UW Athletic Hall of Fame
Herb Kohl
- Induction:
- 2024
- Class:
- 1956
- Received his bachelor’s degree in American Institutions from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1956
- Served as CEO and President of Kohl’s, the family’s chain of department and grocery stores
- Helped bring an NBA franchise to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Bought the Milwaukee Bucks in 1985 and stewarded the team as a community asset for 30 years
- Ran successfully to represent Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate in 1988 and was widely popular, winning reelection three times in his home state
- Created the Herb Kohl Education Foundation in 1990, which has provided nearly $38 million in grants and scholarships to Wisconsin students, educators, and schools
- Donated a $25 million gift, the largest ever given to UW-Madison at the time, for the construction of the Kohl Center
- Contributed $100 million for a new arena when the Milwaukee Bucks were put up for sale in 2014, to ensure the team remained Milwaukee’s franchise
- Gave $1.5 million to the La Follette School to create the Herb Kohl public service research competition, which supports nonpartisan research that informs critical public policy and governance debates and advances evidence-based decision-making
- Funded UW-Madison’s Kohl Initiative through a $10 million gift, the largest in La Follette School history, which demonstrated his commitment to public service and policy-making
- Donated $6 million for the Kohl Center expansion
Related Articles: To be added
- A Humble Man With A Big Impact - On, Wisconsin Magazine (Spring 2024)
- Nobody's Senator But Ours - On, Wisconsin Magazine (Winter 2022)
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