BRITTON, GERTRUDE HASKELL (21 May 1909-18 July 1992) was a philanthropist, civic and social leader, volunteer with many civic organizations, and an artist. She was a founder of the BRITTON FUND, and a founder and president of the CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Women's Committee.
Born in Cleveland to Gertrude (Hanna), niece of MARCUS A. HANNA, and COBURN HASKELL, inventor of the modern golf ball, Gertrude was privately tutored until she attended boarding schools in Toronto and Massachusetts. She studied art education in New York, then returned to Cleveland.
Gertrude enjoyed interior and exterior decoration and designed and restored homes as a hobby. She designed a halfway house for clients of HILL HOUSE, a mental health organization, and helped build and restore a number of area homes. As an artist Britton worked with ceramics and modeling clay, and enjoyed boat building.
Britton served as a volunteer teaching arts and crafts to patients at the U.S. Marine Hospital on Fairhill Rd. She was also involved with the Natural History Museum, the JUNIOR LEAGUE OF CLEVELAND, Planned Parenthood, Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, and the United Negro College Fund.
In 1952 she helped establish and served as vice-president of the BRITTON FUND, which makes grants to United Way Services and other charitable organizations in Ohio.
Gertrude married BRIGHAM BRITTON, a founder of CARLON PRODUCTS CORP. on October 10, 1931. They had two sons, CHARLES SCHUYLER II, and Coburn. Britton lived in BRATENAHL and is buried in LAKE VIEW CEMETERY.
Britton family papers, WRHS.