Herbert H. Kohl (February 7, 1935 – December 27, 2023) was an American businessman and politician. Kohl also served as a United States senator from Wisconsin from 1989 to 2013 as a member of the Democratic Party.Alongside his brother and father, Kohl founded the Kohl’s department stores chain, of which he went on to be president and chief executive officer. He purchased the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association in 1985, keeping the team from relocating. Kohl was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1988 and was elected to four six-year terms.
Herb Kohl ,BiographyFacts
- Born : February 7, 1935, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
- Died : December 27, 2023
- Political party: Democratic
- Education : University of Wisconsin–Madison (BS)
- Allegiance: United States
- Years of service: 1958–1964
Herb Kohl, Early life, education, and career
Kohl was born and raised in Milwaukee, the son of Mary (née Hiken) and Max Kohl. His father was a Polish Jewish immigrant and his mother was a Russian Jewish immigrant.He attended Washington High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1956 and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School in 1958. While an undergraduate, he joined the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. He was also a roommate of Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.Between 1958 and 1964, Kohl was a member of the United States Army Reserve.
After finishing graduate school, Kohl worked as an investor in real estate and the stock market, eventually spinning off his own company, Kohl Investments, to manage these assets. He and his brother became heirs to a family-owned chain that included 50 grocery stores and several Herb Kohl department stores, pharmacies and liquor stores. In 1970, Kohl was named president of Kohl’s and served until the corporation was sold to BATUS Inc. (formerly British American Tobacco) in 1978.
Kohl served as chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin between 1975 and 1977
Herb Kohl Milwaukee Bucks
Kohl purchased the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from Jim Fitzgerald in 1985 for $18 millionto ensure the team remained in Milwaukee. In 2003, he considered an offer to sell the team to former NBA superstar Michael Jordan, but decided to retain ownership.
Herb Kohl In 2013, Kohl began to bring in new partners who were committed to keeping the team in Milwaukee in 2013. Kohl agreed to sell the Bucks to New York-based billionaires Wes Edens and Marc Lasry for $550 million on April 16, 2014
Herb Kohl U.S. Senate
Kohl won election to the U.S. Senate in 1988. Incumbent William Proxmire, a Democrat, did not seek reelection, and Kohl defeated Republican Susan Engeleiter in the general election. He was re-elected in 1994 against Robert Welch,Herb Kohl in 2000 against John Gillespie,, and in 2006 against Robert Lorge.
On May 13, 2011, Kohl announced he would not run for re-election in 2012, saying, “The office doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to the people of Wisconsin, and there is something to be said for not staying in office too long.
Herb Kohl Committee assignments
Committee on Appropriations
- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (Chairman)
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Defense
- Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Committee on Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs
- Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions
- Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance
Committee on the Judiciary (Vice Chairman)
- Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights (Chairman)
- Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs
- Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security
Herb Kohl Political positions
Kohl has been described as having been a populist-leaning liberal.
Kohl supported President Barack Obama’s health reform legislation; he voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in December 2009,and he voted for the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.
Herb Kohl Personal life
Kohl was the wealthiest resident of Milwaukee, the richest Jewish American from Wisconsin, and was one of the wealthiest Herb Kohl U.S. senators. In 2016, Forbes estimated Kohl’s net worth to be around $630 million to $1.5 billion.
Kohl was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.On July 22, 2021, Kohl was the key figure of the lead car in the Milwaukee Bucks NBA Championship parade.Herb Kohl On the event, he said: “This is one of the big days of my life.”Kohl attended the Herb Kohl Bucks’ 2021-22 season opener at Herb Kohl Fiserv Forum and was presented with a Bucks Herb Kohl championship ring for his efforts in keeping the Bucks in Milwaukee.Kohl died at his home in Milwaukee on December 27, 2023, at the age of Kohl donated $25 million to the University of Wisconsin–Madison for construction of its new sports arena, which was named the Kohl Center. In 1990, Kohl established the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Achievement Award Program, which provides annual grants totaling $400,000 to 200 graduating seniors, 100 teachers, and 100 schools throughout Wisconsin.Herb Kohl In 2016, he gave $1.5 million to the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs to create the Herb Kohl Public Service Research Competition, promoting public policy research.