Byrd estate gifts endowments to Charleston city, school district

Pictured are, from left: Nelson Byrd; Charleston R-1 superintendent Jamarcus Williams; Charleston School Board President Evin Burke; Hudson Byrd; and Charleston School Board Treasurer Cade Coon on Tuesday, Nov. 14 in Charleston at the law office of Reginald E. Young. The gift will assist the Charleston R-1 School District through endowments established with the Bootheel Regional Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

Gina Williams/Standard Democrat

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Two $1-million gifts from James L. Byrd III’s estate have established financial endowments that will benefit the City of Charleston and the Charleston R-1 School District. 

On Tuesday, Nov. 14, the new funds were announced at the law office of Reginald E. Young, personal representative of the James L. “Jim” Byrd Estate.

For the announcement of the two major gifts, a group including Byrd’s family members, Nelson and Hudson Byrd; Charleston City Manager Greg Luehmann; Charleston R-1 Superintendent Jamarcus Williams; and Charleston R-1 School Board President Evin Burke. 

“The generous gifts from the estate of James L. Byrd to benefit the City of Charleston and the Charleston R-1 School District illustrate the value of community foundations and why the Bootheel Regional Community Foundation has been formed,” said Jim Grebing, founding board member of the BRCF and executive director of the Bootheel Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission. 

Burke and Williams said the school intends to use the endowment for capital project improvements and a variety of other purposes, as the endowment is ongoing.

Gina Williams/Standard Democrat Nelson Byrd (left); Charleston City Manager Greg Luehmann (middle); and Hudson Byrd pose for a picture Tuesday, Nov. 14 in Charleston for the announcement of the two major gifts from the estate of James L. Byrd III. The gifts will assist the city of Charleston and the Charleston R-1 School District through endowments established with the Bootheel Regional Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

The city said they plan to use the endowment to maintain the newly renovated parks and for other future city improvements.

The endowments were managed by the Bootheel Regional Community Foundation, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks’ newest affiliate. The money will be managed by the Foundation for long-term growth and benefit to the Charleston community.

A lifelong resident of Charleston, Byrd passed away at the age of 90 in 2020. He started the South Missouri Broadcasting Company in 1954 and operated KCHR until his retirement. He was a member of the United Methodist Church of Charleston and had served in the Missouri National Guard for 16 years. 

The legacy of Byrd, according to Hudson and Nelson Byrd, is a tribute to a quiet individual who cared passionately about the community in which he lived, and it is a source of great pride for them to know that his bequests will benefit the citizens of Charleston indefinitely.