Charles E. Merrill Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charles E. Merrill Jr.
Born	Charles Edward Merrill Jr. August 17, 1920
Died	November 29, 2017 (aged 97) Nowy Sącz, Poland
Alma mater	Harvard College
Occupation	Educator, author, philanthropist
Spouse(s)	Mary White Klohr ​ ​ (m. 1942; died 1999)​ Julie Boudreaux
Children	5
Parent(s)	Charles E. Merrill (father)
Relatives	James Merrill (brother) Peter Magowan (nephew)

Charles Edward Merrill Jr. (born August 17, 1920 – died November 29, 2017) was an American teacher, writer, and generous helper of good causes. He is most famous for supporting historically black colleges and for starting the Commonwealth School in Boston.

Early Life and Family

Charles E. Merrill Jr. was the son of Charles E. Merrill. His father was one of the people who started Merrill Lynch. This was a very big company that helped people buy and sell stocks.

Charles Jr. was the second child of his father and his first wife, Elizabeth Church Merrill. He had an older sister named Doris. He also had a half-brother, James Merrill, who became a famous poet.

Charles grew up in New York City. He went to Deerfield Academy and then studied at Harvard College. Later, he received a special scholarship called a Fulbright grant. This allowed him to teach in Austria.

Military Service in World War II

During World War II, Charles Merrill Jr. joined the military. He served in the Fifth United States Army. His service took him to North Africa, Italy, and Germany.

One important story from his time in the war was how he helped a Jewish teenager named Bernat Rosner. Charles met Bernat in Germany. Bernat had lost his family because of the Holocaust. Charles became friends with Bernat and helped him move to the United States.

Charles also helped Bernat get an education. Bernat later went to Harvard Law School. He became a top lawyer for Safeway Stores, a large grocery chain. This company was started by Charles's father. The story of their friendship was told in a book called Uncommon Friendship.

Educator and Supporter of Education

In 1958, Charles Merrill Jr. started the Commonwealth School in Boston. He used his own money to fund the school. He also worked there himself. He was the headmaster, or principal, until 1981.

The school showed what Charles believed in. He wanted to give a strong education to all students. This included minority students and those who were less fortunate. The school focused a lot on history, English, and writing. Charles even taught a Bible class to ninth graders. He taught it to help them understand human ideas, not just for religious reasons.

He also believed in being careful with money. Students at the school helped keep it clean. They would clear tables, wash dishes, and empty trash cans. Charles was also very generous, but he didn't show it off. He often paid for students' tuition, even for college, if they needed help.

Before starting Commonwealth School, Charles also helped create the Thomas Jefferson School in St. Louis in 1946.

Charles Merrill Jr. also helped many other colleges. He was the leader of the Charles E. Merrill Trust. This was a charity named after his father. The Trust gave money to start Merrill College at the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1968.

For over 15 years, Charles was also the head of the Board of Trustees for Morehouse College. This is a famous historically black college in Atlanta. A building there, Merrill Hall, was named after him because of all his help. He also served on the boards of other colleges like Marlboro College and Hampshire College. He even taught classes at several schools, including Spelman College.

Personal Life and Later Years

Even though Charles Merrill Jr. had a lot of money, he lived a simple life. He and his siblings gave up much of their father's inheritance for a small amount of money. This meant that most of his father's wealth went to charity.

Charles's brother, James Merrill, was a poet. James dedicated one of his poetry books to Charles and their sister. Charles and James both loved opera.

Charles married his high school girlfriend, Mary White Klohr, in 1942. They had a happy marriage and five children. Mary passed away in 1999. Later, Charles married Julie Boudreaux, who was with him until he died.

Charles wrote a book about starting and leading Commonwealth School. It was called The Walled Garden. He loved to travel, especially to countries in Central and Eastern Europe. He wrote about these trips in a book called The Journey. He also wrote other books like The Trip to Paris and The Checkbook.

He helped start a foundation in Bosnia and Herzegovina to support education. Charles often spoke about democracy and freedom. He was also a talented artist.

When he passed away, he lived in Boston, Hancock, New Hampshire, and Nowy Sącz, Poland. He died on November 29, 2017, in Poland.