Oral History with Russ Carson

Oral history interview with Russ Carson and Amy Weinstein on March 25, 2025.

Russ Carson is a Founding Trustee of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. In this interview, Caron reflects on his career in venture capital, his lifelong commitment to philanthropy, and his decades of service to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, he moved to New York City in 1965 to attend Columbia Business School and later co-founded the private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe. He recalls his long association with the original World Trade Center through his firm's offices in Lower Manhattan and his membership at Windows on the World, including his experience of having lunch there with his daughter on February 26, 1993, shortly before the World Trade Center bombing. Carson discusses the founding of the Carson Family Charitable Trust in 1991 and its focus on supporting New York City organizations dedicated to education, poverty, health care, medical science, and culture. He recounts the events of September 11, 2001, from aboard a flight to Houston, describing the moment he learned of the attacks and watched the collapse of the Twin Towers after landing in Birmingham, Alabama. He reflects on the profound sense of loss and unity that followed the attacks and discusses his family's philanthropic response, including support for organizations assisting victims and undocumented workers affected by the disaster. Carson also recounts being recruited by his friend John C. Whitehead to join the newly established World Trade Center Memorial Foundation in 2004, where he witnessed the challenges of building consensus among victims' families, selecting a memorial design, raising funds, and establishing leadership for the project. He reflects on Michael Arad's Reflecting Absence design, the decision to create a museum alongside the memorial, and the leadership of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Joe Daniels, Alice Greenwald, and Beth Hillman in guiding the institution's development. Throughout the interview, Carson emphasizes the importance of philanthropy, civic leadership, and public-private partnership in creating a lasting memorial while expressing his admiration for the staff and board whose work continues to preserve the history and lessons of September 11 for future generations.