James Randi Educational Foundation - History

History

The James Randi Educational Foundation officially came into existence on February 29, 1996, when it was registered as a nonprofit corporation in the State of Delaware in the United States. On April 3, 1996 James Randi formally announced the creation of the JREF through his email hotline: It is now headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

THE FOUNDATION IS IN BUSINESS! It is my great pleasure to announce the creation of the James Randi Educational Foundation. This is a non-profit, tax-exempt, educational foundation under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, incorporated in the State of Delaware. The Foundation is generously funded by a sponsor in Washington D.C. who wishes, at this point in time, to remain anonymous.

The Foundation, Randi Hotline, Wed, April 3, 1996

Randi says, Johnny Carson was a major sponsor; giving several six-figure donations.

The officers of the JREF are:

  • Director, Chairman: James Randi, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
  • Director, Secretary, Assistant Secretary: Richard L. Adams Jr., Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
  • Director, Secretary: Daniel Denman, Silver Spring, Maryland.

In 2008 the astronomer Philip Plait became the new President of the JREF and Randi became the Chairman of the JREF Board of Directors. Then in December 2009 Phil Plait left the JREF due to involvement in a television project, and D. J. Grothe assumed the position of President on January 1, 2010.

The San Francisco newspaper SF Weekly reported on August 24, 2009 that Randi's annual salary is about $200,000, a figure that has not changed much since the Foundation's inception.

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