Credible Committments in Columbus

Grove City College Assistant Professor of Economics Caleb Fuller tells the story of J. Irwin Miller, then-CEO of Cummins Engine Company who in 1954 launched the Cummins Foundation which transformed the architecture of Columbus, Indiana. Fuller writes that in 1957, the Foundation

began paying the architectural fees of world-renowned architects should they design a public building in the small town. The result was that between the mid-1950s and the mid-1980s, the town averaged two new architectural masterpieces annually. Today, the town is home to more than 90 buildings and parks designed by internationally renowned architects and attracts some 50,000 tourists annually.

Fuller explains that potential benefits of entrepreneurial commitment.