Koch << kohk >> , Charles de Ganahl and David Hamilton, became prominent American businessmen and philanthropists (people who donate large sums of money to causes). Charles de Ganahl (1935-…) and David Hamilton (1940-2019) Koch also became active in conservative American politics. The Koch family business, Koch Industries, Inc., is one of the largest privately owned companies in the United States. It is headquartered in Wichita, Kansas.
Charles and David inherited Koch Industries from their father, Fred C. Koch. The elder Koch was a chemical engineer who invented a new method of refining gasoline from crude oil. The company that would become Koch Industries began as a refining company. One of the company’s major contracts during Fred Koch’s tenure with the firm was with the Soviet Union . He came to strongly dislike forms of Communist government, especially under the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin . Fred Koch was an early member of the conservative, anti-Communist John Birch Society , founded in 1958. Their father’s political ideas would strongly influence Charles and David.
Charles Koch was born in Wichita on Nov. 1, 1935. David was born in Wichita on May 3, 1940. The brothers studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Both men completed master’s degrees in chemical engineering at MIT. Charles joined his father’s business in 1961 and became its president in 1967. David joined Koch Industries, Inc., in 1970. Charles and David bought the shares of the two other Koch brothers, Frederick and David’s twin, William, in 1983.
Koch Industries grew dramatically after Charles and David began managing the firm. In addition to the oil refineries that made up the core of the early business, Koch Industries began to produce a variety of products, from paper towels and lumber to fertilizer and carpeting.
Charles and David Koch became known for their conservative political beliefs. In 1977, they donated funds to found the first libertarian public policy research organization, the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. Libertarians favor increasing individual liberties by limiting government activities.
In 1980, David Koch entered politics, running as the vice presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party . The Libertarian Party platform in 1980 included abolishing Social Security and income tax for businesses and individuals. That year, the Libertarian Party received around 1 percent of the vote in the presidential election.
Charles and David Koch then engaged in politics from behind the scenes. They contributed millions of dollars to conservative causes. In the mid-1980’s, they provided several million dollars in funding for the Mercatus Center at George Mason University . The Mercatus Center is a research organization that promotes free-market ideas. In 2004, David Koch helped found Americans for Prosperity. The group has fought against such policies as environmental regulation and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act . In 2018, David Koch announced his retirement. He died on Aug. 23, 2019.
