Annie L. Stevens and the Gift Still Serving Dallas
A gift made generations ago is helping young readers today. Catch Up & Read recently received a grant from the Annie L. Stevens Fund at The Dallas Foundation. Behind that gift is the story of a Dallas woman whose generosity continues to serve the city long after her lifetime.
A Philanthropist Who Helped Shape Oak Cliff
Annie Lucille Stevens was born in Dallas in 1875 and grew up on her family’s farm in what is now Oak Cliff. She became an early Dallas businesswoman and real estate developer, helping shape the community around her.
Alongside her brother Walter, Annie developed residential and commercial areas of Oak Cliff. She served as president of the company that developed Stevens Park Village and the Stevens Park Shopping Center, and she owned and developed Stevens Park Estates.
In the 1920s, Annie and Walter donated 40 acres of family land to the City of Dallas in memory of their parents. Combined with other city land, their gift became Stevens Park, including its municipal golf course. Today, the neighborhood’s Annie L. Stevens Park offers another visible reminder of her connection to Dallas.
Care that Extended Beyond Her Lifetime
Annie’s interests reached beyond real estate. She was a charter member of Grace Methodist Church and participated in the Dallas Woman’s Forum. A 1968 Dallas Morning News account recalled her devoted care for her parents in their later years and her concern for the welfare of older people. It also described her interest in young people, including her niece.
When Annie died in 1941, her will provided for her niece through a trust and expressed charitable concerns for children and older adults in need. According to The Dallas Foundation, the Annie L. Stevens Designated Fund was created in 1997 with proceeds from that trust. The fund benefits organizations named in her will and other agencies serving low-income older adults or children who face economic hardship, disability, abuse or neglect.
Her Generosity Reachers Today’s Readers
That continuing commitment now includes Catch Up & Read. Through our partnerships with elementary schools, we equip teachers with literacy training and coaching and support targeted instruction for children in English and Spanish. Our goal is to help children in underserved communities read on grade level by the end of third grade.
We are grateful to The Dallas Foundation for honoring Annie’s charitable intentions and for including Catch Up & Read in that legacy. More than eight decades after her death, her generosity is still creating opportunities for Dallas children. We are honored to help carry it forward.
