History

George and Jane Norton | History | Family

In 1958 George W. Norton, Founder and President of WAVE Radio and TV in Louisville, Kentucky, established the WAVE Foundation with the aim of making charitable contributions to the local community. After Mr. Norton’s death in 1964, the WAVE Foundation was overseen by the Norton family.

In 1981 the Norton family sold WAVE Radio and TV, and the Foundation was renamed the George W. Norton Foundation. Jane Morton Norton, Mr. Norton’s wife, served as President until her death in 1988. At that time, their descendants renamed the Foundation again, now called the Norton Foundation, in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Norton. They also reevaluated the Foundation’s mission to focus on the arts and education, using the principles of Waldorf education as a guide.

Janey Newton, grandchild of the Nortons, and Maggie Keith, great grandchild, as well as Brandon Coan, a trusted family friend, now serve as the current directors of the foundation.