Dr. R.O. Raymond, physician, stockman, humanitarian, and philanthropist conceived and established the Flagstaff Educational Foundation in 1952 to provide financial aid for those in need of further education. This foundation was formed to benefit Flagstaff and Coconino County residents. 

In 1904, Dr. Raymond arrived from St. Louis, Missouri, and began practicing medicine in Williams. Dr. Raymond moved to Flagstaff in 1909 where he spent the remainder of his life. His generosity through the years was unsurpassed as he helped many residents with gifts, food, and free medical attention. He donated the land on North Beaver Street for the old hospital, gave land for the National Guard Armory on West Clay, and was the force behind building South Beaver School. Long before it was popular, Dr. Raymond was teaching his patients the value of proper nutrition and good health habits. He and another Flagstaff physician, Dr. Martin G. Fronske, saved countless lives during the great flu epidemic of 1918 by working around the clock. 

This great man chose some of his close friends as trustees for the foundation. They were charged with administering the organization prudently within the guidelines he had set forth. These goals were meant to better the lives of the citizens of Flagstaff and Coconino County.

After his death in 1959, the foundation’s assets were greatly diminished through litigation to the point that only some of the good doctor’s land remained. The trustees whom he had chosen did a remarkable job of selling this land and keeping the foundation alive. To this day we owe Dr. Raymond and those trustees our heartfelt thanks for their dedication and hard work in keeping the foundation afloat and growing. Since its inception, over $5 million has been granted to various students and organizations.

Dr. Raymond’s vision has benefited numerous citizens of Coconino County. Historian Platt Cline said, “The doctor was a very quiet, unassuming man who wanted no publicity, notoriety, or thanks for all those he served or helped in his fifty years in Flagstaff.” Dr. Raymond would be proud to know that his legacy has helped so many students and citizens of his beloved Northern Arizona.