MILWAUKEE — Mike Cudahy, one of Milwaukee's most prominent business and philanthropic leaders, has died at the age of 97.
Our partners at the Milwaukee Business Journal broke the news, reporting he passed away on Friday.
Cudahy was the driving force behind a number of important projects in the area, including founding and later selling Marquette Electronics; helping build Discovery World on the lakefront; redeveloping the Pabst and Riverside theaters; and other projects.
In 1998 Cudahy donated most of his family's summer retreat on the city's northwest side, called Hilltop Farm, to the YMCA.
Marquette University President Michael R. Lovell shared the following statement following Cudahy's passing:
"Michael Cudahy was a pillar of the Milwaukee community through his work and his philanthropy. On behalf of the Marquette University community, I extend deepest condolences to his family, his friends and those he touched through contributions to education, local institutions and the arts. Mike was a great friend of Marquette and of mine. He shared Marquette's commitment to keeping higher education accessible, and his gifts to the university were transformational for the students they impacted. His support of our mission and guiding values will forever be a part of his legacy, and the invaluable guidance and wisdom Mike shared will stay with me throughout my career. His support has been a true blessing in all of our lives."
