Friends of the William E. Scripps Estate

Founding Friends

Gene Williams
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John Gumina
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Lawrence Scripps Wilkinson
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Janet/Mark Davison
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Romeo-Indian Village Questers
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Marilyn Brooks
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Allan/Juliann Witherspoon
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Larry Oshier, M.A.
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Linda Sickles
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Lisa/Len Sokol
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Mark A Kassin
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Sara/Ken Van Portfliet
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Andrea Ordakowski
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Leslie Pielack
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Jo Anne McKenzie
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Mari-Ann Henry
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Richard/May Huerner
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Gerard/Kerry Surmann
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Orion Historical Society
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Dyana/Gary Davis
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Alice Young
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Michael/Patricia Sinelli
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Sally Lipset/Terrance McRoberts
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Robert/Carolyn Mansfield
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Lisa Maruca
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Linda Fisher
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James Duronio
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General Motors Orion Assembly Plant
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Booker-St. John Family
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Patti Abate
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Diann Braun, M.A.
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Ruth/Mike Arnott
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Stewart/Mary Crawford
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Nancy J. Carty
William J. McDevitt

William Edmund Scripps (1882-1952) was the sole male heir to the vast Detroit News empire built by his father, James Edmund Scripps. Over his lifetime, he distinguished himself in the fields of aviation, engineering, and publishing. He also was an American radio pioneer. Will Scripps' many accomplishments include the following:

Sponsorship of social and educational initiatives to help Detroiters during the Depression
Early wildlife conservation, land reclamation, and appreciation of Michigan’s natural resources
Saved the archives of the “Early Bird,” those pilots, like himself, who flew before World War I.
Helped bring the famous annual Gold Cup boating race to Detroit, its permanent home
Offered the first radio programming of Alcoholics Anonymous, over the airwaves of WWJ, in the 1940s

William E. Scripps photo (above), c. 1930, courtesy Wayne State University, Walter P Reuther Library

Will and his wife Nina Downey Scripps began acquiring land for their Wildwood Farm operation in Orion Township in 1916. After establishing this state-of-the-art farm to his satisfaction, Scripps engaged the services of his brother-in-law and respected revivalist architect, Clarence E. Day, to design the mansion. The house, completed in 1927, is a beautiful example of the Norman Revival architectural style with Tudor features. It is surrounded by acres of elaborate gardens designed by estate designer and pioneer of American landscape architecture, Bryant Fleming.

The house and grounds were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 based on three categories: architecture and art, association with a historic American, and the landscape design of the gardens. More>

This listing is only honorary and does not provide funding. The estate remains well preserved, but the cost of proper repair and restoration is high. Much of the needed preservation work cannot be undertaken due to minimal availability of funds. The goal of the Friends of The William E. Scripps Estate is to embrace the task of ambitious fund-raising to preserve the estate for current and future generations.

The Scripps Family Motto, “Prospicio,” is Latin, meaning to look ahead, or to be far sighted. This motto today represents the goals and intention of the Friends - to plan ahead for the care and preservation of this historically important site in honor and in recognition of its founder, William E. Scripps.

http://www.orionartcenter.org/