Former U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl’s legacy
Herb Kohl, former Wisconsin Senator and owner of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, has died at age 88.
Herb Kohl Philanthrophies released the following statement on Wednesday evening, Dec. 27:
“It is with deep sadness that the Herb Kohl Foundation announces the death of its benefactor, U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, at the age of 88 following a brief illness.
“When the Milwaukee Bucks were put up for sale and in danger of being bought and moved to another city, Herb stepped forward in 1985 and bought the team with the promise to its fans that they would never leave. When the time came to sell the team, he fulfilled that promise and donated $100 million to help in building a new arena for the community.
“Throughout his life, Herb Kohl always put people first-from his employees and their families to his customers and countless charitable organizations and efforts.” Joanne Anton, Director of Giving for Herb Kohl Philanthropies recalled. “Herb Kohl Way isn’t just the name of a street in front of the Fiserv Forum. The Herb Kohl Way perfectly sums up a legacy of humility, commitment, compromise, and kindness to countless people he worked with, served and helped along the way. Those values will live on through his Foundation.”
The Herb Kohl Philanthrophies statement finished by saying the following:
“Herb considered himself lucky and realized that much had come to him because of his family and his obligation was to give back more than he received. That, in turn, led to an innate modesty and humility rare for someone with his long list of achievements. More than anything, Herb loved Milwaukee and Wisconsin, and that is where he chose to live out his days. He touched an incalculable number of lives, and those who love him would remark that he is among the most decent people to ever walk the earth. Herb’s loss will be felt acutely, and he can best be honored by doing good works.”
Kohl was a popular figure in Wisconsin, purchasing the Bucks to keep them from leaving town, and spending generously from his fortune on civic and educational causes throughout the state. He also used his money to fund his Senate races, allowing to him to portray himself as “nobody’s senator but yours.”
Senator Herb Kohl, a Democrat from Wisconsin, questions Eric Schmdt, chairman of Google Inc., unseen, during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. Google Inc. is
Kohl was born in Milwaukee, where he was a childhood friend of Bud Selig, who went on to become commissioner of the MLB. The two roomed together at the University of Wisconsin and remained friends in adulthood.
Kohl also got into Wisconsin politics in the 1970s, serving as chair of the state Democratic Party from 1975 to 1977.
In 1985, Kohl bought the Bucks for $18 million.
He later remarked: “The opportunity I was given to purchase and to keep the team here in Milwaukee is one of the most unique and fortunate experiences I’ve ever enjoyed.”
The team was in the middle of its sixth straight winning season when Kohl bought it, and it went on to post winning records in the first six full seasons with Kohl as owner, before stumbling through most of the 1990s. The team improved in the late ’90s and early 2000s. In 2006, Kohl, owner of the small-market Bucks, was one of eight league owners to ask NBA commissioner David Stern to implement revenue sharing.
“I was very happy to be in a position to help build a first-rate, state-of-the-art sports arena,” Kohl once said. “I think it cements the university’s reputation as one of the premier athletic programs in the Big Ten and the country.”
He also used his own money to fund the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation, which donates money for scholarships and fellowships to students, teachers and schools in Wisconsin.
Senator Herb Kohl, a Democrat from Wisconsin, center, meets witnesses at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the AT&T/T-Mobile merger in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, May 11, 2011. AT&T on March 20 proposed buying Deutsche Telekom
Kohl never accepted a pay raise in the Senate; he drew a salary of $89,500 every year, the same pay he got when he entered the Senate in 1989, returning the rest to the Treasury Department.
As the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations agriculture subcommittee, which controls the budget of the Department of Agriculture, Kohl had a strong say on farm policy. He was also the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee and the Judiciary antitrust subcommittee. Kohl served as chair of all three panels when Democrats were in the majority.
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) speaks to U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan during the Senate Judiciary Committee on her nomination to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court, Monday, June 28, 2010 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rafael Suanes/MCT/Tribune N
“I am a person who does not believe in invective,” he once said. “I never go out and look to grab the mike or go in front of the TV camera. When I go to work everyday, I check my ego at the door.”
In 2001, he was one of just a dozen Democratic senators to vote for President George W. Bush’s tax cuts, but he voted against the president’s tax cuts in 2003. He also voted to authorize military force against Iraq in 2002.
Reaction
“A Milwaukeean and Wisconsinite through and through, U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl dedicated his life to serving our kids, our communities, our state, and our country. Sen. Kohl was, without a doubt, nobody’s senator but ours. Kathy and I are devastated by the news of his passing.
“Kathy and I join the people of Wisconsin, friends and colleagues of Sen. Kohl, and the many people whose lives he impacted—both near and far—in offering our sincerest condolences to the Kohl family and the Herb Kohl Foundation in mourning the loss of this Wisconsin giant.”
Senator Kohl was a lifelong and proud Wisconsinite who cared deeply for his state and the city of Milwaukee. As the Bucks owner, he was steadfast in making sure the team remained in the city and his generosity led to the building of Fiserv Forum, which is on Herb Kohl Way. Even after selling the team, Senator Kohl loved the Bucks and was always seen in his team cap around town.
State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly
“As a graduate of Milwaukee Public Schools and UW-Madison, and as a champion for our democracy, today we’ve lost one of the very best – a true mensch. I wish my best to his entire family, and I thank them for sharing him with all of us.”
“Herb Kohl was a true champion for Milwaukee County. Throughout his life and career in public service, philanthropy, and business, Herb Kohl worked to lift people up and move our community forward.
“My thoughts and condolences are with the Kohl family, his loved ones, and everyone Herb touched through his thoughtful compassion and generosity. Herb Kohl’s positive impact on Milwaukee County and the State of Wisconsin will be forever remembered in our hearts and minds, as we work to build upon his legacy and vision for a better, stronger and healthier world.”
“Senator Herb Kohl was a pillar of the U.S. Senate, generous philanthropist, business leader, and former chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. The son of Jewish immigrants, Herb Kohl’s life reflected the deep values of the state he served: hard work, humility and generosity.
“In business, Herb Kohl put employees and customers first, reflecting the ethos by which he lived his life. His ownership of and dedication to the Milwaukee Bucks kept the team at home in the city he loved, and his decades of giving back helped make higher education a reality for thousands of Wisconsinites.
“In the U.S. Senate, Herb Kohl again put people first, standing above special interests to fight for kids and dairy farmers, for more accessible and affordable health care, and for a more prosperous Wisconsin for all.
“We mourn the passing of a Wisconsin giant with a heart of gold. Herb Kohl was nobody’s senator but ours.”
“I’m deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Senator Kohl. His service and dedication to Wisconsin left an indelible impact on our state. He was an incredibly giving person and as Senator, he championed the needs of children and families, including expanding access to affordable health care and our public schools.
Sen. Lena C. Taylor
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
