Lee Bass

Lee Marshall Bass (born 1956) is an American businessman and philanthropist.[1][2]

Lee Bass
Born1956
EducationYale University (BA)
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (MBA)
OccupationBusinessman, philanthropist
Net worthUS $1.96 billion (Sep 2015)[1]
Parent(s)Perry Richardson Bass
Nancy Lee Muse
RelativesSid Bass (brother)
Ed Bass (brother)
Robert Bass (brother)
Hyatt Bass (niece)
Sid W. Richardson (great-uncle)

Early life

Lee Bass was born in 1956. His father was Perry Richardson Bass, an investor and philanthropist, and his mother, Nancy Lee Bass, was a philanthropist. His great-uncle was oil baron Sid Richardson.[1]

He graduated from Yale University in 1979 and received a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1982.[1][2][3][4]

Career

In 1989, Governor William P. Clements, Jr. appointed him to a six-year term as a commissioner of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.[3] In 1995, Governor George W. Bush named him the commission chairman and reappointed him for another six years.[3] In 2001, he was named chairman-emeritus by Governor Rick Perry.[3][4] He is the primary steward of the historic El Coyote Longhorn Ranch in Encino, Texas.[5]

Philanthropy

He serves on the boards of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, The Peregrine Fund, and Vanderbilt University.[3][4][6] He is a founding director of the International Rhino Foundation, and Chairman Emeritus of the Board of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.[4]

In 1991, under the presidency of Benno C. Schmidt, Jr., he donated $20 million to Yale University to start a new program in Western civilization.[7] However, in 1995, under the presidency of Richard C. Levin, the gift was returned and the program canceled.[7][8] In 1993, he also founded the Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation with his wife.[9] In 2009-2010, the foundation donated $700,000 to the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.[10] A Republican, he has supported George W. Bush, George Allen, Phil Gramm, John McCain, and Kay Bailey Hutchison.[2] He has also donated $159,760 to Rick Perry.[11]

Personal life

He is married to Ramona Seeligson of San Antonio, Texas; they have three children, Sophie, Perry and Ramona (nickname Ramoncita or "Cita"). As of September 2011, he is the 595th richest person in the world, and the 220th richest in the United States, with an estimated wealth of US$2.1 billion.[1] He lives in Fort Worth, Texas.[1][4]

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References
  1. Forbes profile
  2. NNDB profile
  3. Texas Parks & Wildlife Commissioners
  4. Vanderbilt Board of Trustees Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  5. El Coyote ranch
  6. Walker Duncan, 'Vanderbilt adds four new board members', on NashvillePost.com, May 12, 2009
  7. Tyler Hill, 'Bass money funds Univ.', in Yale Daily News, November 3, 2006 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-08-31. Retrieved 2011-12-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. Stephen Balch, 'The Route to Academic Pluralism', in The Politically Correct University: Problems, Scope, and Reforms, Robert Maranto (ed.), Richard E. Redding (ed.), Frederick M. Hess (ed.), Washington, D.C.: The AEI Press, 2009, p. 234
  9. Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation
  10. Foundation 2009 grants
  11. Clare O'Connor, 'Rick Perry For President? Meet 24 Billionaires Who've Backed Him', in Forbes magazine, 7/20/2011
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