About the Fund
The Bedford Foundation was established in 1994 by Palm Beach resident E. T. Bedford Davie, and is named in honor of his maternal grandfather, Edward T. Bedford.
Edward was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1849. He worked initially as a salesman for Charles Pratt & Co., selling lubricating and heating oils. Through collaboration with his friend, Robert Chesebrough, he helped develop and market the petroleum byproduct now more commonly known as Vaseline. Edward later became a sales agent for Standard Oil, and was named a director in 1903. He was a personal friend of John D. Rockefeller and his business acumen was highly regarded.
