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Terry Kohler
| Terry Kohler | |
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| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | Windway Capital Corporation |
| Role: | President and Chairman of the Board |
| Location: | Sheboygan, Wis. |
| Education: | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (bachelor's, master's degree)[1] |
Terry Kohler is the CEO of Windway Capital Corporation, a holding company with subsidiaries including North Technology Group and Vollrath Corporation.[2] Kohler is the son and grandson of former Republican Wisconsin Governors Walter Kohler, Jr. and Walter Kohler, Sr.[3] Kohler, himself, ran as the GOP nominee in Wisconsin for Governor in 1982, losing to Democratic Party candidate Tony Earl.[4] Kohler remains a significant donor to the Republican Party. Kohler is also an avid conservationist and has been recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior for his efforts in the preservation of endangered species.[5]
Career
Kohler's great-great grandfather, Jacob J. Vollrath, founded the Sheboygan Cast Steel Company in 1874, which was later incorporated into the Jacob J. Vollrath Manufacturing Company in 1884.[6] Prior to working for Vollrath, Kohler enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and flew B-47 bombers.[7] Kohler became President of the company in 1976 and was succeeded by Paul Bartelt in 2009.[6]
Kohler sought the Republican Party nomination for the U.S. Senate in 1980, but lost in the primary to eventual winner Bob Kasten. In 1982, Kohler won the GOP nomination for Governor before losing in the general election to Tony Earl. In 1986, Kohler unsuccessfully ran for surveyor of Douglas County, Wisconsin, on a platform to abolish the elective nature of the office.[8] In 1987, Kohler failed to become Vice-Chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin in what was described as a rejection that perhaps "stung the most" for "the party's chief fund raiser".[8] In 1987, Kohler began publishing Wisconsin Hotline, a bi-monthly newsletter offering "a conservative viewpoint on state politics".[8] Kohler stopped publication in 1991 upon being named to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents.[9]
Newt Gingrich
Kohler was an early donor to GOPAC under the leadership of Speaker Newt Gingrich (R). From 1988-1994, Kohler gave GOPAC $715,457.[10][11] In 1990, the Federal Election Commission alleged that some of the funds earmarked for GOPAC were illegally diverted to Gingrich's House campaign in 1990, using donations from Kohler as evidence.[12] During Gingrich's failed run in the 2012 election for President, Kohler gave $382,082 to American Solutions for Winning the Future, a 527 group created by Gingrich which Gingrich closed in July 2011.[13]
The closeness of the Kohler-Gingrich relationship has been reported as a personal one. According to Insight on the News[14]:
| “ |
Just before Newt Gingrich became speaker of the House, he made a pilgrimage to Sheboygan, Wis. Why? Because Terry Kohler asked him. "Terry and Mary Kohler are such old friends and have been so vital to what we've been doing that when they called, I couldn't turn them down," Gingrich remarked after delivering a December dinner speech to the Sheboygan Economic Club.[15] |
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Political giving
Kohler has a record of giving to the Republican National Committee and Republican candidates nationally, as well as in Wisconsin.[16] [17] Since 2009, Kohler has given $157,200 to the Republican National Committee (RNC) and has also donated $80,064 to the Republican Party of Wisconsin.[17]
Kohler's influence in Wisconsin is known as "The Terry Kohler Factor", with one website claiming, "If you need the explanation, you are new to Wisconsin politics".[18] Kohler's fortune has been dubbed "the real firepower" in Wisconsin by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.[19] Kohler convinced Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker to attend an event honoring Kohler's father and grandfather -- former Governors of Wisconsin Walter Kohler, Sr., and Walter Kohler, Jr. -- and mentioned to the Green Bay Press Gazette[20]:
| “ |
"Would I have been able to get Scott to do that if I hadn't been contributing? Now if you want to call that access, go ahead.” Kohler donated $100,000 to Walker’s super PAC in June.[15] |
” |
In addition to Newt Gingrich, political candidates to whom Kohler has donated include: U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R), U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R), U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R), and Gov. Scott Walker (R).
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ MIT Spectrum, "Smooth sailing," Fall 2011
- ↑ Bloomberg Business, "Windway Capital Corporation Profile," accessed October 19, 2015
- ↑ National Governors' Association, "Former Governors of Wisconsin," accessed October 19, 2015
- ↑ uselectionatlas.org, "1982 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Wisconsin," accessed October 19, 2015
- ↑ Lindbergh Foundation, "Profile of Terry and Mary Kohler," accessed October 19, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Vollrath Corporation, "About us," accessed October 19, 2015
- ↑ Philanthropy Roundtable, "Interview with Terry and Mary Kohler," accessed October 19, 2015
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Milwaukee Sentinel (via Google), "Conservative causes just one of bustling Kohler activities," August 18, 1989
- ↑ The Milwaukee Sentinel (via Google), "Kohler says he'll stop publishing newsletter," June 12, 1991
- ↑ The New York Times, "Gingrich: Man in spotlight and organization in shadow," December 18, 1994
- ↑ Insight on the News, "Conservative financier invests in Republicans," June 15, 1995
- ↑ The Spokesman-Review, "Gingrich Denies FEC Allegations," December 1, 1995
- ↑ McClatchy DC, "Did Gingrich bend campaign laws with his 'independent' committee?" December 19, 2011
- ↑ Insight on the News, "Conservative financier invests in Republicans," June 15, 1995
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ To access a record of Kohler's federal campaign contributions, go the "Transaction Query By Individual Contributor" page on the Federal Election Commission's website, and search for Terry Kohler
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Federal Election Commission, "Transaction Query By Individual Contributor," accessed October 19, 2015
- ↑ RightWisconsin.com, "Who is the front-runner to succeed Tom Petri?" April 14, 2014
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "United Sportsman's Group had Terry Kohler as their ally," September 15, 2013
- ↑ The Huffington Post, "No, Scott Walker's Super PAC Donors Didn't Waste Their Money," September 27, 2015
