At Foulkeways at Gwynedd our commitment to Research and Education began in 1984, when Foulkeways resident William ‘Bill’ Russell bequeathed $250,000 to Foulkeways in honor of his first wife’s father-in-law, Frank Morgan Jones. According to his instructions, this permanent endowment fund was to be used exclusively to support the advancement of gerontological research that would contribute to the health and well being of older people.

‘The Frank Morgan Jones Fund’ as this endowment was later named, was originally administered from Foulkeways by Geraldine Paier, Nurse Practitioner at Foulkeways and a committee of six persons, comprised of Foulkeways Board Members and members and friends of the Russell family. During these early years qualified researchers would submit proposals for research projects to the committee for review. However, in 1989, the School of Nursing at the University Of Pennsylvania entered into an agreement with Foulkeways to receive an annual contribution from The Fund, making it possible for nurse researchers to conduct studies in keeping with Mr. Russell’s wishes.

Before his death in 1991, Mr. Russell strongly endorsed the partnership with Penn Nursing, because of the School’s reputation for high quality researchers and its ability to conduct projects in keeping with the original purpose of the fund. As part of the partnership, the School of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania provides Foulkeways with an annual program, presented by a Frank Morgan Jones grant recipient. These annual programs are open to the public, invited guests, residents and staff as a part of the partnership agreement.

Today the School of Nursing typically receives a gift of $15-25,000 per year to support ‘preliminary’ gerontological research. This funding makes it possible for nurse researchers to conduct the start-up studies that are necessary to obtain additional grants and private funding for prolonged research from outside resources such as the National Institutes of Health, private foundations, agencies and other sources. All proposals for funding follow a standard format for the application, which is reviewed by research faculty in the School of Nursing for merit, feasibility, methods and design, and likely contribution to the field of aging.

Since its inception, the Frank Morgan Jones Fund has supported over 80 projects spanning a wide range of subjects related to elder care. The results of many of these projects have been published in major professional journals and have led to larger projects, funded by a variety of outside resources. Without the support of The Fund, many researchers would not have been able to begin projects of importance to the gerontological community, many of which have been incorporated into standard practices where ever health care is administered to an aging population. One such project, conducted in 1989 by researchers Neville Strumpf and Lois Evans, “A Supplemental Request for Reducing Restraints in Nursing Homes: A Clinical Trial,” serves as the basis of Foulkeways “no restraints” policy, in practice today in Foulkeways’ Assisted Living, Dementia and Skilled Nursing Care residences.

In the 23 year history of the Frank Morgan Jones Fund, the primary principal has never been touched. In typical Quaker fashion, the original $250,000 endowment has been invested and reinvested to enable over 84 independent researchers to fund programs important to our aging population. Many of the findings of this innovative research are in practice throughout the country in physicians’ offices, hospitals, retirement communities, assisted living and skilled nursing homes, demonstrating that Mr. Russell’s dreams of “contributing to the health and well being of older people” are still being fulfilled.



Featured Recipients

Research Topics






Barbara J Riegel, DNSc, RN, CS, FAAN
Associate Professor of Nursing



Christine K Bradway, PhD, RN, CRNP
Assistant Professor of Gerontological Nursing - Clinician Educator



Norma G Cuellar, DSN, RN
Assistant Professor of Nursing



Fang Yu
Assistant Professor – University of Minnesota


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