The Jackson Foundation was funded in July of 1998 from a foundation established through the estate of long time Houstonian, Gilbert Jackson. Mr. Jackson was a successful real estate investor who began his career in the early 1950's at the onset of Houston's historical growth boom. Throughout his life, Mr. Jackson made a special priority of helping those less fortunate than himself, particularly youth and children. He enjoyed enabling people to identify their strengths and challenging them to develop those strengths with the hope that they might eventually become self-sufficient. Mr. Jackson strongly believed that, through education and training, self-sufficiency could be achieved. It was Gilbert Jackson's dream to be a positive factor in the lives of others. It is through his generosity, the devotion of his children, and the mission of The Jackson Foundation that Mr. Jackson's dream will be fulfilled.