arlington, where Betsy continued to live after Floyd passed away in 1983. Betsy, who deeply loved children, was described by a close friend as being big-hearted, generous, and charming. She also learned how to do her own investing, and 30 years ago approached The Columbus Foundation with a planned gift commitment to the Foundation’s scholarship program.
After many years of living simply and investing wisely, Betsy passed away 2023, leaving her assets to The Columbus Foundation to establish an endowed scholarship fund to support promising students throughout central Ohio who may lack financial resources to continue their education. Through the fund, Betsy’s legacy will live on, improving the lives of students and their families in perpetuity.
Ann Fisher, former host of WOSU’s All Sides with Ann Fisher, recently sat down with Clark Kellogg, Chairperson of The Columbus Foundation Governing Committee, and Angela Parsons, JD, CAP®, Vice President of Donor Services at The Columbus Foundation, to discuss Betsy’s remarkable $55 million gift and its monumental impact on the community.