Jewels of Maysville - Elsie Downing

Elsie Hatfield Downing was born in Lancaster, Ky. Dr. Hatfield, her father, practiced dentistry there and sent Elsie to school at Transylvania. She pledged Tri-Delta and was a lifetime supporter of the sorority. I don't know exactly how she met Mr. Downing or when they married, but I think it was before the beginning of the Second World War.

Anyway, Mr. Downing was a very shrewd businessman; he was a farmer and cattle breeder, a warehouseman, a silent partner in a farm equipment business and an investor who rarely shrank from risk. Simply said, the man knew how to make money. And he did.

Mr. Downing died in 1982 and Mrs. Downing took over the farms and the investments; she was very careful with money and, while she lacked for little, she never threw money away. Mr. and Mrs. Downing never had children, and Mrs. Downing's only sibling, her brother was killed in a car accident, leaving no children.

All along, the Downings had quietly helped deserving kids with college expenses. There was never any mention of their generosity along these lines, but it was something they both strongly believed in. Elsie's other love was music. In fact, she studied organ at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music for a short time. By the time I got to know her well, arthritis had put an end to her playing.

When Mrs. Downing died, she left an estate of approximately seven million dollars. That is a matter of record in the courthouse, so I am not disclosing any confidential information. As it turned out, she left about two million to her farm manager,Lawrence Parker, upon whom she depended heavily. Of course, Uncle Sam came in for his share, but the rest, nearly $5 million was divided among Transylvania ($1 million for scholarships), Hayswood Foundation ($3 million for scholarships) and the Limestone Youth Orchestra Foundation ($1 million for the promotion of classical music and the arts).

Since her death, here in Mason County, there have been dozens and dozens of high school graduates who have been awarded scholarships for any college of their choice. The first criterion for scholarship help is need, followed by highschool academic achievement. At anyone time, there are as many as twenty to twenty-five students in college with Downing scholarships. Having served on Hayswood's board for many years, I am confident that there are young men and women from this county that would never have been able to go to the college of their choice without the help provided by Mrs. Downing.

Similarly, the Limestone Youth Orchestra has used Mrs. Downing's money to endow the Limestone Chorale, the Limestone Orchestra, both conducted by Coralie Runyon Jones, as well as various other musical endeavours.

In addition, the money is being used to operate the Downing Academy for Performing Arts. This program is conducted in the Presbyerian Church Sunday School building and involves four college professors who travel here to teach music to applicants for the program. Offerings include voice, piano, organ, guitar, strings, and other musical instruments. This organization has made an incredible difference in the level of achievement which is perhaps most noticeable to the public when Downing students take leading roles in C. J. Hunter's annual high school play, both on the stage and in the orchestra pit. The Downing Academy has subsidized music lessons for as many as 75 students a year; and the availability of college level instruction has yielded some fantastic results.

Yes, Elsie Downing was a Maysville Jewel, no question about it. She left a permanent monument, the effects of which will be felt for a very long time to come. And there will be countless people whose lives have been touched. You can be sure that Elsie's jewel will continue to sparkle brightly for years to come.