About Us
The Starr Foundation was established in 1955 by Cornelius Vander Starr, a global entrepreneur, humanitarian, and citizen of the world who was motivated by a deep sense of purpose, compassion, and commitment to action.
Mr. Starr’s distinctive approach to giving set the stage for impact-driven philanthropy, stewarded forward across generations by longtime Foundation Chair Maurice R. (“Hank”) Greenberg. Today, these visionary leaders’ legacies endure in the positive change and lasting impact The Starr Foundation fosters around the world.
At The Starr Foundation, we believe philanthropy is about building partnerships, creating opportunities, sustaining collaborations, and investing in the future. We support organizations with strong leadership and the capacity to address complex challenges with durable results, including advancing medical research, improving access to education, upgrading delivery of basic social services, or fostering mutual understanding across cultures and fields. Our approach is characterized by long-term commitment bolstered with funding agility; we regularly provide operating grants that enable enduring progress, while also remaining nimble enough to respond to urgent needs. Our purview is both local and global; we are deeply invested in New York City, while also supporting communities and organizations around the world.
The Starr Foundation’s work is inspired by the spirit that animated Mr. Starr himself: “A belief that the earth is one home and humankind is one family, all of which share a common denominator of purposefulness, dedication, loyalty, fellow feeling, and shared hopes.”
—Cornelius Vander Starr: 1892–1968. C.V. Starr & Co. 1970, 19.
Past Presidents
Ta Chun (T.C.) Hsu was President of The Starr Foundation from 1969 until his retirement in 1999. A lifelong patron of the arts and a fixture of New York City’s cultural life, T.C. brought the best of C.V. Starr’s philanthropic spirit to his role as the head of the Foundation, where he led with profound humanity and dedication.
T.C. was born in Beijing, China, in 1918. His father was one of the earliest backers of C.V. Starr’s businesses in Shanghai. When the elder Hsu’s plane was shot down by the Japanese in the early days of World War II, Mr. Starr arranged for T.C. to complete his education in the United States, supporting T.C.’s economics degree at Haverford College, a master’s degree at Columbia Journalism School, and insurance studies at Golden Gate College in San Francisco. T.C. never forgot Mr. Starr’s generosity and friendship. He worked at Starr’s newspapers in Shanghai and then at Starr International Company in Hong Kong and San Francisco. In 1964, he joined C.V. Starr & Co. as Mr. Starr’s Assistant and was also elected a Director and Executive Vice President of The Starr Foundation. In 1969, following Mr. Starr’s death, T.C. became President of the Foundation.
T.C. was like a son to Mr. Starr, and he was devoted to representing C.V. Starr’s name and legacy and to fulfilling longtime Chair M.R. Greenberg’s vision for the Foundation. T.C.’s leadership was marked by his extraordinary loyalty, equanimity, humility, and joy; he was everyone’s “uncle,” and a good friend and wise counselor to generations of colleagues at the Starr Companies and the Foundation.
T.C. remained fully engaged as President Emeritus after retirement and served as an active director of the Foundation until his death in 2015, at the age of 97.
Florence A. Davis was the President of The Starr Foundation from 1999 until her passing in 2023. During her nearly 25-year tenure, she oversaw more than 7,000 grants totaling more than $3 billion, which supported transformative initiatives in education, health care, and research. Florence’s impact transcended the professional realm; she touched lives with her intelligence, compassion, and sense of humor.
Florence received her bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College, graduating with highest honors and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Following her graduation from New York University School of Law, where she was a Root-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholar, she worked at Sullivan & Cromwell, and then for a decade at Morgan Stanley where she rose to be Principal and Director of Worldwide Regulatory Affairs. In 1995, she became Vice President and General Counsel of American International Group (AIG), making her the youngest and first female General Counsel in its history. Four years later, following the retirement of T.C. Hsu, M.R. Greenberg (who then was Chair of AIG and The Starr Foundation) tapped Florence to become President and Director of the Foundation.
Her distinct blend of sharp intellect and warmth defined Florence’s leadership style. She made tough decisions with both candor and compassion, always ensuring that the people around her felt valued and heard. Her dedication to philanthropy was deeply informed by her understanding of the needs of both funders and recipients. An ardent reader, she took the time to learn about the projects she supported and became a trusted advisor to many grantees.
Outside of the office, Florence was deeply engaged with additional charities and educational institutions, becoming a Trustee of NYU and a dedicated member of the NYU Law Board. She served as a Trustee of the New York Botanical Garden, a Director of the International Rescue Committee, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a member of the Newman’s Own Foundation Advisory Council.