A.V. Hunter - The Man and His Vision
Born Absalom Valentine Hunter on November 24, 1846 in Lincoln County, Missouri, A.V. Hunter, as he came to be know, was drawn to the west as a young man. After trying cattle ranching for a short time, he established himself as a banker in Colorado Springs.
The American West of the late 1800's conjures up visions of fortunes being made and lost in the boom towns of the day. Gold, silver, copper, and lead were being mined, and everyone dreamed of striking it rich. In 1878, the mining boom was infull swing in Oro City, now known as Leadville. The town drew hopefuls from every walk of life, including 32 year old A.V. Hunter, who moved there to establish a bank, the very first in town.
A.V. Hunter - The Man and His Vision
Born Absalom Valentine Hunter on November 24, 1846 in Lincoln County, Missouri, A.V. Hunter, as he came to be know, was drawn to the west as a young man. After trying cattle ranching for a short time, he established himself as a banker in Colorado Springs.
The American West of the late 1800's conjures up visions of fortunes being made and lost in the boom towns of the day. Gold, silver, copper, and lead were being mined, and everyone dreamed of striking it rich. In 1878, the mining boom was infull swing in Oro City, now known as Leadville. The town drew hopefuls from every walk of life, including 32 year old A.V. Hunter, who moved there to establish a bank, the very first in town.
A.V. Hunter - The Man and His Vision
Born Absalom Valentine Hunter on November 24, 1846 in Lincoln County, Missouri, A.V. Hunter, as he came to be know, was drawn to the west as a young man. After trying cattle ranching for a short time, he established himself as a banker in Colorado Springs.
The American West of the late 1800's conjures up visions of fortunes being made and lost in the boom towns of the day. Gold, silver, copper, and lead were being mined, and everyone dreamed of striking it rich. In 1878, the mining boom was infull swing in Oro City, now known as Leadville. The town drew hopefuls from every walk of life, including 32 year old A.V. Hunter, who moved there to establish a bank, the very first in town.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Allan B. Adams
President
Mary K. Anstine
Vice President
Jeremy O. May
Treasurer
W. Robert Alexander
Trustee
Bruce K. Alexander
Trustee
STAFF
Janet Willson
Executive Director
Charlotte Gillespie
Senior Program Officer
Ryan Campbell
Program Officer/Grants
Kary Cramer
Program Officer/Funds for One
Cindy Springsteen
Accounting Manager
Leadership
When A. V. Hunter wrote his will in 1920, he named three Trustees to oversee the creation of the A. V. Hunter Trust and make decisions about the distribution of funds. At inception, nearly all assets were held in stock of the First National Bank of Denver where A. V. Hunter had been President and Chairman of the Board. Over time, the Board grew to five Trustees who hold lifetime appointments and are responsible for the operations of the A. V. Hunter Trust, including charitable distributions.
Our current President, Allan B. Adams, has served as a Trustee for 34 years.
A retired attorney, Allan’s ties to the A. V. Hunter Trust date back to 1938 when his grandfather, Clarence Adams, first served as a Trustee. Allan’s father, Eugene Adams, also served as a Trustee from 1956 to 1986. When Eugene retired, Allan succeeded his father on the Board.
“The A. V. Hunter Trust is unique in that it helps individuals as well as nonprofit organizations. We like funding in rural areas, too, where our relatively small grants can have a far greater impact,” said Allan. “We are more intentional in our funding now, and we have seen small nonprofits reap big benefits from this approach.”
The staff and Board appreciate Allan’s leadership, and the unwavering dedication of the Adams family, as evidenced through three generations and many decades of service to the A. V. Hunter Trust.