Fillmore Philanthropic is a simpler form began in 2020 in Golden, Colorado, when Emma Braun decided to channel some historical nostalgia into a celebration of the mostly forgotten Millard Fillmore. Why? Well, it turns out most people don't really know who Millard Fillmore is (or was) and celebrating his birthday on January 7th was a tradition passed down from her father who had started celebrating when he was in high school - the late 1960s. So she decided to jumpstart the birthday tradition once more - It all kicked off with a fun sticker and a handout with Millard Fillmore fun facts—because who wouldn’t want to discover more about the 13th president? Obviously a very "popular" topic at an all engineering college, but Emma was not swayed.

 

The next year, things were taken up a notch with a full, glossy brochure AND a new sticker. The next year, a new sticker, and she began giving talks about Millard Fillmore to college kids and historical societies alike. One may ask how does one talk about Millard Fillmore for nearly an hour when the man truly did nothing and was ultimately average? Ridiculous! That's the best part to highlight (and if you haven't figured it out yet, Millard Fillmore does have a few remarkable qualities that are amusing to discuss). Each year since, a new sticker has come out and the distribution list (now a mailing list!) has grown to 14 states and dozens of recipients.  

​

In 2025, Fillmore Philanthropic was officially created to not only celebrate Millard Fillmore, but also begin a scholarship program who's main goal isn't to celebrate a particular academic strength, but a student's strength in mediocrity. The Millard Fillmore Scholarship is in its first year of being offered to a college-aged student who has a passion for doing something (anything!) even if they may not be good at it. In the steps of Fillmore, a remarkably average man who rose the the highest office of the United States, Fillmore Philanthropic's mission is to celebrate averageness and the journey taken to get there.