“The
foundation of billionaire industrialist Charles Koch is ramping up its
ideological higher education donations, smashing last year’s record amount
given to colleges and universities. The foundation, along with smaller
contributions from two other Koch family foundations, gave over $51 million to
higher education institutions in 2016, according to tax records analyzed
by International Business Times. Koch donations typically come in the form of
multi-year gifts, which support free-market centers [*], courses,
professorships, graduate scholarships and lecture series, all with the aim of
producing bright, young conservatives to recruit into their political network
and like-minded professors to create scholarship that dovetails with the Kochs’
ideology and business interests.
“Koch and
his brother David are well known for running a giant oil, chemical and
materials conglomerate, Koch Industries, and for leading a vast, conservative
political network that rivals either of the two major political parties in size
and funding. Lesser known, but crucial to their long-term strategy to bend
America toward their small-government ideology, is their considerable funding
of higher education.
“The
political activities of the Koch brothers have led to increased scrutiny into
the family’s university grants in recent years, and students and faculty at
several academic institutions have protested proposed donation agreements. In
many cases, despite the opposition, universities and their economics
departments, eager for an influx of cash, approve the agreements and begin
taking yearly installments of hundreds of thousands — and sometimes millions — of
dollars… More than 240 colleges and
universities, almost all in the U.S., got donations from Koch family
foundations in 2016, up from 218 the previous year…
“In her most recent book, Dark Money, New
Yorker staff writer Jane Mayer describes a 1976 New York City conference that
Charles Koch organized for wealthy libertarians to plot a strategy to take over
American politics. In order to broaden their radical conservative movement,
Charles Koch advocated a focus on ‘attracting youth’ because ‘this is the group
that is open to a radically different social philosophy.’ Koch’s political
lieutenant at the time, former John Birch Society member George Pearson, said
at the gathering that traditional university gifts would not be sufficient, but
funding private institutes on campuses would make it easier for donors to exert
more control over hiring decisions and the ideological bent of these centers.
“The ‘Structure of Social Change,’
a plan devised by Koch and one of his closest lifelong associates, Richard
Fink, begins with funding higher education. Next, academic output — or
‘intellectual raw materials’ — moves on to right-wing think tanks funded by
Koch and his network, which repackage the scholarship into more relatable
policy proposals. Koch-funded political advocacy groups then rally people
around these policies and pressure lawmakers to adopt them.
“The
strategy appears to be working. Not only are libertarian-minded academics
raising their profiles with the help of Koch grants and providing ‘raw
materials’ for conservative think tanks to convert into policy proposals but
some are rising directly into the halls of government. International Business
Times recently identified a host of Koch-backed academics who have secured posts
within the Donald Trump administration this year. Meanwhile,
business is booming for the wealthy brothers. Charles and David Koch
are currently worth a combined $99.2 billion.”
For the complete article, Charles Koch gave $50 million to
higher ed in 2016. What did he buy? by Alex Kotch, click here.
*For a Commentary on Global Free Market: a Perspective and
Admonition, click here.
This is really important. Thanks!
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