Cordelia Scaife May, 76; Mellon Family Heiress and Philanthropist
Cordelia Scaife May, 76, an heir to the Mellon family fortune and a Pittsburgh philanthropist, died Wednesday at her home in Ligonier, Pa. She had been battling pancreatic cancer.
An intensely private person, May was the daughter of Alan Magee Scaife and Sarah Mellon Scaife. In 1951, she founded the Laurel Foundation, which supports charities in western Pennsylvania. Last year, May was ranked 363rd on the Forbes list of wealthiest Americans. Her net worth was set at $825 million.
“My sister had deep feelings for people and for causes,” said Richard Mellon Scaife, owner of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review newspaper.
She attended Carnegie Tech and the University of Pittsburgh for a short time before marrying Herbert May Jr. The marriage ended in divorce a year later.
In 1974, May married then-Pittsburgh Dist. Atty. Robert Duggan, a longtime family friend. He committed suicide later that year after he was indicted on federal corruption charges.
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