“Once you can read, you know you can do anything. Reading gets you started, and you can build on it. It gets you thinking. I think those early books are what spur people on.”
— Carol Krueger
"If we can just envelope one child each year, that’ll be enough," says Carol Krueger, trustee of the Krueger Charitable Foundation. This goal is the heart of the foundation’s vision: to gift books to young readers in underserved communities. Carol and her late husband, Bill, have touched countless lives by supporting early literacy programs in Oklahoma.
Their foundation was created in 1994, but the idea behind it originated years prior when Carol was teaching at a Houston public school in the 60s. She would often purchase lunches for her students who were unable to themselves. Some children had no shoes of their own, let alone books. This experience stayed with the Kruegers, who have been opening the door to reading ever since.
Carol’s love of all things literary began when she was young. She recalls shopping at Marshall Fields, the store where her father worked, and getting to visit the children’s book department to choose a story before they left.
These experiences sparked a lifelong passion for books and learning, which she would later share with her own children and, through the foundation, with countless others.
Reading from a young age can shape a child’s future by building crucial confidence and curiosity. As Carol puts it, “The statistics seem to be that when somebody is given books in pre-school and kindergarten, they will do better in elementary school and high school.” The Krueger Foundation is all about giving children that agency, as proven by its partnership with organizations like Tulsa City-County Library, the WGBH Educational Foundation, and the Oklahoma Literacy Coalition.
According to the Tulsa Library Trust, the Krueger Read and Grow program distributes more than 1,400 books to lower income students in Tulsa County over 8 months. This year, children from 20 schools will benefit from the Krueger Charitable Foundation’s funding. The foundation also partners with another donor to support ODL's My First Library project, an initiative that promotes literacy skills and families reading together.
When asked about these projects, Carol began by sharing that each of her children and grandchildren received books as their first gifts. This Krueger family tradition drives their charitable focus and legacy. Twenty-nine years have passed since the foundation began, and in that time, generations of Oklahomans have grown up on books provided through the Kruegers’ generosity.
Carol and Bill Krueger’s vision will continue to ensure that children from lower income families have the same opportunity to find more confidence, curiosity, and opportunity through reading. ODL would like to thank Carol, not only for her years of advocacy, but also for taking the time to share her stories with us.
Last Modified on
Jan 31, 2025
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