Nadine Carson, 76; philanthropist who had a heart for the arts

Nadine Carson, a philanthropist and community volunteer who supported a number of causes involving the arts, education and the special needs of children, has died. She was 76.

Carson died Sunday at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston after a long battle with the disease, her husband, Edward, said. She had been a resident of Beverly Hills.

As a philanthropist, Carson often made financial contributions with her husband, who was the chairman of First Interstate Bancorp until he retired in 1995. They were major supporters of the Music Center -- including Walt Disney Concert Hall, where a small outdoor amphitheater is named after them.

For many years Carson was an active member of the Blue Ribbon, a support group of the Music Center, and worked as a volunteer, many times on programs involving children. “I get so much energy from being around those kids,” she once said in an interview.

She was also a supporter of the Autry National Center for Western art and heritage.

Carson sponsored several programs for children and was a longtime contributor to the Children’s Burn Foundation in Sherman Oaks, which supports prevention education programs as well as treatment and post-patient care.

“I think people gravitate to what they are meant to do,” she said of her philanthropy and volunteer work in a 1998 interview with the Daily News of Los Angeles.

“I like to help people,” she added. “I guess it’s my way of giving people a hug and helping them across the street.”

She was known for her handwritten notes and the hundreds of birthday cards she sent each year. She made a point of remembering everyone she was introduced to, by name.

Carson, who met her future husband while they were students at Arizona State University, continued to make major contributions with him to the school’s educational programs and building campaigns. The Ed and Nadine Carson Student-Athlete Center in Intercollegiate Athletics is named for them. In 2000, the Carsons received the Regents Award for outstanding service to education, presented by the Arizona Board of Regents.

Carson was also active in the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists program, an all-women, all-volunteer organization that provides scholarships for students of science, medicine or engineering.

Born Nadine Ann Severns on May 9, 1931, on a farm near Marysville, Kan., she was raised in Lincoln, Neb., and earned a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State.

She married Edward Carson in 1952. They moved to Los Angeles in 1985. The couple had two adopted children, Dawn Marie and Tod. Along with her husband and children, Carson’s survivors include a sister and two grandchildren.

A service will be held Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. at Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church, 505 N. Rodeo Drive.

Instead of flowers, donations in Carson’s name can be made to Achievement Rewards for College Scientists, 24520 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 113, Torrance, CA, 90505; or the Autry National Center, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA, 90027.

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mary.rourke@latimes.com