Today, January 21, is Anna Magee’s birthday! Anna, the founder of Magee Rehabilitation, was born on January 21, 1843, one of seven children of James and Caroline Magee. Anna was active in many religious and civic organizations, including the Acorn Club, the Philadelphia Society of Colonial Dames of America, The Philadelphia Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Associate Committee of Women to the Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania School of Industrial Art, and the Historical and Genealogical Societies of Pennsylvania. Anna lived very privately at 1720 Walnut Street until she died in 1923 at the age of 80.
Anna never married, and with her passing, she established Magee Rehabilitation Hospital. She left $1,285,000 in 1923. Today, the gift would be equivalent to $17,834,898. Magee’s vision remains the same as Anna had first intended: to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities by providing high quality physical and cognitive rehabilitation services. Thanks to the vision and generosity of Anna Magee and her legacy, Magee Rehabilitation is one of the best rehabilitation hospitals in the nation, leading the way by improving the quality of life of individuals with disabilities.
In honor of Anna Magee, the Anna Magee Society recognizes those individuals who choose to support Magee in the same tradition as Anna Magee. Today, Anna Magee’s gift continues to generate funds that support patient programs and services at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital. You can join the Anna Magee Society by including Magee in your will, as a beneficiary of your life insurance, through charitable trusts, or gift annuities. Gifts such as these allow individuals and families to invest in Magee, ensuring that Magee’s services are available far into the future.
For more information on the Anna Magee Society, please contact Mark Chilutti, Assistant Vice President of Development, at mark.chilutti@jefferson.edu or 215-587-3226.
Editor’s Note: This blog was written in 2016 and edited in 2019.
