Les Paul, Mike Cudahy and the Rise of the Uber Geezers

The Wizard of Waukesha is bringing his act to Milwaukee’s Pabst Theatre in June!

If you don’t know the significance of that sentence then you don’t know the history of rock and roll.

Les Paul, who turns 93 on June 9th, grew up in Waukesha and is probably more responsible for the popular music of our time than anyone. He is credited with inventing the design of the modern electric guitar and introducing recording techniques that revolutionized the music industry.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that when a group of Paul devotees came to Michael Cudahy with a plan to create a Paul tribute at Discovery World, the planets seemed to align.

I started this column as a tribute to some extraordinary graybeards among us and this breaking news about Paul’s upcoming concert just gave me a new lede.

While so many of us in Milwaukee pout about the leadership vacuum on our local scene, a handful of wealthy and accomplished elders are stepping up to the plate.

First and foremost, idiosyncratic and irascible Michael Cudahy has been coming to the rescue of various struggling institutions in the city for years. Take a look at his profile in the March, 2007 issue of Milwaukee Magazine by Kurt Chandler.

The man was born into one of this town’s most prestigious families but he dropped out of school and seemed destined to become the black sheep of the Cudahy clan. His story gives a 20th Century Midwestern twist to a legendary Shakespearean tale. This Prince Hal ne’er-do-well eventually launched a medical electronics firm that earned him a fortune. Ever since selling Marquette Electronics to GE, Cudahy has been dedicated to giving away millions.

The Medical College of Wisconsin, MSOE, the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee all benefited from his largesse. But Cudahy isn’t the type to just write checks. He took over the Pabst Theater, brilliantly restored it and established it as the city’s most magnificent entertainment venue. Anyone who visits Discovery World, the city’s outstanding science museum, soon realizes what an impact Michael Cudahy has had.

While the building’s glorious design resulted from a conflict between the philanthropist, the neighboring Milwaukee Art Museum and city planners, the spectacular facility is a living testament to Cudahy’s vision and commitment to this region.

At 84, Cudahy isn’t the oldest benefactor on the local scene. That honor probably goes to Joseph Zilber a wealthy 90-year-old developer who is engaged on a spending spree to kickstart a Milwaukee Renaissance. He stepped up to the plate when the WE Energies-sponsored proposal to redevelop the Pabst City site was rejected by the Common Council. While that project is still very much a work-in-progress, Zilber has invited criticism by replacing the Pabst sign with one featuring his name and attaching a tacky video billboard to one of the buildings.

But Zilber has also announced plans to bankroll a new initiative to address the poverty and other challenges facing Milwaukee to the tune of $50 million. The Zilber Neighborhood Initiative is a ten-year project intended to leverage a $200 million investment in ten Milwaukee neighborhoods.

And then there’s Sheldon Lubar, the baby of the group at 77. Lubar’s thrown his share of money around town, including a considerable chunk to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Art Museum and, most recently, enough to make sure lifeguards are on duty this summer at Bradford Beach.

But Lubar’s most noteworthy contribution may be his volunteer efforts to rescue Milwaukee County from insolvency. He served as chair of two task forces, one established by the Greater Milwaukee Committee and the other created by Governor Doyle, which issued a series of recommendations designed to eliminate duplication and improve efficiency.

Unfortunately, the county remains mired in dysfunction but, to his credit, Lubar has not gone quietly into the night. He has publicly railed at the inability of our local leaders to do what is necessary and has suggested abolishing the county government and dividing its services between state and local entities.

We live in a youth-obsessed culture and ageism remains one of the most tolerated forms of discrimination. Of course, these incredibly wealthy individuals don’t need any special accommodations and have done just fine for themselves, thank you very much. But I think it’s important that we recognize that people of all ages have talents and capabilities and deserve respect and opportunity.

After all, old age ain’t for sissies.

Look, up in the sky…

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s …

…the Uber Geezers!!!!