Former Regent and GOP political adviser Marvin Pomerantz dies at 78

"The Best I Can Do," by Marvin Pomerantz

Marvin Pomerantz, a prominent Des Moines businessman who advised Republican governors and presidential candidates for the past 40 years, died Thursday at the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City.

Pomerantz, one of only six Iowans inducted into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, played an influential role in Iowa education. In addition to serving two terms as president of the Iowa state Board of Regents, Pomerantz donated millions of dollars to the University of Iowa.

“The University of Iowa joins our entire state in mourning the loss of Marvin Pomerantz,” UI President Sally Mason said in a statement Thursday. “Mr. Pomerantz was a true friend to the UI and to higher education throughout Iowa. His leadership, his insight, his advice and his generosity have been crucial to our success and our excellence for decades.”

Pomerantz died of complications stemming from a heart attack he suffered in June.

Born in Des Moines on Aug. 6, 1930, Pomerantz was one of nine children whose parents immigrated from Poland in 1912. In his recently penned autobiography, “The Best I Can Do,” published in 2006, Pomerantz credits his humble upbringing for helping shape his philanthropic efforts:

Looking back on my life, it would be hard to find anyone with a more humble beginning than mine. Growing up in Des Moines, there was barely enough food to feed the family, but we always shared what little we had. We didn’t think we were poor, we knew we were poor …

Pomerantz’s interest in education did not stop in 1952 when he graduated from the UI with a bachelor of science degree in commerce. He led the regents from 1987-93 and 1995-96 and recently served as head of the Institute for Tomorrow’s Workforce, a group that studied Iowa’s education system.

Last fall, Pomerantz was honored for his contributions to a scholarship for minority students at Des Moines University.

“Marvin’s commitment to education and the children of Iowa was remarkable,” Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said in a statement. “He was a premiere philanthropist, who invested his own dollars in making our state a better place to live.”

Despite recent health concerns, Pomerantz remained politically active in Iowa. During the Republican presidential campaign, he served as Iowa co-chair of former Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.

“Marvin is the epitome of the American dream, and his support is going to be enormously helpful to my campaign,” Romney said in an April statement. “He shares my vision of a strong and vibrant economy, one that is able to successfully compete with extraordinary economic challenges from abroad. To do so, Marvin and I share the same belief that we must have a rigorous educational system preparing our children for the future.”

Pomerantz was also active in shaping Iowa’s educational policy. He co-chaired the Institute for Tomorrow’s Workforce (ITW), a nonprofit educational foundation created by the Legislature in 2005 to provide lawmakers with recommendations ensuring that all Iowa learners are rigorously challenged and adequately prepared for the 21st century.

Last fall, Pomerantz stepped down from his post after accusing Gov. Chet Culver of failing to support the institute’s recommendations. Upon his resignation, Pomerantz threatened to file a lawsuit if Culver didn’t follow through with the ITW’s recommendations and followed through with his threat this spring, financing a lawsuit that asks Iowa to adopt measures such as creating a state-wide, mandatory curriculum to ensure equal opportunities for all students. The suit is still pending.

Pomerantz also made news last summer when he resigned his position as head of UI College of Public Health’s capital-raising committee. After procuring a $15 million naming gift from the Wellmark Foundation, Pomerantz voiced his displeasure with the college dean’s rejection of the gift. “I think the College of Public Health dean embarrassed me and embarrassed the university,” Pomerantz said in statement. “It is a terrible insult to the university what Dean Merchant has done.”

The gift was intended to be used for the proposed $45 million building for the College of Public Health, but was ultimately rejected by the teaching faculty, which cited concerns about naming public institutions after private businesses.

Pomerantz was tough, but he also was innovative and creative and gave of his time, energy and money, Regent Michael Gartner of Des Moines told the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

“As head of the board of regents he accomplished immense gains and made the universities better when he left office than they were when he came into office,” Gartner said.