Nancy and Jim Baxter

What started as a glance on the PATCO High Speedline in 1971 grew into a long, happy marriage—and a shared dedication to philanthropy. Jim and Nancy Baxter have optimistic philosophies of life. The couple has been kind and has given much to improve lives in their community, generously supporting Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health.

In 2012, the couple established the Hemant Desai Research Grant Fund, which champions the work of neonatology fellows in Jefferson’s Department of Pediatrics. The fund, which they continue to support today, is in appreciation of the outstanding care and compassion they received when their first son, Andy, was born with persistent fetal circulation in 1979. The couple credits the medical staff at Jefferson for Andy’s complete recovery.

When Jim sold his manufacturing business and retired in 2015, the couple created the Baxter Family Foundation to further their philanthropic efforts and “to improve the lives of underserved minority children and young adults in the Greater Philadelphia Area.”

Through the foundation, they established scholarships at Sidney Kimmel Medical College for underrepresented minorities, and instituted two pipeline programs to help promote diversity in medical education. The Summer Training and Enrichment Program (STEP-UP) and Saturday Academy provide students from underrepresented minorities in 5th grade through high school with a head start on the process of becoming medical professionals.

Jim explains the desire to support underserved minorities stems from the 16 years he spent in his North Philadelphia office where he saw “the struggles of the underserved and the effects poverty had on the population.”

The Baxters are hopeful that their contributions will help reduce health disparities in the city and inspire the next generation of physicians.

Aside from Jefferson, the Baxters also support many other charitable organizations, including Cathedral Kitchen in Camden, NJ, and various minority elementary schools in the Philadelphia area. The couple has always been hands-on in their community work, Jim through volunteering in pre-school classrooms, and Nancy through participating in a program for 5th grade students that teaches the children about nutrition and preparing healthy meals.

When they are not volunteering, the couple enjoys spending time with their four young grandchildren and traveling the world.

Natives of New Jersey—Jim is originally from Pitman, Nancy from Palmyra—the couple now calls Philadelphia their home. Along with Andy, the couple has two other sons, Brett and Dustin, two daughters-in-law, Jenni and Christine, and four grandchildren.