The Joseph Treadwell Charitable Foundation was established in 1988 by Joe Treadwell.  Mr. Treadwell was a native of Fordyce, Arkansas and moved to Mobile in 1953. He spent over forty years in Mobile in the automobile business. According to Mr. Treadwell’s assistant of 25 years, Betty Cumbie, he came to Mobile with nothing but a cardboard suitcase and a Robert Hall suit on his back. Betty remembers that he even had cardboard in his shoes.

Mr. Treadwell moved to the Mobile area to work as a “troubleshooter” for Hull-Dobbs Ford of Memphis, Tennessee, which operated a dealership in Prichard. In 1954, he was named manager of the Hull-Dobbs Ford dealership that moved into a new building on St. Louis Street in Mobile. Mr. Treadwell became part owner in 1955 and the name of the dealership was changed to Treadwell Ford. He purchased complete ownership in the dealership in 1962, and the dealership was moved to its current location along the Beltline in Mobile in 1967.

Mr. Treadwell did not have a college education, but he wanted to give students in Mobile County the opportunity to go to college. He wanted to help students who grew up in unfavorable circumstances but who had the motivation and desire to better themselves.

During his lifetime, Mr. Treadwell was generous in his support of many charitable endeavors and he established the Foundation to continue his generosity after his death. Mr. Treadwell set aside a significant portion of his estate to be dedicated to supporting local charitable activities on a continuing basis and thus benefiting the community that contributed to his success.  Since inception, the Foundation has made gifts to more than thirty organizations and sponsored scholarships to many deserving students in Mobile County who would otherwise not qualify for assistance. Known lovingly as “Joe T” by many of his friends, he was a colorful man who thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship of recovery for many years and very quietly helped other recovering alcoholics.