The Dorothy D. and Joseph A. Moller Foundation was created by Joseph A. Moller, a veteran of World War I and World War II whose wealth came from working for the Pure Oil Company, cattle ranching, and investing. The foundation, which is administered by Hillsdale College, gives grants to military charities, animal welfare organizations, and center-right nonprofits.

Joseph A. Moller

Joseph A. Moller served as a second lieutenant in the First World War. After graduating from Cornell, he worked for the Pure Oil Company, where he obtained 100 patents on improvements in aviation fuel. In World War II, now-Colonel Moller commanded the 390^th Bombardment Group, which flew 301 missions into Germany and Occupied Europe, including major attacks against German industrial targets and against German defenses supporting D-Day. ¹

The Chicago Tribune noted that Moller “led more raids over Europe than any other senior officer.” ² Col. Moller received the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, and awards from the French and Polish governments. ³

After the war, Moller worked briefly for Pure Oil and then became a cattle rancher and investor. ⁴

Donations to Military Charities

Moller’s principal philanthropic activity in his lifetime was the creation of the 390^th Memorial Museum, opened in 1985 and located in Tucson, Arizona.  The New York Times noted that Moller was the “motivating force” behind the museum’s creation. ⁵ The museum includes the Joseph A. Moller Archive, containing the records of the 390^th Bombardment Group, as well as a restored B-17 bomber. ⁶ In 2019, the Moller Foundation donated $529,000 to the 390^th Memorial Museum and $25,000 to a British charity honoring the bombardment group. ⁷

The Moller Foundation also donates to the Association of Graduates of the Air Force Academy, which received $2.7 million from the foundation in 2019. The grant was combined with donations from alumni to restore the Air Gardens, an open space at the center of campus that also includes space for outdoor classrooms and a memorial to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The restored garden was dedicated in October 2021. ⁸

Other Donations

Hillsdale College, which administers the Moller Foundation, received $2.7 million from the foundation in 2019. The foundation made 10 grants to environmental and animal welfare organizations, with four grants of over $100,000 going to the Arizona Animal Welfare League, Arizona Center for Nature Conservation, Arizona Humane Society, and the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. Five center-right nonprofits received grants of over $50,000: Institute for Humane Studies, Leadership Institute, Media Research Center, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, and the Washington Legal Foundation. ⁹

1. “Bomb Group Overview,” 390^th Memorial Museum, https://390th.org/learn-about-390th/bomb-group-overview/ (accessed November 11, 2021)
2. ^[1] Kenan Heise, “Joseph Moller, Hero Pilot In World War II,” Chicago Tribune, October 13, 1993. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1993-10-13-9310130082-story.html
3. Wolfgang Saxon, “Joseph Moller, 93, A Decorated World War II Pilot,” New York Times, October 13, 1993. https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/13/obituaries/joseph-moller-93-a-decorated-world-war-ii-pilot.html
4. Wolfgang Saxon, “Joseph Moller, 93, A Decorated World War II Pilot,” New York Times, October 13, 1993. https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/13/obituaries/joseph-moller-93-a-decorated-world-war-ii-pilot.html
5. Wolfgang Saxon, “Joseph Moller, 93, A Decorated World War II Pilot,” New York Times, October 13, 1993. https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/13/obituaries/joseph-moller-93-a-decorated-world-war-ii-pilot.html
6. Veronica M. Cruz, “Bomb Group That Fought Nazis Renovates Museum of Exploits,” Arizona Daily Star, February 2, 2013.
7. 2019 Dorothy and Joseph Moller Foundation Form 990.
8. “Air Garden Sprouts Anew,” Air Force Academy Foundation, https://www.afacademyfoundation.org/s/1885/21/interior.aspx?sid=1885&gid=2&pgid=742&cid=1862&ecid=1862&crid=0&calpgid=61&calcid=1831 (accessed November 11, 2021)
9. 2019 Dorothy and Joseph Moller Foundation Form 990.