This fund was established in September 2023 from resources provided by the late George Webster Reynolds of Columbia, Maryland (1944-2018). The fund honors the life of George Webster Reynolds, a renowned African-American mechanical engineer who was born and grew up in Washington, D.C.
After graduating from Howard Univesity with a B.A. in Mechanical Engineering, he went on to receive a Masters in Engineering degree from George Washington University and a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard University. He received numerous awards for his excellent job performance and his dedication to advancements in science, engineering, and technology during his years of employment with such major companies as Westinghouse, General Motors, and Northrup Grumman.
As a youth, Mr. Reynolds traveled each summer with his grandmother, Beatrice Webster, to her childhood home in Madison Heights, Virginia where he spent several weeks visiting his cousins and other relatives. While there he stayed in the residence of his late great-grandparents, George W. Reynolds (1866-1949) and Hattie King Reynolds (1862-1926) that was built around 1900. Although three of their offspring died in infancy, their surviving children included twins George and Hattie, Beatrice, Greene, Nazareth, and Mabel (Jerlean).
George Webster Reynolds, whom this fund commemorates, had a lifetime interest in preserving the legacy of his ancestors and that of other African-American residents of Amherst County, Virginia and the surrounding areas.
The fund will support historic preservation (research and other activities that document, preserve, and protect the architectural, historical, genealogical, educational, spiritual, and cultural contributions of African-Americans to communities in Amherst County and the surrounding areas) and the education of the public about the African-American heritage of Amherst County and surrounding areas.