Joan C. Edwards
Encyclopedia
Joan C. Edwards was a New Orleans jazz
singer and well-known West Virginia
-based philanthropist.
, England
, she moved to New Orleans at the age of four. By age 11, she was singing on New Orleans radio station WWL, the start of a musical career that included filming movie shorts, singing with orchestras, recording with Clyde McCoy
and his Kentucky Band, and performing in New York, Pittsburgh
and Chicago.
While singing at Pittsburgh's William Penn Hotel, she met James F. Edwards
, owner and CEO of National Mattress Company (Namaco), whom she married in 1937. She moved to Huntington, West Virginia
, native home of her husband.
Joan and James Edwards donated more than $65 million to Marshall University
and the Huntington community. She was the largest single donor to Marshall University
in the modern era. Joan C. Edwards died on May 7, 2006 from liver cancer. She spent the last few days of her life receiving treatment and care in the cancer center she helped to create, which is located in Huntington, West Virginia at Cabell Huntington Hospital.
Upon her death, the Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation
was created in her name to help fund scholarships for medical school.
Marshall University - Joan C. Edwards Cancer Center, named in 2007
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer and well-known West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
-based philanthropist.
Biography
Born Joan Cavill in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, she moved to New Orleans at the age of four. By age 11, she was singing on New Orleans radio station WWL, the start of a musical career that included filming movie shorts, singing with orchestras, recording with Clyde McCoy
Clyde McCoy
Clyde McCoy , was a jazz trumpet player whose popularity spanned seven decades. He is best remembered for his theme song, "Sugar Blues", written by Clarence Williams and Lucy Fletcher...
and his Kentucky Band, and performing in New York, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
and Chicago.
While singing at Pittsburgh's William Penn Hotel, she met James F. Edwards
James F. Edwards
James F. Edwards was a USA businessman and philanthropist.The owner and CEO of the National Mattress Company , Edwards married Joan C. Edwards in 1937.-References:**...
, owner and CEO of National Mattress Company (Namaco), whom she married in 1937. She moved to Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
, native home of her husband.
Joan and James Edwards donated more than $65 million to Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
and the Huntington community. She was the largest single donor to Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
in the modern era. Joan C. Edwards died on May 7, 2006 from liver cancer. She spent the last few days of her life receiving treatment and care in the cancer center she helped to create, which is located in Huntington, West Virginia at Cabell Huntington Hospital.
Upon her death, the Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation
Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation
The Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation was created in 2006 upon the death of Joan C. Edwards, a well-known West Virginia-based philanthropist.- History :...
was created in her name to help fund scholarships for medical school.
Buildings named after her
- Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
- Marshall University Joan C. Edwards StadiumJoan C. Edwards StadiumThe Joan C. Edwards Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. It can hold 38,019 spectators and includes twenty deluxe, indoor suites, 300 wheelchair-accessible seating, a state-of-the-art press-box, fourteen concession areas, and...
- Marshall University Jomie Jazz Center
- Marshall University Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center
- Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center
Marshall University - Joan C. Edwards Cancer Center, named in 2007