Murray Seasongood (1878-1983) established the Murray Seasongood Good Government Fund in 1973 under the auspices of the University of Cincinnati. The fund's goals included promoting good government, attracting students to careers in local government and increasing citizen participation in public affairs. The fund was modeled after an earlier version of the Murray Seasongood Good Government Fund which operated from 1948 to 1966. Both Murray and Agnes Seasongood served on the board of the fund along with Warren G. Bennis, Bruce I. Petrie, and Robert W. Hilton, Jr., among others. Joan Berry and D. David Altman have served as the executive secretaries of the organization. In 1987 the fund became a non-profit organization named the Murray and Agnes Seasongood Good Government Foundation. Over the years, the foundation has achieved its goals through college internships, lectures and symposiums, and grant-funding. The internship program primarily placed college students in local government departments in the City of Cincinnati, such as the City Planning Commission and the Office of Researsh, Evaluation and Budget. Other interns conducted research projects regarding civil service, judicial selection and labor law. Since the mid-1970s, the fund has supported numerous civic projects through grant-funding. The League of Women Voters, the University of Cincinnati, and the Cincinnati Bar Association are just a few of the recipients of the Seasongood grants. These grants have been related to various topics including governmental privatization, public/private partnerships, merit selection of judges, voting, dispute mediation and Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine.
From the description of Murray and Agnes Seasongood Good Government Foundation records, 1943-1992 (bulk 1973-1992). (Cincinnati Historical Library and Archives). WorldCat record id: 62381497
