Bill and Marie Selby
In the first year of their marriage, Bill and Marie Selby followed with keen interest the first transcontinental automobile race between Seattle and New York City. They decided to travel the course themselves and loaded their touring car with spare parts and camping equipment. They made the trip in six fewer days than the winning car in the race. Marie Selby became the first woman to cross the country by automobile.
The Selbys started visiting Sarasota in 1909 and lived in their houseboat before moving to their bayfront home. Bill was a sportsman, who spent his leisure time hunting and fishing. They built a house in the mid-twenties amid the Cuban Laurels and banyan trees on a five-acre tract located on Sarasota Bay.
This two-story stucco house, intended to be temporary, became their home on a permanent basis. Marie directed much of the landscaping on the grounds, planting extensive flowerbeds to enhance the native vegetation. The couple did not have children of their own.
Bill Selby worked with trusted advisors to create the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation in 1955. He passed away in 1956.
Marie Selby continued in her care and dedication to students and the community until she passed in 1971. She was often known to write a personal check to supplement grants from the Foundation.
As modest and humble people, the Selbys did not seek publicity for their giving.
Their Values
The Selbys’ Core Values were established based upon: Interviews with those individuals who personally knew the Selbys; interviews with those who knew of the Selbys; interviews with those who have worked with and for the Foundation since its inception; and review of all prior minutes and documentation supporting the creation and operation of the Foundation.