Herb Kohl facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Herb Kohl
Chair of the Senate Aging Committee
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Gordon H. Smith
Succeeded by	Bill Nelson
United States Senator from Wisconsin
In office January 3, 1989 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by	William Proxmire
Succeeded by	Tammy Baldwin
Chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party
In office 1975–1977
Preceded by	M. William Gerrard
Succeeded by	Michael N. Bleicher
Personal details
Born	(1935-02-07) February 7, 1935 (age 90) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	University of Wisconsin–Madison (BS) Harvard University (MBA)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1958–1964
Unit	Army Reserve

Herbert H. Kohl (born February 7, 1935) is an American businessman and politician. He helped start the famous Kohl's department stores. He later became the president and CEO of the company.

Herb Kohl also served as a United States senator for Wisconsin. He was a senator from 1989 to 2013. He was a member of the Democratic Party. He decided not to run for re-election in 2012. Tammy Baldwin took his place. Kohl also used to own the Milwaukee Bucks, a professional basketball team. He still owns a small part of the team today.

Early Life and Education

Herb Kohl was born and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His parents were immigrants from Poland and Russia. He went to Washington High School in Milwaukee.

He studied at the University of Wisconsin. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1956. Then, he went to Harvard Business School. He got his Master of Business Administration degree in 1958. During college, he was roommates with Bud Selig. Bud Selig later became the head of Major League Baseball. After college, Kohl served in the United States Army Reserve from 1958 to 1964.

Business Career

After finishing school, Kohl became an investor. He put money into real estate and the stock market. He even started his own company, Kohl Investments.

His family owned a chain of stores. This included grocery stores, department stores, and pharmacies. In 1970, Kohl became the president of Kohl's department stores. He led the company until it was sold to another business.

Early Political Steps

Before becoming a senator, Herb Kohl was active in politics. He was the chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. He held this position from 1975 to 1977.

Serving in the U.S. Senate

Herb Kohl was a United States senator for 24 years. Senators work in Washington D.C. to make laws for the whole country. They represent their state's people.

Senate Committees and Responsibilities

As a senator, Kohl worked on several important committees. These groups focus on different areas of government.

• Committee on Appropriations: This committee decides how the government spends money. Kohl was the chairman of a part of this committee that focused on farming and food.
• Committee on Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs: This group deals with banks, homes, and city development.
• Committee on the Judiciary: This committee handles laws and the justice system. Kohl was the vice chairman of this committee. He also led a part that looked at fair competition for businesses.
• Special Committee on Aging: This committee focuses on issues important to older people. Kohl was the chairman of this group.

Key Political Ideas

Herb Kohl was known for being a liberal who cared about ordinary people. He supported many different policies.

Money and the Economy

Kohl often voted for rules that made it harder to sue people. He also supported stricter rules for personal bankruptcy. He believed the U.S. Constitution should require a balanced budget. This means the government should not spend more money than it takes in.

He supported some tax cuts, which was unusual for a Democrat. He also wanted to get rid of the "marriage penalty" in taxes. This penalty made married couples pay more taxes than if they were single. Kohl generally supported taxing richer people more. He also voted for changes to welfare in the 1990s. He was open to ideas about private savings accounts to help with Social Security.

Environment and Health

Kohl usually supported environmental protection. He wanted America to rely less on foreign oil. He pushed for more hydrogen cars. He also wanted to reduce oil use by 40 percent.

He strongly supported universal health care. He voted to expand Medicare and SCHIP. These programs help pay for health care for older people and children. He also wanted prescription drugs to be covered by federal health plans.

Social Issues

Kohl was against the death penalty. He strongly supported affirmative action. This means giving extra help to women and minorities. He voted for the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. However, he later opposed changing the Constitution to define marriage. He supported laws against discrimination based on sexual orientation.

He voted against banning flag burning. He also opposed limits on travel to Cuba. In 2005, he helped pass a law requiring handguns to be sold with child safety locks. He also supported the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. This law aimed to make schools safer. Kohl was a big supporter of public education. He was against using public money for private schools.

World Affairs

Kohl often voted against free trade agreements. This included agreements like NAFTA and CAFTA. However, he supported trade with China and some smaller countries.

He voted against the Gulf War in 1990. But in 2002, he voted to use military force in Iraq. Kohl sometimes voted to reduce military spending. He also supported the Patriot Act at first. But he later opposed parts of it. He wanted warrants to be required for wiretapping.

Political Campaigns

Herb Kohl first won election to the U.S. Senate in 1988. His campaign slogan was "Nobody's Senator But Yours." He was re-elected three more times. He won in 1994, 2000, and 2006. He decided not to run for re-election in 2012.

Personal Life and Legacy

Herb Kohl is known as one of the wealthiest people in Milwaukee. He was also one of the richest U.S. senators. In 2016, his wealth was estimated to be between $630 million and $1.5 billion.

On May 13, 2011, Kohl announced he would not run for re-election. He said that the office belonged to the people of Wisconsin. He believed it was good not to stay in office too long.

Kohl bought the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team in 1985. He paid $18 million for the team. He wanted to make sure the team stayed in Milwaukee. In 2014, he sold the Bucks for $550 million. He sold them to Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry. Kohl was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2021, he was a key figure in the Milwaukee Bucks' NBA Championship parade. He was given a championship ring for helping keep the team in Milwaukee.

Giving Back to the Community

Herb Kohl has also given a lot of money to good causes. He donated $25 million to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This money helped build a new sports arena. It was named the Kohl Center in his honor.

In 1990, he started the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation. This program gives out $400,000 every year. It helps 200 graduating high school seniors, 100 teachers, and 100 schools in Wisconsin. In 2016, he gave $1.5 million to a public policy school. This money helps fund research on public policy.

See also

• List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
• List of richest American politicians