The John M. O'Quinn Foundation
John M. O’Quinn was an accomplished Texas trial lawyer and founding partner of the O’Quinn Law Firm. He established the John M. O’Quinn Foundation in 1986, in an effort to give back to Houston, and to Texas as a whole. With his death in 2009, Mr. O’Quinn willed his entire estate to the Foundation. As of December 31, 2023, the Foundation has awarded more than $186 million in grants.
The Houston Botanic Garden is a proud recipient of several grant awards from The John M. O’Quinn Foundation. Recently, the Garden spoke with Rob Wilson III, President and Treasurer, of the Foundation to discuss the organization’s support of conservation efforts.
Protecting the Environment, Preserving a Legacy
The John M. O’Quinn Foundation’s areas of focus reflect its founder’s lifetime of support in conservation, education, healthcare, and programs benefiting underprivileged youth in Houston, Texas, and surrounding areas.
“We divide grant money between all of our giving categories, but conservation is a major goal for the O’Quinn Foundation. Houston Botanic Garden is the recipient of our largest conservation-focused grant in Houston right now,” he said, adding, “We also support conservation throughout the state of Texas, for example through our support of Texas Parks & Wildlife.”
Conservation was always an important cause to John O’Quinn. His personal connection to it made it a prime cause to support through grants from his namesake foundation.
“He was passionate about it the entire time I knew him—and I knew him for 30 years,” said Rob Wilson III, the Foundation’s President and Treasurer, who has been a Trustee on the Foundation’s Board since 2003. “He thought very highly of environmental causes and won many lawsuits in that area.”
Two such cases include a $600 million verdict in a natural gas dispute in Wharton County as well as an $8 million award in a lawsuit arising from the pesticide poisoning of his prize bull.
Aligned Behind the Cause of Conservation
Botanic gardens play an integral role in environmental conservation by trading and collecting seeds, cultivating rare and at-risk plant species, conducting research, and sharing findings with the public.
The Houston Botanic Garden is engaged in many conservation projects, including serving as the Botanic Garden Consortium International’s lead in the Southeast U.S. for the Global Conservation Consortium for Oaks, Magnolia, and Maple. Our efforts contribute to the protection of plant biodiversity and natural ecosystems both locally and globally.
This conservation work benefits Houston by preserving keystone species and native species that power our ecosystems. It also helps to provide natural flood control and mitigation solutions. Conservation also ensures that today’s biodiversity will be preserved for future generations to enjoy.
This is precisely the type of lasting impact the John M. O’Quinn Foundation aims to have, and what drew the Foundation’s Board of Trustees to support the Houston Botanic Garden.
When Nancy O’Connor Abendshein called Wilson to ask for the O’Quinn Foundation’s support of the Houston Botanic Garden, she asked if the Foundation would make the first gift to the Garden.
“I knew it would be a great fit for our grant support. We were honored to be the first, and to be a part of the grassroots growth of such a crucial institution for the city,” Wilson said.
“Now people come from all over to visit the Houston Botanic Garden; it is a major attraction and asset for the city and provides outreach and education opportunities for the communities that live here,” he added.
With over 50 organizations receiving grants from The John M. O’Quinn Foundation, and up to 20 new grants disbursed per quarter, the Board of Trustees continues to support causes that align with John O’Quinn’s forward-thinking legacy of helping others and working toward the common good.