A North Carolina native, WILLIAM R. KENAN JR. traveled throughout the region to attend to his wide-ranging business interests in railroads, real estate, and the Standard Oil Company. After his death in 1965, the Kenan Trust sought to promote his strong interest in enhancing student-teacher relationships at prominent educational institutions through the creation of chairs in his memory.
The WILLIAM R. KENAN JR. CHARITABLE TRUST has endowed more than 85 professorships at colleges and universities on the East Coast, including Johns Hopkins.