F.M. Kirby II Posthumously Inducted into New Jersey Hall of Fame
The late F.M. Kirby II of New Vernon, New Jersey, is one of the latest inductees into the 2019 New Jersey Hall of Fame.
Most remembered for his notable achievements in business and tireless generosity as a philanthropist, Kirby successfully reinvented and led the Alleghany Corporation for 40 years and headed the F.M. Kirby Foundation — which was founded by his grandfather, Fred Morgan Kirby, in 1931. F.M. Kirby I was also one of the founders of the F.W. Woolworth Company (known more commonly as Woolworth’s), a pioneering five and dime store founded in the United States in the late 1800’s.

Donating to a wide array of institutions throughout the Garden State, the Kirby Foundation most recently gave $250,000 toward renovations at Carol G. Simon Cancer Center and more than $600,000 supported improvements at Morristown Medical Center Inpatient Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Unit. During the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center’s Campaign for the Heart, the Kirby Foundation also provided a $1.5 million lead gift to Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute.
The 11th Annual Red-Carpet Induction Ceremony will honor Kirby’s legacy and contributions to the Garden State on October 27 at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, New Jersey. In addition to Kirby, honorees also include Martha Stewart and George R.R. Martin, among others.
You can stream the event live beginning at 5:45pm Sunday, October 27 on NJ.com .