Lindner legacy: Schools, charities, medical centers

CINCINNATI - Carl Lindner, Jr.'s philanthropic legacy walks hand-in-hand with his fabled generosity.

Rob Reifsnyder is President and CEO of the Greater Cincinnati United Way.  For years Reifsnyder says Lindner's contributions, among many other things, put books in the hands of children.

"A lot of Carl and Edyth's contributions have gone to help us with our 'Success by Six' initiatives which tries to get children better prepared  to succeed as they enter school," said Reifsnyder.

A spokeswoman for the Lindner Center of Hope, a comprehensive mental health center, in Mason told 9 News that Lindner began the project with an initial donation of $40,000,000.

Paul Keck, MD, CEO of the center, says that there was more to the donation than just generosity.

"It was an act of extraordinary courage because mental health, although our nation's number one public health problem, is an unpopular cause for philanthropy," said Keck.

Carl Lindner III is a founding member of the Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy but his father was an ever-present supporter of the school which mirrors the families values.

"They have a real genuine interest in really being able to have a christian school like this and to really have a place where the family, the school and the church al work together," said Ed Steitz a math teacher who started with the school in 1989.

9 News and WCPO.com encourage readers to share their stories of Carl Lindner's generosity in our comment section.