Sen. Herb Kohl remembered by local, state leaders

MILWAUKEE – “I’m really going to miss those lunches.”

Bud Selig, childhood friend of Sen. Kohl and former commissioner of the MLB, said he would miss seeing his former college roommate whom he had known for over eighty years.

Senator Herb Kohl was a business and philanthropic giant in southeast Wisconsin, and his legacy was remembered at the Fiserv. Forum on Friday. A fitting place to commemorate his legacy, considering Kohl provided his own money to build the stadium where the Milwaukee Bucks now play. The memorial service lacked the usual somber feeling of a memorial; most attendants were laughing and exchanging stories before the service began.

Jim Paschke is a former announcer for the Bucks and led the ceremony. Selig was the first to give remarks. He said he and Kohl remembered being told by their mothers that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had died when they were children. Selig said he was asked many times over the years if he was ever surprised by Kohl entering politics.

“My answer is no,” said Selig. “From early on, he loved sports but always wanted to do public service. Always. He was a man of great loyalty and intensity, and had a great feeling for people.”

David Axelrod was the Senior Advisor to President Obama and another speaker that personally knew Kohl. Axelrod said Kohl consulted with him during his campaigns for the U.S. Senate and regularly saw each other in Washington D.C.

Kohl was known as a humble person who avoided the spotlight; Axelrod joked that Kohl may have “ordered the storm” so people would stay home.

Axelrod recounted a story of when he was managing a U.S. Senate Campaign in 1988 for former Wisconsin Governor Tony Earl. Earl opposed Kohl in that race, and Kohl would go on to win. Axelrod says Kohl never let him live it down.

“Every time I saw Herb for 30 plus years afterwards, including the last time I had lunch with him, he would say ‘You’re the only friend I had that ran a negative ad against me.'”

Axelrod concluded his statements by saying Kohl was a major donor to Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy, a foundation started by Axelrod’s wife because their daughter suffered from seizures. Kohl was at their first fundraiser in Chicago, and its now the largest private donor supporter for epilepsy research in the world.

Following the service, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said the heavy snowfall was never going to stop him from attending the memorial.

“Senator Kohl always showed up for the city of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin, so it was important for me to show up today,” said Executive Crowley. “When I think about what Senator Kohl has done for children and families, especially for the Milwaukee Bucks while were standing inside Fiserv. Forum, I just wanted to make sure we payed our respects today.”

As a current leader in Wisconsin, Governor Tony Evers said he took inspiration from Kohl and his legacy can be broken down into one word.

” I have to believe that every person who spoke today…. said one thing about Herb Kohl, its that he was kind.”

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