His conservative politics drew the ire of those on the political left.
But billionaire philanthropist David Koch, who passed away on Friday, is also being remembered as a staunch supporter of historically Black colleges in particular and higher education in general.
Koch, along with his brother Charles, donated funds to HBCUs and the organizations that support them, including the United Negro College Fund and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
Koch, 79, built Koch Industries, one of the largest ethanol producers in the country. He held a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The two brothers also created a powerful political network aimed at funding conservative candidates and using negative advertising to defeat progressive causes.
Their political efforts proved quite successful.
“Twenty-seven years ago, David was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and given a grim prognosis of a few years to live,” said Charles Koch in a statement. “David liked to say that a combination of brilliant doctors, state-of-the-art medications and his own stubbornness kept the cancer at bay. We can all be grateful that it did, because he was able to touch so many more lives as a result.”
