The Foundation was created through the will of Fanny Blaustein Thalheimer, who died in 1957 at the age of 62. Both Alvin and Fanny were born and raised in Baltimore.  She was the daughter of Louis and Henrietta (Gittelsohn) Blaustein.  (See www.blaufund.org for more information about the Blaustein family). They met at Temple Oheb Shalom where they were confirmed in 1909.

Fanny graduated from Western High School and Alvin from Baltimore City College.  He went to Harvard while she attended Barnard College.  They married in 1918 in New York City.  They returned to Baltimore where she studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and exhibited her work at several shows while Alvin got a PhD from Johns Hopkins, taught philosophy and published a book titled “Existential Metaphysics.”  In 1938, Alvin joined American Trading and Production Corporation as a Vice-President.

Their community activities were numerous - Fanny served as a Trustee of Maryland Institute College of Art, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Peabody Institute, and Union Memorial Hospital and was a Member of the State Board of Education for 13 years.  She was active in the Jewish Educational Alliance and the Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, for many years.

Alvin served as the Chair of the Maryland State Board of Welfare for 8 years, was President of the Jewish Board of Education (from 1935-1939), and was a Trustee, Treasurer (1940-1946), and President of the Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore (1946-1948).  He continued to serve as Chair of the Finance Committee for many years until shortly before his death.  Alvin died at the age of 71 in 1965.

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